10. Räumboot-Flottille, Ouistreham, June 6, 1944

[Randyman]

Hi,

Can anyone provide information about which R-Boote of the 10. R-Boot Flottille were present at Ouistreham on June 6, 1944. Information regarding any k-marine vessels at Ouistreham on June 6, 1944 is appreciated.

Thanks
Rand

[Maurice Laarman]

Rand,

This will assist you partly, an overview of the 11 units of the 10. Räumbootsflottille. As I understood it, they came in action from Le Havre in the night of 5/6 June, so how much were in Ouistreham?

Scan is from the book Minensucher, by Ostertag.

[Randyman]

Maurice,
Exactly the information I was looking for! Thank you very much for the prompt reply.

Best regards,
Rand

[Manuferey]

I’m reopening this thread as I have a question regarding R 221’s destruction on D-Day

According to the above excerpt, R 221 was destroyed at « Blainville » on D-Day.
However, there are actually two villages named « Blainville » in Normandy (and one in Quebec but we can disregard it ! ) : Blainville-sur-Orne, on the Orne river, south of Ouistreham, and Blainville-sur-mer, north of Granville, on the eastern shore of the Cotentin peninsula.

An Internet source shows geographic coordinates of Blainville that actually corresponds to « Blainville-sur-mer » :
http://wehrmacht-history.com/kriegsmari ... r-boat.htm
And the German wikipedia writes « Blainville-sur-mer » while listing « wehrmacht-history » as a source :
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/10._R%C3%A ... sflottille

It makes more sense to me that R 221 was sunk near Ouistreham on June 6 than between Jersey and Granville. So, I think it was actually « Blainville-sur-Orne », not « Blainville-sur-mer ».

Is there any Kriegsmarine source (KTB, …) that could confirm this ?

Emmanuel

[Artee]

Folks,

It just so happens I've spent the last weeks looking at the flotillas of 2. Sicherungs-Division (2 Security Division).

Regards 10. Räumbootsflottille at the start of June 1944 the Flotilla likely had eleven operational craft - R180, 182, 213, 214, 217, 218, 219, 221, 224, 234 & M546. On 06 June it lost R222 - probably on the Caen Canal near Blainville. The remainder of the Flotiila then apparently made the wise tactical decision to move to Le Havre. On 10Jun R213 was lost to a mine off Le Havre. The Flotilla’s tender, M546, was sunk by air attack on 17 June off Bolougne, whilst R180 was sunk by British MTB’s on 02 July near Fecamp.

Other craft of the Flotilla were damaged by Allied air attacks & mines - on 16Aug44 R182, 213 & 217 were scuttled on the Seine. It‘s surviving craft were sent to other Flotillas - R218 was sunk 19Aug by British MTB’s off Cape d'Antifer - probably en route to 14. R-Flottille. The 10. R-Flottille was formally disbanded on 22 August 1944.

Meanwhile I'm still trying to work out what happened to V1508 of 15. Vorpostenflotille (Patrol Flotilla) - according to one report it was in action on 06June, however it was supposedly sunk in 1941!

Artee

[Artee]

Emmanuel

I believe I've cracked it - R221 was almost certainly sunk on the Caen Canal at Blainville Sur Orne by air attack on 06Jun44. The reference to Blainville Sur Mer is likely incorrect.

From http://www.wlb-stuttgart.de/seekrieg/chronik.htm "R 221 sinkt bei einem Luftangriff auf Blainville."

And from the interrogation report of the crew of R184, also from 10. Räumbootflottille...

"viii) Ouistreham. Ouistreham is the base of the 10th R-Boat Flotilla under Kapitänleutnant (Lieutenant-Commander) Nau. (See Section IX for further details.) R-Boats here usually lie to the north of the canal behind the locks. When in need of repairs, they ascend the canal to the yards at Blainville, where eight to ten minesweepers were building in August, 1942. Some of the boats of the 38th Minesweeping Flotilla lie at Ouistreham. Its headquarters are at Le Harve.....

At Ouistreham, "R 184" and the other boats of her group joined "R 182," which belonged to the first group of the same flotilla. The group remained at Ouistreham for four days, during which they made two night sorties for exercises in formation in the vicinity of Le Harve. These included the laying of dummy mines. On 4th August, at 0730, "R 184" proceeded up the canal to the yards at Blainville, where she spent the day, returning at 1710 and leaving Ouistreham for Le Harve at 1815."

