CU49 - Azores Dec. 1 to 12, 1944.xls 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 A Date B Time C Vessel Name D Prefix E Vessel Number F Vessel Type G Port of Call H Movement 3-Dec-1944 3-Dec-1944 3-Dec-1944 4-Dec-1944 4-Dec-1944 5-Dec-1944 5-Dec-1944 7-Dec-1944 7-Dec-1944 7-Dec-1944 7-Dec-1944 8-Dec-1944 8-Dec-1944 8-Dec-1944 9-Dec-1944 9-Dec-1944 9-Dec-1944 10-Dec-1944 10-Dec-1944 10-Dec-1944 10-Dec-1944 10-Dec-1944 10-Dec-1944 10-Dec-1944 10-Dec-1944 10-Dec-1944 10-Dec-1944 10-Dec-1944 10-Dec-1944 10-Dec-1944 10-Dec-1944 10-Dec-1944 10-Dec-1944 10-Dec-1944 11-Dec-1944 11-Dec-1944 1200 1200 1430 1330 1330 1039 1039 630 630 1715 1715 1111 1111 Whipple Elokomin Tenacity Whipple Elokomin Whipple Elokomin Tarazed Earle Tarazed Earle Whipple Elokomin Hiliary A. Herbert Hiliary A. Herbert Thomas Todd Lucius Fairchild Kiowa Tattnal Roper Greene Osmond Ingram Barry Tattnal Roper Greene Osmond Ingram Barry Thomas Todd Whipple Elokomin Greene Greene Extricate Tattnal Roper U.S.S. U.S.S. H.M.S. U.S.S. U.S.S. U.S.S. U.S.S. U.S.S. U.S.S. U.S.S. U.S.S. U.S.S. U.S.S. S.S. S.S. S.S. S.S. U.S.S. U.S.S. U.S.S. U.S.S. U.S.S. U.S.S. U.S.S. U.S.S. U.S.S. U.S.S. U.S.S. S.S. U.S.S. U.S.S. U.S.S. U.S.S. U.S.S. U.S.S. U.S.S. DD 217 AO 55 ATR DD 217 AO 55 DD 217 AO 55 AF 13 DD 635 AF 13 DD 635 DD 217 AO 55 # 1986 EC2-S-C1 # 1986 EC2-S-C1 # 1492 EC2-S-C1 # 2521 EC2-S-C1 ATF 72 APD 19 APD 20 APD 36 APD 35 APD 29 APD 19 APD 20 APD 36 APD 35 APD 29 # 1492 EC2-S-C1 DD 217 AO 55 APD 36 APD 36 ARS 16 APD 19 APD 20 Destroyer Oiler Rescue Tug Destroyer Oiler Destroyer Oiler Stores Ship Destroyer Stores Ship Destroyer Destroyer Oiler Liberty Ship Liberty Ship Liberty Ship Liberty Ship Fleet Ocean Tug High Speed Transport High Speed Transport High Speed Transport High Speed Transport High Speed Transport High Speed Transport High Speed Transport High Speed Transport High Speed Transport High Speed Transport Liberty Ship Destroyer Oiler High Speed Transport High Speed Transport Salvage Vessel High Speed Transport High Speed Transport Praia da Vitoria, Terceira Island Praia da Vitoria, Terceira Island Praia da Vitoria, Terceira Island Praia da Vitoria, Terceira Island Praia da Vitoria, Terceira Island Horta, Faial Island Horta, Faial Island Praia da Vitoria, Terceira Island Praia da Vitoria, Terceira Island Praia da Vitoria, Terceira Island Praia da Vitoria, Terceira Island Horta, Faial Island Horta, Faial Island Santa Maria Island Praia da Vitoria, Terceira Island Santa Maria Island Praia da Vitoria, Terceira Island Praia da Vitoria, Terceira Island Ponta Delgada, Sao Miguel Island Ponta Delgada, Sao Miguel Island Ponta Delgada, Sao Miguel Island Ponta Delgada, Sao Miguel Island Ponta Delgada, Sao Miguel Island Ponta Delgada, Sao Miguel Island Ponta Delgada, Sao Miguel Island Ponta Delgada, Sao Miguel Island Ponta Delgada, Sao Miguel Island Ponta Delgada, Sao Miguel Island Praia da Vitoria, Terceira Island Horta, Faial Island Horta, Faial Island Praia da Vitoria, Terceira Island Praia da Vitoria, Terceira Island Praia da Vitoria, Terceira Island Horta, Faial Island Horta, Faial Island Arrival Arrival Departure Departure Departure Arrival Arrival Arrival Arrival Departure Departure Departure Departure Departure Arrival Departure Departure Arrival Arrival Arrival Arrival Arrival Arrival Departure Departure Departure Departure Departure Arrival Arrival Arrival Arrival Departure At Anchor Arrival Arrival 912 1600 2359 830 1100 1100 1100 1100 1100 1235 1705 1705 2030 2140 955 955 CU49 - Azores Dec. 1 to 12, 1944.xls 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 A 11-Dec-1944 11-Dec-1944 11-Dec-1944 11-Dec-1944 11-Dec-1944 11-Dec-1944 11-Dec-1944 11-Dec-1944 11-Dec-1944 12-Dec-1944 12-Dec-1944 12-Dec-1944 12-Dec-1944 B 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 C Greene Osmond Ingram Barry Tattnal Roper Greene Osmond Ingram Barry Kingston Agate Tug In Tow Cape Comorin Saon D U.S.S. U.S.S. U.S.S. U.S.S. U.S.S. U.S.S. U.S.S. U.S.S. H.M.S. U.S. Army U.S. Army