The Ship or Sub U 305

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kim vachon
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The Ship or Sub U 305

#1

Post by kim vachon » 19 Sep 2002, 07:46

I'm trying to find info on this Ship or Sub. It sank the HMCS ST.CROIX off the coast of Iceland in Sept.1943.Any info would be great.
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Mark Alinsky
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#2

Post by Mark Alinsky » 19 Sep 2002, 08:31

Type VIIC
Laid down 30 Aug, 1941 Flender-Werke, Lübeck
Commissioned 17 Sep, 1942 Oblt. Rudolf Bahr
Commanders 17 Sep, 1942 - 17 Jan, 1944 Kptlt. Rudolf Bahr

Career 4 patrols 17 Sep, 1942 - 28 Feb, 1943 8. Flottille (training)
1 Mar, 1943 - 17 Jan, 1944 1. Flottille (front boat)

Successes 4 ships sunk for a total of 15.605 tons

Fate Sunk 17 Jan, 1944 in the North Atlantic south-west of Ireland, in position 49.39N, 20.10W, by depth charges from the British destroyer HMS Wanderer and the frigate Glenarm. 51 dead (all hands lost).



On 22 May,1943 U 305 was attacked two times [1302hrs and 1521hrs] by American Avenger aircraft from USS Bogue. Due to some damages the boat had to return to base.



Men lost from U-boats
Unlike many other U-boats, which during their service lost men due to accidents and various other causes, U 305 did not suffer any casualties (we know of) until the time of her loss.



Books dealing with this U-boat include:
Deadly Seas, Bercuson, David Jay and Herwig, Holger H., 1997 (translations)
German U-Boat Losses During World War II, Niestle, Axel, 1998 - ($ 32.95 at amazon.com)
U-Boat Operations of the Second World War - Vol 1, Wynn, Kenneth, 1998 - ($ 38.50 at amazon.com)
U-Boat Operations of the Second World War - Vol 2, Wynn, Kenneth, 1998 - ($ 38.50 at amazon.com)
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kim vachon
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#3

Post by kim vachon » 19 Sep 2002, 16:06

Thank you Mark. The info was great.
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Erik E
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#4

Post by Erik E » 19 Sep 2002, 16:44

148 men were killed onboard the St.Croix. Of the 81 survivors, picked up by HMS Itchen, only one man survived when this British frigate was torpedoed by U 666 2 days later.........

EE
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kim vachon
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#5

Post by kim vachon » 19 Sep 2002, 16:51

Hi Erik
My numbers for the ST.CROIx and the ITCHEN are a little different then yours but the story is the same.ST.CROIX carried a crew of 143, 5 officers and 76 men were picked up by the ITCHEN which was torpedoed two days later and there was only one survivor from the original ST.CROIX crew.
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Erik E
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#6

Post by Erik E » 19 Sep 2002, 19:53

Well, Kim.... I have checked 2 good online sources, and they have very different numbers. One claims a copmlement of 229 and the other says 143....
To be sure you could check how many crewmembers a town-class destroyer usually had?

EE
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kim vachon
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#7

Post by kim vachon » 19 Sep 2002, 22:26

Hi Erik
My Uncle was on the ST.CROIX and the ITCHEN this is why I was so interested in the U305.And the paper work we got on the ST. is 143.The avatar I use is his memorial cross.
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Erik E
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#8

Post by Erik E » 19 Sep 2002, 22:51

I had a feeling that you knew it :D

EE
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kim vachon
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#9

Post by kim vachon » 19 Sep 2002, 23:18

:D :D
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Aufklarung
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#10

Post by Aufklarung » 20 Sep 2002, 00:17

The former USS McCook was built in Jan 1919 and decommissioned in '22. She was re-commissioned in Dec '39 and served with the RN Atlantic fleet until transfered to the RCN in Sep '40 as St Croix (I81). In RCN service she shipped a crew of 143 men and ten Officers. On 24 Jul '42 she sank U90 and on 04 Mar '43 she helped sink U 87. 20 Sep '43 she was sunk by U 305. LtCdr AH Dobson DSC RCNVR was her Skipper at that time. Five Offrs and 76 men were rescued by HMS Itchen but only one survived her loss two days later to U 666. This was the first time a U boat carried acoustic torpedoes into battle and also an early use of the Allies air launched homing torpedo which sank U238 during that time period.
This is from "Ships of Canadas Naval Forces 1910-1981" by Ken Macpherson and James Burgess 1981 Collins Publishers.

Hope it helps
A :D
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Andy H
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#11

Post by Andy H » 21 Sep 2002, 15:05

From Clay Blairs excellent 2 Vol series "Hitlers U-Boat War-The Hunted 1942-1945" he states that the St Croix was sunk by two T5 ZAUNKONIG "ANTIDESTROYER" HOMING TORPEDO. The crew strength is given as 147, of which 66 were killed. Some 14 hours later the British frigate Itchen fished 81 survivors of the St Croix plus one survivor from the corvette Polyanthus (Sunk by U 952). The following day (23/09) a T5 fired from U 666 (Number of the Devil) sank the Itchen, with only three survivors, 2 from the Itchen and one from the St Croix.

The above ref book has numerous pages with St Croix referals.

:D Andy from the Shire
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kim vachon
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#12

Post by kim vachon » 21 Sep 2002, 16:52

Thanks Andy
I will have to see if our main library had the book or can get it in.We did get a lot of info from the Government when we were doing our family history, but not on the ship that shot the torpedo.
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Aufklarung
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#13

Post by Aufklarung » 23 Sep 2002, 02:59

Kim
Try this.

http://uboat.net/boats/u305.htm

A :)
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