Artee

[Manuferey]

Thank you very much, Artee.

[…]
Regards 10. Räumbootsflottille at the start of June 1944 the Flotilla likely had eleven operational craft - R180, 182, 213, 214, 217, 218, 219, 221, 224, 234 & M546. On 06 June it lost R222 - probably on the Caen Canal near Blainville. The remainder of the Flotiila then apparently made the wise tactical decision to move to Le Havre.
[…]
Artee

I suppose that you mean “R221 lost on June 6, not R222”?

It would have been a hair-raising experience for the R-Boote to escape from Ouistreham and make it to Le Havre with the Allied armada just off the coast of Sword Beach. Do we know if the German boats escaped during daylight or waited for the night of June 6? In any case, I suppose that they would have hugged the coast going east towards the Seine estuary, protected by the coastal batteries and hidden from naval radar by the clutter from the shore, and would have finally crossed the coast, maybe past Villerville, to the harbor of Le Havre.

[…] From http://www.wlb-stuttgart.de/seekrieg/chronik.htm "R 221 sinkt bei einem Luftangriff auf Blainville."
[…]
And from the interrogation report of the crew of R184, also from 10. Räumbootflottille...
[…]
At Ouistreham, "R 184" and the other boats of her group joined "R 182," which belonged to the first group of the same flotilla. The group remained at Ouistreham for four days, during which they made two night sorties for exercises in formation in the vicinity of Le Harve. These included the laying of dummy mines. On 4th August, at 0730, "R 184" proceeded up the canal to the yards at Blainville, where she spent the day, returning at 1710 and leaving Ouistreham for Le Harve at 1815."
Artee

I had seen the information in “wlb-stuttgart” but I was hoping to see a reference to Ouistreham or Orne canal in the same sentence to clarify which Blainville it was. Anyway, “Blainville-sur-Orne” makes sense, “Blainville-sur-mer” doesn’t.

Regarding R.184, it does not appear anymore in your list of R-Boote at Ouistreham in June 1944. I suppose that “4th August” is either in 1942 as you mentioned earlier or in 1943.

Emmanuel

[Urmel]

War Diary 2. Sicherungs-Division

5 June 44 (I presume that this is an error and should be 6 June)
05.30 CO 10 R.Fl. leaves Le Havre with 6 boats.
05.44 Boats return 06.15 to Le Havre, Sea 4 no use of weapons
06.23 CO reports by phone that he returned with all boats without damage. Seen outside that Rall and Hoffmann are under fire by larger enemy units.

6 June 44
08.45 Order received to lay mine barriers from Berk sur Mer to Cherbourg [...] From Le Havre 4 and 10 R.Fl. are tasked for laying [mines].
13.21 reports R221 with FT 1244/6: Bridge Benouville - canal Caen occupied by the English, two gliders landed. I retreat after fighting contact. Note: R221 was in dock at Blainville for repairs.

Hope this helps.

[Urmel]

Rand,

This will assist you partly, an overview of the 11 units of the 10. Räumbootsflottille. As I understood it, they came in action from Le Havre in the night of 5/6 June, so how much were in Ouistreham?

Scan is from the book Minensucher, by Ostertag.

The reference to R221 in this book indicates it was destroyed by its own crew. 'Gesprengt' (blown up) usually would mean not destroyed by the enemy.

[Urmel]

Some more:

Based on orders from BSW (Commander Security Forces West) the following orders given for the night [6 to] 7 June:

[...]
13. 4. R.Fl. [...] 10. R.Fl. R182, 213, 224, 234, 180, 218, "Blitz 25" after completion [of "Blitz 25" - a pre-planned rapid lay of mines in front of Le Havre] surveillance of near area (Vorfeldueberwachung - presume laying mines) 2 nm ladwaerts (??) with Double-GBT and KKG-double throw (??). Le Havre in and out.

BTW - Rall in the post above was CO of 15. Vorpostenflotille.

From this it appears clear that by 6 June 10. R.Fl. was in Le Havre, with at least six boats. I haven't come across mention of boats out of Ouistreham at all.

Is there anything in the 6 Parachute Division records on engaging an R Boat at Pegasus Bridge?

