WWI forum  
World War One discussions. 
Go to: Forum List•Message List•New Topic•Search•Log In•Print View
Identity of U-boat and Q-ship sought.
Posted by: Ron Morris ()
Date: September 08, 2012 09:13PM

I have been reading "U-Boat stories" edited by Claus Bergen and Karl Neureuther and was particularly interested in a short account (chapter 18) titled "A U-boat Decoy" by Wireless Operator Haidt.

Haidt describes an incident somewhere off the Orkney and Shetland isles where at 7 am on 30th April 1918, U 54 fired a torpedo into a steamer and then surfaced to finish it off with her deck gun, but it turned out their victim was a Q-ship which subjected U 54 to a barrage from its guns and also fired a torpedo at the U-boat's hull, but the torpedo failed to detonate. U 54 succeeded in diving and survived being depth charged, eventually escaping and heading south.

The following day (1st May) U 54 was off St Kilda when Haidt heard picked up a message on the radio from another U-boat that it had just sunk the Q-ship in question by putting two torpedoes into her, sending it to the bottom with all hands on board.

I have made searches to try and establish the identities of the Q-ship and the other U-boat to no avail. Also I would like to know Wireless Operator Haidt's full name. Can anyone please help?

Options: Reply•Quote


Subject Written By Posted
Identity of U-boat and Q-ship sought. Ron Morris 09/08/2012 09:13PM
Re: Identity of U-boat and Q-ship sought. Michael Lowrey 09/08/2012 10:29PM
Re: Identity of U-boat and Q-ship sought. Josephbremez 09/08/2012 11:37PM
Re: Identity of U-boat and Q-ship sought. Ron Morris 09/09/2012 11:17AM
Re: Identity of U-boat and Q-ship sought. Denis_469 09/10/2012 05:46AM
Re: Identity of U-boat and Q-ship sought. Ron Morris 09/10/2012 03:46PM
Re: Identity of U-boat and Q-ship sought. Josephbremez 09/10/2012 04:59PM
Re: Identity of U-boat and Q-ship sought. Michael Lowrey 09/10/2012 05:15PM
Re: Identity of U-boat and Q-ship sought. Oliver Lörscher 09/10/2012 08:02PM
Re: Identity of U-boat and Q-ship sought. Michael Lowrey 09/10/2012 08:15PM
Re: Identity of U-boat and Q-ship sought. Ron Morris 09/10/2012 08:31PM
Re: Identity of U-boat and Q-ship sought. Josephbremez 09/10/2012 11:29PM
Re: Identity of U-boat and Q-ship sought. Denis_469 09/11/2012 05:19AM
Re: Identity of U-boat and Q-ship sought. Oliver Lörscher 09/16/2012 03:54PM
Re: Identity of U-boat and Q-ship sought. Ron Morris 09/17/2012 07:02AM
Re: Identity of U-boat and Q-ship sought. Oliver Lörscher 09/20/2012 04:40PM


Go to: Forum List•Message List•Search•Log In
Your Name: 
Your Email: 
Subject: 
Spam prevention:
Please, enter the code that you see below in the input field. This is for blocking bots that try to post this form automatically.
  *******   **     **   *******   **     **  ********  
 **     **  ***   ***  **     **   **   **   **     ** 
 **     **  **** ****  **           ** **    **     ** 
  ********  ** *** **  ********      ***     ********  
        **  **     **  **     **    ** **    **        
 **     **  **     **  **     **   **   **   **        
  *******   **     **   *******   **     **  **