H.M.S. H.M.S. E APD 36 APD 35 APD 29 APD 19 APD 20 APD 36 APD 35 APD 29 FY 212 LT 786 BD 494 FY 143 FY 159 F High Speed Transport High Speed Transport High Speed Transport High Speed Transport High Speed Transport High Speed Transport High Speed Transport High Speed Transport ASW Trawler - 464 GRT Large Tug 149' Barge Derrick 110' ASW Trawler - 504 GRT ASW Trawler - 386 GRT Note the attached history of U-85 and the sinking of same by the U.S.S. Roper. Also, Winfield F. Delong commanded the U.S.S. Roper from October 1, 1943 to January 5, 1944. He later commanded the U.S.S. Earl K. Olsen in this convoy. Note the attached history of U-172 and the part the U.S.S. Osmond Ingram had in her sinking. Note the CU49 - U-boat Loss Register file for H.M.S. Kingston Agate's part in the action involving U-570. G Horta, Faial Island Horta, Faial Island Horta, Faial Island Horta, Faial Island Horta, Faial Island Horta, Faial Island Horta, Faial Island Horta, Faial Island Horta, Faial Island Horta, Faial Island Horta, Faial Island Horta, Faial Island Horta, Faial Island H Anchor Off Anchor Off Anchor Off Departure Departure Departure Departure Departure Departure Departure Departure Departure Departure CU49 - Azores Dec. 1 to 12, 1944.xls A 59 60 61 mck 5-13-15 B C D E F Very special thanks to: Kenneth Wynn for the career histories of the two u-boats. U-BOAT OPERATIONS OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR VOLUME 1 ISBN 1-55750860-7 G H u 85 Type VII B Built by Flenderwerft, Lubeck Keel laid 18.12.39 Launched 10.4.41 Commissioned 7.6.41 Feldpost Nr M 40 935 Sunk 14.4.42 E of Roanoake Island (35°55 'N 75°13 W) Served with 3 U-Flottille, Kiel/La Pallice June 1941 -14.4.42 (ab/fb) Commanded by OL Eberhard Greger June 1941 - 14.4.42 Patrols: 4 Ships sunk: 3 (15,060 grt) 1. 28.8.41 Left Trondheim for operations in the North Atlantic. U 85 was one of fourteen boats which assembled SW of Iceland to form Markgraf group. The presence of the group was known and some convoys were re-routed to avoid it. On 4.9.41 the Markgraf boats were ordered to form a new patrol line further west, which caused more convoys to be re-routed. It was decided on the 6th to spread the boats over a larger area SE of Greenland, across possible convoy routes. Some convoys were routed clear but the course of SC 42 could not be changed because of very bad weather. The convoy was sighted by U 85 on the 9th close to Cape Farewell. The boat made an unsuccessful attack but its report brought five Markgraf boats up during the night of the 9/IOth. The operation continued until the 14th, by which time sixteen ships had been sunk. U 85 sank the SS Thistleglen (br 4748t) NE of Cape Farewell during the morning of the 10th. On this day she was damaged in depth-charge attacks by the destroyer HMCS Skeena and the corvette HMCS Albemi. U 85 put in to her new base at St Nazaire 18.9.41 2. 11.10.41 Left St Nazaire and arrived Loiient 13.10.41 3. 16.10.41 Left for the western North Atlantic. On the 20th the outward-bound U 84 sighted northbound convoy SL 189 WSW of Fastnet. Other outward-bound boats were directed to the convoy and two ships were sunk and another damaged. U 85 came up but was driven off on the 23rd, the day the operation was called off. The boats moved westwards again and from the 28th formed Schlagetot group 300 to 400 miles S of Greenland. On 1.11.41 U 374 sighted the eastbound convoy SC 52 off the east coast of Newfoundland. The Schlagetot boats were redeployed against it as Raubritter group. Five of the boats made contact. U 85 was not amongst them and took no part in the sinking of four ships from the convoy. The operation ended when contact was lost during the night of the 4/5th. After westbound convoy ONS 29 avoided the group theRaubritter boats moved eastwards and formed a new patrol line SE of Cape Farewell from the 8th. When westbound ONS 33 was reported on the 12th U 85, U 106, U 133, U 571 and U 577 were deployed but the convoy was not found. These boats began their return journey on the 15th. They operated unsuccessfully against westbound convoy ONS 11 on the 16th. U 85, U 133, U 571andU577 formed a patrol line, Stortebecker, on the 19th to await southbound OG 77 but the convoy did not materialise before the group was ordered to continue back to base. U 85 returned to Lorient 27.11.41 4. 