VERSUCHSFALL A.

[tigre]

Hello to all ; here goes a short new story..........................

VERSUCHSFALL A

Until September 24, 1939 the U 37 was in the shipyard where it was reconditioned. On September 25, 1939 Korv.Kpt. Werner Hartmann assumed command of the submersible. The BdU would have on hand the following submersible of great range (ocean going) in the first half of October 1939, U 42 (2 / X), U 46, U 47, U 48 (4 / X); U 37 (5 / X), U 45 (8 / X), U 34 (11 / X), U 25 (15 / X) and U 40 (with doubts 16 / X). The admiral's intention was to operate against British maritime traffic in the Atlantic, particularly southwest of Ireland and in the area around Gibraltar.

Sources: LIFE 20 Nov 1939.
Feind im Fadenkreuz - U-Boot Jagd auf dem By Werner Hauptmann. 1942
http://www.ubootwaffe.net/ (closed by the time being).

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; more follows..........................

VERSUCHSFALL A.

On October 2, 1939 sailed the second wave of ocean-going submersible towards the Atlantic ocean in order to take part in the first operation in using the tactics of the wolf pack (Wolfsrudeltaktik); the first to sail from Wilhelmshaven was the type IXA U 42 (Kplt Rolf Dau; Kplt Julius v. Gosen; WO Oblt z. S. Herward Engelsmann +; LI Oblt Max Dünnebier; StOStrm Hans Schrabel) to carry out its first and only patrol.

On October 3, 1939 sailed from Kiel in its second patrol the U 46 (Kplt Herbert Sohler; IWO Oblt z. S. Erich Topp), this submersible type VIIB had problems in its engines and went to Wilhelmshaven, where it would sail again on October 7, 1939. On October 4, 1939 sailed from Kiel in its second patrol the U 48 (Kplt Herbert Schulze; IWO Oblt z. S. Reinhard Suhren; WO Lt z. S. Otto Ites), it was another type VIIB.

Sources: LIFE 20 Nov 1939.
Feind im Fadenkreuz - U-Boot Jagd auf dem By Werner Hauptmann. 1942
http://www.ubootwaffe.net/ (sitio cerrado por el momento).

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; more follows..........................

VERSUCHSFALL A.

On October 5, 1939 sailed from Wilhelmshaven another type IXA, the U 37 (Korv.Kpt. Werner Hartmann; IWO Oblt. z. S. Asmus-Nicolai Clausen; WO Lt. z.S. Gustav Poel; LI Oblt. z.S. Gerd Suhren) and one type VIIB from Kiel, the U 45 (Kplt. Alexander Gelhaar +; IWO Oblt .z. S. Ernst v. Bergen-Windels +; WO Lt. z. S Heinz Döring +; LI Oblt. z.S. Paul Schlicht +); this submersible would be lost with her entire crew.

Sources: LIFE 20 Nov 1939.
Feind im Fadenkreuz - U-Boot auf Jagd im Atlantik by Werner Hauptmann. 1942
http://www.ubootwaffe.net/ (sitio cerrado por el momento).

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; more follows..........................

VERSUCHSFALL A.

On October 8, 1939 sailed from Kiel one type VIIB, the U 47 (Kplt Günther Prien, IWO Oblt Engelbert Endrass, IIWO Lt Amelung v. Varendorff), but would not take part in the wolf pack, as she would carry out the SONDERUNTERNEHMEN "P "(breaking into the naval base at Scapa Flow).

The U 37 reported its first sinking, the Swedish steam VISTULA (1018 BRT) sunk by gunfire; the ship's crew abandoned the ship, but due to bad weather one of the life boat was lost with nine men aboard.

Sources: LIFE 20 Nov 1939.
Feind im Fadenkreuz - U-Boot auf Jagd im Atlantik by Werner Hauptmann. 1942
http://www.ubootwaffe.net/ (sitio cerrado por el momento).

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; more follows..........................

VERSUCHSFALL A.

On October 10, 1939 began the VERSUCHSFALL A, the first operation of the German submarine force using the wolf pack tactics. In this operation would take part five boats (U 37, U 42, U 45, U 46 and U 48) under operational command of Krv. Kp Werner Hartmann, who was aboard the U 37. The aim of the operation was the Allied convoy HG-3 and the area where the operation would develop were called Position Yellow (Gelb).

Sources: LIFE 20 Nov 1939.
Feind im Fadenkreuz - U-Boot auf Jagd im Atlantik by Werner Hauptmann. 1942
http://www.ubootwaffe.net/ (sitio cerrado por el momento).

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; more follows..........................

VERSUCHSFALL A.

On this day sailed other type IXA, the U 40 (Kplt Wolfgang Barten +; IWO Oblt z. S. Karl-August Moll +; WO Oblt Friedrich Meschenmoser +; LI Kplt Hubert Wollersheim +) which would be lost with most of its crew while trying to cross the English Channel when she tried to gain the lost time. Kplt. Wolfgang Barten had assumed command of U 40 on September 21, 1939, replacing Kplt v. Schmidt, who had to leave the submersible due to illness. The ship was ordered to force their way across the Channel, but resume the route around the north of England if she found strong opposition. It was decided to adopt this mode of action because there were no solid data about the impracticability of the route and had to take the shortest route to the Atlantic's approach, since the U 40 had sailed with delay and the BdU wanted to count on hand with enough submersibles in the area of ​​Gibraltar.