[Manuferey]

Is there anything in the 6 Parachute Division records on engaging an R Boat at Pegasus Bridge?

Thank you very much for all your information Urmel.

I haven't seen any information mentioning the 6th Para Div. engaging an R-Boot in the Orne Canal. However, I have found references to the paras engaging both V206 (ex-“Otto Bröhan” - belonging to 2. V.-Flotilla) and UJ 1401 (ex-"Friedrich Busse" - ex-V212 - belonging to 14. U-Bootsjagdflottille) on June 6 in the Orne Canal.

Emmanuel

[Artee]

Chaps,

Yes indeed Emmanuel that was a typo - should have been R221. And, R184 was reportedly sunk on 16Aug42 sunk by British MGBs northwest of Calais.

Great info thanks Urmel. Interesting to finally see a confirmation of an an engagement with 6th Airborne at Benouville.

However I'm still not sure as to what part the Vorpostenboots actually played in the canal that day. To start with there’s some confusion as to the vessel names/flotillas. I have it that V212 aka “Fredrich Busse” was from 2. Vp-Flottille. V206 aka “Otto Bröhan” was also from 2. Vp-Flottille.

And as for UJ-1401 aka “Fritz Busse”, it was from 14. U-Bootsjagdflottille based at Lorient, which is a flippin long way from the Caen Canal! And what’s more UJ1401 is reported to have survived the war.

Regards Info from 6th Airborne, here’s an extract from 7th Para Bn…“Further attacks were launched on the battalion position during the afternoon. At one period, as a novelty, two gun boats came up the CANAL. Fire was held until they reached the bridge when one of them was put out of action by a PIAT fired by Howard's force from the bridge area. The second one turned round and made off quickly while the first one opened fire with its gun (which was remote controlled) and shot up my HQ area. There were several lucky escapes and only one slight casualty. The crew of the boat were taken prisoner. The same boats, or similar ones, had been shooting up the battle outpost at the battery position 105765 (Lieut Parrish). This outpost found that the position was, as thought, abandoned and so they occupied it themselves and remained there all day without incident other than the trouble with the gun boat. This trouble cost the outpost one killed and one wounded.”

Note! 7th Para reported the “two gun boats” came up the Canal - the “battery position 105765” is in fact north of Benouville ie. the vessels came from Ouistreham, whereas R221, V206 & V212 apparently all ended up to the south. I believe the gun boats referred to be might be part of Hafenschutzflottille Cherbourg (Harbourg Protection Flotilla) which reportedly lost at least six boats in Ouistreham on 06June (and another seven in Caen).

Artee

[Manuferey]

Artee,

The “two gun boats” have been identified on actual pictures in the Orne Canal as ex- "Otto Bröhan (V206) et ex-“Friedrich Busse” (UJ1401, which was previously V212)

See here for the relationship between UJ1401 and V212 :
http://www.wlb-stuttgart.de/seekrieg/km ... fl1-20.htm
http://www.wlb-stuttgart.de/seekrieg/km ... j11-17.htm

“Friedrich Busse” indeed survived the war.

Here is an article written in French by a friend of mine that you will find interesting: it is about these two boats and their encounter with the British paratroopers. You could translate in English when using Google Chrome for instance:

http://sgmcaen.free.fr/navire-allemand-canal.htm

I’m not surprised to see these two boats at Ouistreham, far away from their respective flotillas’ HQ. They were possibly used for convoy escort along the French western coast from Brittany to Le Havre, via St-Malo, Cherbourg or the Channel Islands. And unlike R-Boats or S-Boats, Vorpostenboote did not carry mines or torpedoes and thus, did not have to be tied to facilities that would store these weapons. They could also be repaired at basically any naval shipyard and could refuel or replenish any spent ammunition for their on-board weapons at any major port. They also had much longer range and much better seaworthy abilities than R- or S-Boote. Therefore, their attachment to a particular flotilla was probably done more for administrative reasons than for practical purposes.

Emmanuel

[Urmel]

In fairness, R 221 just reports armed contact (Gefechtsberuehrung). Which might just mean that they sailed down the canal (or indeed went on foot), received a burst of fire, and decided to retire.

[Manuferey]

Thanks, Urmel.

Emmanuel