8.1.42 Left for operations in the western Atlantic. U 85 was to patrol between Newfoundland and Nova Scotia. On the 21st she possibly damaged a ship in the central North Atlantic. ,In the early hours of 9.2.41 U 85 and U 654 attacked southwestbound convoy ONS 61 E of Cape Race and U 654 sank the French corvette Alysse. U 85 had no success but in the evening of the 9th she sank an independent, the SS Empire Fusilier (br 5408t), a little further south. U 85 put in to St Nazaire 23.2.42 S. 21.3.42 Left for the Newfoundland Banlc. Soon after arrival U 85 went south to operate off Hatteras. On 8.4.42 the MY Chr. Knudsen (nw 4904t) left New York for Cape Town and was probably sunk by U 85 near the coast on the 10th. Just after midnight on the 13th the destroyer USS Roper (Lt-Cdr H W Howe) made a radar contact E of Roanoake Island, North Carolina. It was U 85, in shallow water. The boat attempted to escape, turning first to port and then to starboard, but Roper refused to be shaken off. U 85 fired a torpedo at the destroyer, which missed. The boat was then caught on the surface by Roper's searchlight and was hit with machine-gun fire, which cut down U 85's gun crew. The Roper began shelling. The boat was hit and as it began to sink many men were in the sea. Fearing another U-boat might be nearby, Roper's captain went through the struggling survivors and dropped eleven depth-charges where the boat had gone down. Twenty-nine bodies were later recovered, two being left in the sea because of fearful wounds from machine-gun fire. After an identification and medical examination the bodies were laid to rest in the National Cemetery at Hampton, Virginia. . There were no survivors. The other sixteen men of the crew, l11cluding the commander, went down with the boat. U 85 was the first U-boat sunk by a US warship in the Second World War. u 172 Type IX C Built by AG Weser, Bremen Keel laid 11.12.40 Launched 5.8.41 Commissioned 5.11.41 Feldpost Nr M 29 596 Sunk 13.12.43 NNW of the Cape Verde Islands (26°19 'N 29°58 W) Served with 4 U-Flottille, Stettin November 1941 - April 1942 (ab) 1OU-Flottille, Lorient April 1942 - 13.12.43 (fb) Commanded by KL Carl Emmermann November 1941 - October 1943 OL Hermann Hoffmann November 1943 - 13.12.43 Patrols: 6 Ships sunk: 26 (152,779 grt) 1. 22.4.42 Left Kiel, in transit for western France. . U 172 put in to her new base at Lorient 3.5.42 2. 11.5.42 Left to operate in the Caribbean. En route, U 172 sank the tanker MY Athelknight (br 8940t) on the 27th, by torpedo and gunfire in the central North Atlantic. The boat arrived off the Greater Antilles in early June. On the 3rd U 172 sank the SS Illinois (am 5447t) NE of Puerto Rico and on the 5th the SS Delfina (am 3480t) N of the island. The boat passed through the Mona Passage and in the early morning of the 8th she torpedoed and sank the MY Sicilien (am 1654t) off Isla Beata, Dominican Republic. U 172 moved to the western Caribbean. On the 14th she sank the SS Lebore (am 8289t) ENE of Isla de San Andres and in the evening of the 15th the SS Bennestvet (nw 2438t) E of Colorada, Costa Rica. On the 18th U 172 sank the tanker MY Motorex (am 1958t) by gunfire NW of Bocas del Toro, Panama and on the 23rd the sailing vesselResolute (co 35t) by gunfire SW ofRoncador Cay. Survivors from the Resolute claimed that they were machinegunned in the sea. In early July U 172 began her homeward journey and during the afternoon of the 9th she sank the SS Santa Rita (am 8379t) by torpedo and gunfire 800 miles SE of Bermuda. An officer from this ship was taken aboard for interrogation. U 172 returned to Lorient 21.7.42 3. 