Sources: LIFE 20 Nov 1939.
Feind im Fadenkreuz - U-Boot auf Jagd im Atlantik by Werner Hauptmann. 1942
http://www.ubootwaffe.net/ (sitio cerrado por el momento).

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; more follows..........................

VERSUCHSFALL A.

On October 11, 1939 the U 42 reached its assigned patrol sector within the GELB area. On October 12, 1939 the U 37 sank the Greek merchant ship ARIS (4810 BRT) with torpedoes, two crew members were killed and two lifeboats were taken in tow by the submersible. While the U 48 torpedoed the French tanker EMILE MIGUET (14,115 BRT), after the crew had abandoned the ship.

Sources: LIFE 20 Nov 1939.
Feind im Fadenkreuz - U-Boot auf Jagd im Atlantik by Werner Hauptmann. 1942
http://www.ubootwaffe.net/ (sitio cerrado por el momento).

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; more follows..........................

VERSUCHSFALL A.

Meanwhile on October 13, 1939 sailed from Gibraltar the convoy HG-3 composed of 25 ships; on this day the pack lost two members, one of them the U 42 at the hands of the British destroyer HMS ILEX, but after sinking the British freighter STONEPOOL (4803 BRT) and the other the U 40 which struck a sea mine and sank at 47 meters deep. Nine crew members escaped through the stern hatch and ascended up to the surface; one died on the ascent and another five later due to exposure to harsh sea conditions. Almost 10 hours after the sinking only three survivors were rescued by the HMS Boreas.

Sources: LIFE 20 Nov 1939.
Feind im Fadenkreuz - U-Boot auf Jagd im Atlantik by Werner Hauptmann. 1942
http://www.ubootwaffe.net/ (sitio cerrado por el momento).

Cheers. Raúl M .

[oldhoweboy]

Thanks for all your excellent articles!
Regds
Nobby

[tigre]

Thanks for joining Nobby . All the best. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; more follows..........................

VERSUCHSFALL A.

On the other hand the U.S. INDEPENDENCE HALL sailed from Bordeaux on October 14, 1939; this very day the herd lost another member, this time was the U 45 at the hands of the British destroyers HMS INGLEFIELD, HMS INTREPID, HMS ICARUS y HMS IVANHOE, although after sinking the British merchant LOCHAVON (9205 BRT) and the French steamer BRETAGNE (10108 BRT). The U 48 sank the British merchant SNEATON (3677 BRT) with torpedoes and cannon fire. On October 15 the U 37 sank the French steamer VERMONT (5186 BRT).

Sources: LIFE 20 Nov 1939.
Feind im Fadenkreuz - U-Boot auf Jagd im Atlantik by Werner Hauptmann. 1942
http://www.ubootwaffe.net/ (sitio cerrado por el momento).

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; more follows..........................

VERSUCHSFALL A.

On October 17, 1939, the U.S. Independence Hall received the signal SSS (attacked by submarine) radioed by the British Line ship SS Yorkshire (10,183 tons) carrying convalescents soldiers from Gibraltar to Britain, the ship was 21 miles away. While sailing towards her, she received another call from the SS City of Mandalay (7028 tons) also sinking after being attacked for another submarine. Five minutes later when approaching up to the City of Mandalay she broke in the middle and sank almost touching her stern with the bow; then emerged a submarine (U 46) and after examining the name of the Independence, said thank you very much and dived. After rescuing 73 survivors proceeded to the SS Yorkshire whose 227 survivors were in six lifeboats. Having gathered 300 people out of 364 possible survivors the Independence Hall returned to Bordeaux where the castaways were landed.

Sources: LIFE 20 Nov 1939.
Feind im Fadenkreuz - U-Boot auf Jagd im Atlantik by Werner Hauptmann. 1942
http://www.ubootwaffe.net/ (sitio cerrado por el momento).

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; last part..........................

VERSUCHSFALL A.

The SS Yorkshire was sunk by the U 37 (Krvkp Hartmann; IWO Oblt z. S. Ernst Bauer) who had sailed from Wilhelmshaven on October 5, 1939, while the SS City of Mandalay was sunk by the U 46 (Kplt Herbert Sohler, IWO Oblt z. S. Erich Topp) who had sailed from Kiel on October 3, 1939. On the other hand, the U 48 managed to sink the British steamer CLAN CHISHOLM (7256 BRT), also a member of convoy HG-3. The next day the U 48 headed back to her home port.

In sum the exercise of tactical command of the herd from aboard was unsatisfactory and all sinkings were carried out by the submersibles without coordination between them and there were lost three submersibles originally planned to take part in the operation.

Sources: LIFE 20 Nov 1939.
Feind im Fadenkreuz - U-Boot auf Jagd im Atlantik by Werner Hauptmann. 1942
http://www.ubootwaffe.net/ (sitio cerrado por el momento).

It's all folks. Cheers. Raúl M .