U 2511

[Clio13]

Most viewers will be aware of the 'Norfolk incident' when Schnee's U 2511 apparently encountered HMS Norfolk, penetrated the escort screen to take up a firing position some 500m from the oncoming warship. This famous incident is dated 4.5.45. I know that Dr Niestle has written a sceptical article regarding this incident (but I have not been able to obtain a copy). For that matter I do not have a verbatim copy of A. Schnee's version of events.

But I do have a copy of the log of HMS Norfolk for 4.5.45 ! If I post it here could someone who is familiar with Schnee's version of events, advise me how reliable his account actually is ????

[EveryOne]

Today the War Diary of U 2511 is unable to find. The right original indicated Distance ist 600 Meter, not 500. The incident is dated (from 4.5.45) to 5.5.45 (to 6.5.45). Can you showhere a copy of the Ships Log next site???

I think, the conclusions from Dr Niestle are wrong because there are other explanations for the apparent contradictions from Reinhard Hoheisel-Huxmann.

[Clio13]

Having now read both the paper by Dr Niestle and the response by Reinhard Hoheisel-Huxmann in the Zeitschritt des Deutschen Schiffahrtsmuseums, then comparing them with the other pages from the log of HMS Norfolk, some interesting conclusions can be made. If my understanding is correct, Reinhard Hoheisel-Huxmann maintains that the encounter could have taken place at about 2030 on 5 May. Here are the log extracts for the period in question. The Norfolk log clearly states that at 0702 on 5 May she left her destroyer escort behind and steamed back to Scapa Flow. The implication being that if the Hoheisel-Huxmann version is accurate and the encounter did take place on 5 May, U 2511 could not have evaded an escort screen that did not exist...

[Clio13]

[Clio13]

[Clio13]

It is evident from the logs of HMS Trumpeter and Queen that the full destroyer screen remained with them on 5 May.