
The U-Flotille "Hundius" and its oceangoing U-boats.
War with Great Britain and France!
On December 8, 1939, Conference of the Head of the Naval War General Staff to Hitler. RAEDER deals with the mining operations of the German submarines in the British coasts, gives a report on the incursion of the U 26 in the MEDITERRANEAN, talks about the Allied convoys from NORWAY to the SHETLANDS, and about the planned operations with TMC mines with new proximity magnetic fuzes. Among other things, problems in the construction of submarines are again addressed. In addition to Hitler and RADER, Generaloberst KEITEL and KvKp von PUTTKAMER were present.
U 38 has launched 12 torpedoes and has reported that she is returning. She had new type fuzes. It remains to be seen how many of these shots were missed.
The B-Dienst presents the situation in the HOLLAND-GREAT BRITAIN traffic as follows: Cargo ships assemble at NORDHINDER between 10:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. and are then taken under escort there by the British naval forces between 23:00 and 02:00.
U 38 - North Sea - Marching back. Aborted attack on multiple targets, too small. 23:22 - Two torpedoes miss an illuminated steamer (AF 3370). One misses the other explodes on a cliff. PQ: AF3370
U 43 - North Atlantic - 09:31 - Emergency dive in front of an aircraft (AM 3395). Two depth charges very close. Automatic batteries fail. All lamps destroyed. Tubes I and II were automatically flooded. All control lights and indicators have failed. The boat sinks up to 145 m. Surface. On the upper deck, the roof of the starboard diving cell is broken, the counterweight of the 3.7 cm gun has come off. Hatches for tubes I and II are loose and hanging on hinges. Submersible only conditionally ready for immersion. PQ: AM 3395
On December 9, 1939 The B-Dienst reports the departure of a convoy of 50 ships with an escort of two British destroyers and two French destroyers, as well as four other escorts on December 8, 1939 from Gibraltar.
The WEHRMACHTSBERICHT announces the following message: ... The British Admiralty confirms that the destroyer HMS JERSEY was torpedoed on December 07 by a German submarine.
U 38 - North Sea - 00:47 - Second attack on steamer sighted the day before. These two torpedoes also miss. consumed. the return continued. PQ:FA
U 43 - North Atlantic - Nothing special to report. PQ:AM
Source: https://www.uboatarchive.net/BDU/BDUKTB30252.htm
http://www.ubootarchiv.de/ubootwiki/index.php/1939
http://ktb.ubootwaffe.net/ (off-line)
Cheers. Raúl M
