F.d.U./B.d.U.'S War Log

1 - 15 September 1941

PG30296

     
 
 
 
Date
Position, Wind, Weather
 
and
Sea State, Illumination,
Events
Time
Air Pressure, Moonlight etc.
  
 
 
 
1.9.
   Positions of boats on 1.9:
One group of boats S.W. of Iceland in following position order:
U 652 - AD 8539,   U 105 - AD 8589
U 432 - AD 8679,   U 38 - AD 8892
U 84 - AD 8859,   U 501 - AL 1214
U 43 - AL 1258,   U 452 - AL 1189
U 202 - AL 1444,   U 82 - AL 1439
U 207 - AL 1621,   U 569 - AL 2388
U 433 - AL 1696.        
             
The following are en route to this position:
U 85 - AL 2260,   U 81 - AL 2230
U 143 - AM 3320,   U 141 - AM 5450.
             
      The following boats are west of the North Channel:
U 77 - AL 0397,   U 568 - AL 6226
U 553 - AL 6512,   U 206 - AL 6616
U 567 - AL 6449,   U 563 - AL 6823
U 96 - AM 4478.        
             
The boats which operated against the convoy reported by U 141 are proceeding to the east in a patrol line and according to dead reckoning are in the following positions:
U 71 - AL 9760,   U 557 - AL 9840
U 561 - AL 9870,   U 95 - AL 9880
U 751 - BE 2230,   U 83 - BE 2310
U 562 - BE 2350,   U 558 - BE 2740.
   
  U 106 is in the Azores operational area.
  U 108, U 125, U 111 are proceeding in a southerly direction in DS 52, DS 76 and DS 86.
   
 
  Homeward bound:  U 101 - BE 6190, U 73 - BE 3950.
 
   
 
  Outward bound:  U 98 - BF 5450, U 66 - BF 1710.
 
   
 
  The following should be operationally ready by 15.9:
 
  From the ports of Western France:  U 94, 552, 107, 68, 97, 74, 103, 372, 431, 79, 201, 564.
 
  From Trondheim:  U 373.
 
   
 
  Air reconnaissance reported a convoy on a course of 2600 at 0830 in AM 4531.
 
  The plane stated that position was inexact, fog prevented further shadowing and sending of beacon signals.  Group "Bosemueller" has
                       
 
 
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Date
Position, Wind, Weather
 
and
Sea State, Illumination,
Events
Time
Air Pressure, Moonlight etc.
  
 
 
 
  been ordered to proceed north on a course of 3400, in order to attack this convoy.
 
  U 85 has been allocated an attack area within the Northern Commitment in AD 8545, and U 81 in AL 1143.
   
  U 106 has been given radio instructions on escorting the motor vessel "Anneliese Essberger".  The boat is to be at the rendezvous in CD 68 from 3.9.
   
 
  U 143 reported that she was returning because of engine trouble.  She sank a 6,000 GRT steamer belonging to the convoy that she reported on 3.9.
 
   
 
  U 73, who is on a protracted homeward course, established contact at 1150 with an inward bound convoy in BD 3945.  She reported 20 steamers 3 escorts, course 400, speed 7 knots.  Boats of the group "Bosemueller" will attack this convoy.  As U 73 is maintaining contact, the boats can proceed at maximum speed and so reach the convoy as quickly as possible.  They have been ordered to search the sector from 3500 to 700 from the last reported convoy position tomorrow if contact is lost.
 
   
 
  After dark, U 73 lost contact in thick fog.  She reported last convoy position at 0016 as BD 3661.
 
   
 
  U 572 left Trondheim, U 565 Brest and U 69 St. Nazaire.
 
   
 
2.9.
   Contact with convoy reported by U 73 was not re-established during the night.  It must be assumed that the boats are stalking the convoy within the sectors ordered.  At 1143 U 557 reported:  Suddenly came upon convoy in fog and rain.  Be 1159, course 400.  Shortly afterwards U 83 reported a corvette in the same grid square.  Hence, both of these boats must have been very close to the convoy.  Apparently the thick weather prevented further shadowing.  At 1633 U 557 reported that she had not re-established contact.
 
   
  Air reconnaissance was again sent out to locate the convoy reported yesterday.  Plane made contact and sent beacon signals which were reported by some boats.  A reliable position was not obtained.  G.A.F. next reported convoy position as AL 6586, later corrected this to AL 9289 (120 miles further south).  Boats were ordered to proceed to this position.  As no convoy was detected by evening, I decided to direct both groups "Bosemueller" and "Kurfuerst" to attack the convoy reported by U 73.
   
  Reasons were as follows:
 
1) The most recent and reliable position report is available for the convoy reported by U 73.
2) The position of the convoy reported by Air Reconnaissance is very vague.
               
 
 
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Date
Position, Wind, Weather
 
and
Sea State, Illumination,
Events
Time
Air Pressure, Moonlight etc.
  
 
 
 
 
3) Air Reconnaissance may very probably pick up the inward convoy again during the next few days, but will hardly do so in the case of the outward one.
4) As they belong to an "SL" convoy, the ships in the convoy reported by U 73 are probably more valuable than the ships in the outward convoy bound for Gibraltar.
 
  Both groups have been combined to form Group "Seewolf".
   
  U 94 has left St. Nazaire.
   
