General Discussions
This is the place to discuss general issues related to the U-boat war or the war at sea in WWII.
Re: deterring U-boat opp. in US Chesapeake Bay
Posted by:
Andrew Mair
()
Date: January 14, 2002 05:12PM
<HTML>Hi Eric
U-701 under command of Kapitanleutnant Horst Degen laid 15 magnetic mines in the early hours of 13th June 1942 off the entrance of Chesapeake Bay. These mines would become activated 60 hours after they had been laid. At one point during the minelaying an American trawler passed to within 150 yards of the U-701 but she remained undetected.
During the evening of 15th June one of the mines was activated when a small convoy of 12 ships and 6 escorts entered Lynnhaven Roads. The fifth ship in the single column, the American tanker 'Robert C. Tuttle' of 11,615 GRT, carrying barrels of crude oil, sank in 54 feet of water. A little later another American tanker, the 'Esso Augusta' of 11,237 GRT also activated another mine and had her rudder blown off.
A British trawler escorting the convoy, HMT 'Kingston Ceylonite', activated another mine and sank within three minutes. However the 'Robert C. Tuttle' was salvaged and repaired and the 'Esso Augusta' towed to shore. Two days after the area had been declared free of mines the American steamship 'Santore' struck another and sank with her cargo of coal.
The following year two U-Boats laid minefields off Norfolk. The U-230 under command of Kapitanleutnant Paul Siegmann laid 8 magnetic mines on 27th/28th of July, and two nights later the U-566 under command of Kapitnleutnant Hans Hornkohl laid twelve magnetic mines, but neither of these fields produced any sinkings.
Sources: 'Hitler's U-Boat War' by Clay Blair; 'The Approaching Storm - U-Boats off the Virginia Coast' by Alpheus J. Chewning.
Hope this has been of help.
Regards,
Andrew</HTML>
U-701 under command of Kapitanleutnant Horst Degen laid 15 magnetic mines in the early hours of 13th June 1942 off the entrance of Chesapeake Bay. These mines would become activated 60 hours after they had been laid. At one point during the minelaying an American trawler passed to within 150 yards of the U-701 but she remained undetected.
During the evening of 15th June one of the mines was activated when a small convoy of 12 ships and 6 escorts entered Lynnhaven Roads. The fifth ship in the single column, the American tanker 'Robert C. Tuttle' of 11,615 GRT, carrying barrels of crude oil, sank in 54 feet of water. A little later another American tanker, the 'Esso Augusta' of 11,237 GRT also activated another mine and had her rudder blown off.
A British trawler escorting the convoy, HMT 'Kingston Ceylonite', activated another mine and sank within three minutes. However the 'Robert C. Tuttle' was salvaged and repaired and the 'Esso Augusta' towed to shore. Two days after the area had been declared free of mines the American steamship 'Santore' struck another and sank with her cargo of coal.
The following year two U-Boats laid minefields off Norfolk. The U-230 under command of Kapitanleutnant Paul Siegmann laid 8 magnetic mines on 27th/28th of July, and two nights later the U-566 under command of Kapitnleutnant Hans Hornkohl laid twelve magnetic mines, but neither of these fields produced any sinkings.
Sources: 'Hitler's U-Boat War' by Clay Blair; 'The Approaching Storm - U-Boats off the Virginia Coast' by Alpheus J. Chewning.
Hope this has been of help.
Regards,
Andrew</HTML>
| Subject | Written By | Posted |
|---|---|---|
deterring U-boat opp. in US Chesapeake Bay
|
Eric | 01/13/2002 08:50PM |
|
Re: deterring U-boat opp. in US Chesapeake Bay
|
pete j. rodenbaugh | 01/14/2002 05:42AM |
|
Re: deterring U-boat opp. in US Chesapeake Bay
|
hubertus | 01/14/2002 08:33AM |
|
Re: deterring U-boat opp. in US Chesapeake Bay
|
Andrew Mair | 01/14/2002 05:12PM |