19.8.42 Left for operations in the South Atlantic, in company with U 68, U 156 and U 504, as Eisbiir group. From the 26th, W of Spain, the group operated briefly against northbound SL 119, during which time U 156 sank a straggler. The four boats swept south in formation to the Cape Verde Islands and from 4.9.42 they proceeded independently. The Equator was crossed in mid-September and U 68, U 172 and U 504 rendezvoused with U 459 on the 24th 600 miles S of St Helena for refuelling. The three boats were joined by U 159 and they all continued south, arriving in their operational area off Cape Town from 4.10.42. In the morning of the 7th U 172 sank two ships, the SS Chicasaw City (am 6196t) and the MY Firethorn (pa 4700t) and in the early hours of the 8th the SS Pantelis (gr 3845t). All three were sunk in the same area, just SW of Cape Town. On the 8th the boat was damaged in an attack by South African naval vessels. In the morning of the 10th U 172 encountered the outward-bound troopship SS Orcades 270 miles NW of Cape Town. After being hit by two torpedoes the Orcades stopped and lowered her boats, one of which capsized in the rough sea, with the loss of 38 lives.There had been 1300 people on board.including women and children. The captain and 52 volunteers made temporary repairs and the Orcades headed back to Cape Town. 1\vo and a half hours aftec the first attack U 172 hit the liner again with three more t01pedoes she sank in three minutes. The Orcades O>r 234561 ship sunk in the area of the Cape. The total loss of life was 40, be~ng 2 crew killed in the engine room by a torpedo explosion and 38 lost in the capsized lifeboat. U 172 began her return journey in late October. In the evening of the 31st she sank the MV Aldington Court (br 4891t) 1400 miles WNW of Cape Town and further northwest in the evening of 2.11.42 she sank the SS Llandillo (br 4966t). Survivors were allowed on to the boat's casing whilst their lifeboats were baled out. U 172 operated off the coast of Brazil from mid-November and on the 23rd she torpedoed and sank the SS Benlomond (br 6630t) NW of Parnafba. There was only one known survivor from this vessel, a steward who was picked up after 130 days on a raft. U 172 moved to patrol off St Paul Rocks and on the 28th she sank the SS Alaskan (am 5364t) by torpedo and gunfire NE of the Rocks. The boat was refuelled in the same area by U 461 in early December for return to base. Whilst refuelling was in progress, U 461 received reports of a westbound convoy passing further to the north. U 172 sighted a westbound convoy on the 12th and claimed two torpedo hits but there are no reports of any ships sunk. U 172 returned to Lorient 27.12.42 4. 21.2.43 Left to operate in the western Atlantic. U 172 went to join other boats in an assembly area W of the Azores. They were originally intended for operations off the US east coast but were now ordered to form a patrol line, Unverzagt, SW of the Azores, to intercept eastbound convoy UGS 6. On the way U 172 sank the SS City of Pretoria (br 8049t) in the morning of 4.3.43 and the MV Thorstrand (nw 3041t) in the evening of the 6th, both WNW of the Azores. UGS 6 left New York on the 5th and the convoy was sighted by U 130 of Unverzagt in the evening of the 12th, W of the Azores. She began to shadow but was located and sunk during the night. Contact was not regained with UGS 6 until the 14th. Unverzagt and Wohlgemut groups formed a patrol line, through which UGS 6 passed on the 14th. The Tammler group, then off the Canaries, was ordered to make the 1500 mile journey to intercept the convoy before it was too close to Gibraltar. Although there were generally at least six boats in contact and in spite of there being no aircraft and the conditions good, the operation was a failure, with only four ships sunk. Late on the 13th U 172 sank the SS Keystone (am 5565t) W of the Azores and late on the 16th the SS Benjamin Harrison (am 719lt) E of the Azores. The remote screen kept the boats well away from UGS 6, carrying out depth-charge attacks more than ten miles from