 
3.9.
   Weather in the convoy area is still very thick.  The convoy has not been found.  However, at 1640 U 98, outward bound, contacted an outward bound convoy in AL 9656.  Course 2400.  It is probably the "OG" convoy that was inadequately reported by the G.A.F. on 2.9.  At that time Group "Seewolf" was supposed to be about 100 to 180 miles W.S.W. of the convoy.  Visibility remained poor.  The boat was only able to distinguish a cruiser and 8 steamers.  However, we have at least an exact enemy position to work on again.Data on inward convoys are old (in BD 3661 at 0016 on 2.9.).Even if we still succeed in picking up the convoy, little time will remain for attacking, as it is already in the rendezvous area.  Weather and especially visibility, is expected to be more favorable in the south than in the north during the next few days.  I, therefore, decided to give up all idea of attacking the inward bound convoy and to commit all boats in an operation against the outward convoy.
 
   
 
  U 98 lost contact at dusk.
 
   
 
  U 562 entered Brest.
 
   
 
4.9.
   Neither G.A.F. nor submarines succeeded in finding the convoy.  The search is being continued in the sector from 1800 to 2200 based on the last known enemy position.  Two boats are being allocated to each sector.
 
   
 
  U 751 has turned back.
 
   
  The attack areas for Group "Markgraf" have been moved 150 miles to the west.  U 141 has moved her operational area to the northern part of AM.
   
  U 552 has left St. Nazaire, U 373 Trondheim, for the North Atlantic operational area.
   
  U 101 has entered St. Nazaire, U 148 Bergen.
             
 
 
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Date
Position, Wind, Weather
 
and
Sea State, Illumination,
Events
Time
Air Pressure, Moonlight etc.
  
 
 
 
5.9.
   Search for the convoy is continuing.  Boats have orders to continue operations in the north to south patrol line between 150 and 230 West.
 
  The U.S.A. destroyer "Geer" reported that she was unsuccessfully attacked with torpedoes by a submarine at noon on 4th September.  A query put to the most likely submarines elicited that U 652 had encountered the destroyer and had been attacked with 3 depth charges.  She reported that she had been forced to sheer of.  Double miss observed.  Moderate depth charge pursuit.
   
  U 38 has turned back.  Sank one steamer (6,000 GRT).  Group "Markgraf" has been given new attack areas, embracing the zone between Greenland and Iceland as far as about 400 miles south of the Islands.  
   
 
  U 101 entered St. Nazaire.
 
   
 
6.9.
   A final attempt was made to pick up the Gibraltar convoy.  The boats continued stalking in a wide patrol line, G.A.F. used all available planes for spotting.  No success.  Probably because visibility remained unfavorable, and probably because the convoy is still farther to the west, after all.  If the search were continued now, the submarines would have to cruise as far as off Gibraltar, and that even if they contacted the convoy, the width of the search patrol in which the boats are operating would permit only some of them to get to grips as the convoy is already too close to its port of destination.
 
   
 
  I decided to cancel the operation.
 
   
 
  Group "Seewolf" was ordered to move away to the north.
 
   
 
  U 83 has turned back.
 
   
7.9.
   U 206, 563, 568 and 77 (the whole of Group "Seewolf") have reported that they are returning.
   
  In accordance with orders from Naval War Staff, preparations are to be made immediately to send German submarines into the Mediterranean.  6 boats are envisaged for a start, they are to operate from the base at Salmis against enemy supply lines, especially those to the coast of North Africa.  Operational control is to be in the hands of Naval Group Command South.
   
  U 73, U 71 have entered St. Nazaire.
             
 
 
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Date
Position, Wind, Weather
 
and
Sea State, Illumination,
Events
Time
Air Pressure, Moonlight etc.
  
 
 
 
8.9.
   The boats in the South have been ordered to operate in area ER and EQ east of 400 West.
 
  No special events in the Northern area.
   
  The Commanders of boats U 101, 751, 71 and 73 appeared to make their reports.
  The boats sighted little or nothing.  The general impression obtained was that there are no longer any independents other than a few, very fast large steamers.  The enemy appears to have gathered all shipping together in convoys.  In addition to close escort with the convoys, long-range escorts or chaser groups were observed, which rendered shadowing or undetected approach extremely difficult.  In addition the long-range escort appeared to carry out decoy maneuvers by firing starshell, using search-lights etc.
 
  It seems that the boats will have to fire at long range at the very first opportunity, they have been given appropriate orders.
 
   
 
  U 94 has left St. Nazaire, U 372 Trondheim.  U 751 has entered St. Nazaire.
 
   
 
9.9.
   New attack areas have been ordered for the boats belonging to Group "Seewolf", they lie west of Iceland between 510 and 550 N. and between 150 and 200 W.  The change has been made to enable co-operation with air reconnaissance from this area.
 
   
 
  At 1430, U 85 contacted a convoy in AD 9259.  Convoy was on a northerly course, proceeding at 7 knots.  Group "Markgraf" was instructed to stalk this convoy.  At 1730 U 85 made another shadower report from AD 9262 and at 2357 from AD 6881.
 
   
 
  U 141 reported that she is on her homeward voyage.  She is going to Bergen to replenish and has apparently sunk 2 patrol vessels.
 
   
  U 83 has entered Brest.