the convoy. The operation ended on the 19th W of Spain, in the face of increasing air support from Gibraltar. U 172 moved south with other boats from the UGS 6 operation and they formed a new patrol line, Seeriiuber, S of the Canaries, to meet southbound convoy RS 3, expected on the 26th. It was sighted on the 28th and in a two-day operation three ships were sunk, one by U 172, the MV Silverbeech (br 5319t) off the Moroccan coast on the 29th. During attacks on the convoy the boat was damaged. On or about 3.4.43 U 172 was refuelled for return to base, probably by another boat. On the 6th she fought off an attacking Sunderland S of the Canaries. U 172 returned to Lorient 17.4.43 5. 29.5.43 Left for operations in the South Atlantic. U 172 was refuelled by U 530 SW of the Canaries some time after mid-June. She sank the SS Vernon City (br 4748t) SSE of St Paul Rocks on the 28th and then went on to the coast of Brazil. On 12.7.43 U 172 sank the SS African Star(am 6507t) 250 miles SW of Rio and on the 15th the SS Harmonic (br 4558t) 620 miles E of Rio. U 172's commander waited until the Harmonic 's crew had abandoned ship before sinking her. He gave them a course to steer for land. On the 24th U 172 sank the SS Fort Chilcotin (br 7133t) 420 miles ESE of Bahia. On 3.8.43 U 604 was so badly damaged in an aircraft attack 150 miles SE of Pemambuco that she could not make the journey back to base. A plan was made for U 185 to meet her 500 miles E of Pemambuco on the 8th to take offU 604's crew and then scuttle the boat. Air activity in the area was such that a new rendezvous was arranged, 400 miles to the northeast. U 172 was ordered to meet U 604 and U 185 at the new position and did so on the 11th. The two boats were transferring fuel and stores from U 604 when a USN Liberator (Lt-Cdr Prueher) arrived. U 172 dived but the other two boats remained surfaced and opened fire on the aircraft, which made two unsuccessful bombing attacks. On the third run the Liberator was shot down by U 185 and all the crew were lost. U 185 embarked U 604's crew and the boat was scuttled. U 172 met U 185 two days later and embarked 23 of U 604's crew. U 172 was refuelled by U 847 on the 27th 800 miles SW of the Azores. She returned to Lorient 7.9.43 6. 22.11.43 Left for operations in the Central Atlantic. Outward-bound, U 172 was to rendezvous with U 219 for refuelling. They met on 12.12.43 1000 miles NNW of the Cape Verde Islands. Refuelling was taldng place when the boats were sighted by an Avenger of VC-19 (Lt E C Gaylord) from the escortcarrier USS Bogue, which was only' 40 miles to the south. The carrier had been searching for U 219. The boats submerged as Gaylord dropped depth-charges. U 219 escaped but U 172 was damaged. Three other aircraft arrived and more depth-charges were dropped. The destroyers USS George E Badger (Lt EM Higgins) and Dupont (Cdr JG Marshall) attacked with hedgehog bombs and depth-charges, sending the boat deep. The hunt continued on the 13th and in the evening U 172 was reported on the surface a few miles away, going north. The George E Badger closed and opened fire. Before diving the boat fired an acoustic torpedo, which missed. A sound contact was made and the George E Badger and Dupont made depth-charge attacks before leaving the scene. An aircraft sighted a moving oil slick and the destroyers USS George E Badger, Clemson (Lt-Cdr E W Yancey) and the Osmond Ingram (Lt-Cdr R F Miller) went to investigate. Depth-charge attacks were made and U 172 was forced to the surface, badly damaged. The Osmond Ingram closed and in an exchange of gunfire lost one man killed and had another six wounded. When the other two destroyers opened fire the boat was set on fire and the crew abandoned ship. U 172 exploded after it sank beneath the surface. The commander and 45 members of the crew were picked up. 14 men were lost. The action was in the vicinity of convoy GUS 23 and the destroyers were part of the screen.
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