I asked previously about a German hospital ship named HOXTER: I now know that this name was wrongly spelled/quoted in the KM documents I was reading and the real name was SS Huxter. Miramar Ship Index has provided the basic information, but can anyone tell me more about her history as a hospital ship? Launched June 1924, 991 BRT, L=70.3M, W=10.87M, Patients (beds)/Medical staff=102/1
Forum: General Discussions

Once again, well done MPC.
Forum: General Discussions

Hi John, Thanks for that. Can I ask where the article was published? Bruce
Forum: General Discussions

Once again, well done MPC.
Forum: WWI forum

Try this link for more: Use the search feature for 'Knut' Hope this helps, Bruce
Forum: General Discussions

John, My impression (still haven't seen all the files, including the enquiry) was that the escort dispersed its forces to pin down individual U-boats rather than in maintaining a close guard around the convoy. This was common practice in the early part of the war and often 'harmless' to a convoy if used against lone U-boats or small groups, especially in daytime. In this case it w
Forum: General Discussions

Hans, I have found the source document and will email you jpegs of it. Churchill makes the statement dismissing the threat of U-boats because he is advocating a policy of 'Baltic first' in case of war with Germany. It is quite amazing what he would say to get what he wanted: his proposal was made shortly after the building program for new convoy escort vessels (the Hunt class, I thin
Forum: General Discussions

I don't have access to my copy of 'Naval Policy Between the Wars' at the moment, but I believe it was quoted there. If so, I am sure Roskill will cite the source. I will confirm when I can have a look. Regards, Bruce
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'BUSINESS IN GREAT WATERS', by John Terraine, (ISBN 0-85052-7600 for the hardback edition) includes loss figures for both World Wars. The figures for 1939-1945 are broken down into monthly and annual totals. Hope this helps, Bruce
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Amanda, I cannot send a PM to you either: very odd, I will report it to Gummi and hope it is something simple. In the meantime, please email me. My interest centres on two aspects of OG71, and both seem to be key to your quest to understand 'what happened'. 1: The Submarine Tracking Room in London was caught out on this occasion, and it would be useful to me to know (a) why and (
Forum: General Discussions

Amanda, It is likely that intensive research would allow a better picture of the details to emerge, such as the positions and movements of the attacking U-boats, but nothing that would alter the basic facts that the convoy was spotted and could not escape. The tactics used by the escorts were ineffective and those of the U-boats were effective. The results were bad enough that the Admiralty had
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Candice/Sharon Several of the ships logs for Holderness survived (this is EXTREMELY rare for a WW11 RN destroyer) and they are at The National Archives, together with an 'Action with the enemy' report of a 1942 encounter with E-boats and a few damage reports. Although I haven't seen these, damage reports of this type often include an account of the action which lead to the damage
Forum: Warship forum

Mark, thanks for that explanation. I also think the first re-routing was probably in response to a d/f plot of U-boats detected, but haven't got as far as you with analysing the data. My original reaction to reading the account in 'Nightmare Convoy' was that a U-boat threat must have been detected, as the order to re-route to a more easterly course, closer to the occupied coast (i
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Hello Amanda, I also have am interest in OG-71. May I ask why you believe the fuel story is unreliable? Bruce
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Ted, There are three files at The National Archives, in Kew, SW London, which relate to HMS Albatross and events around D Day. ADM 267/133, Bomb, mine and torpedo damage reports for HMS Albatross, and... ADM 1/29982, Awards to 8 officers and men for services when HMS Albatross was torpedoed off Courselles, France Aug 11 1944, and... ADM 1/30204, Awards to 2 officers of HM
Forum: Warship forum

Mark, You might try this file... ADM199/1850 Admiral Submarines: patrol reports of Greek submarines GLAUKOS, KATSONIS, MATROZOS, NEREUS, PAPANICOLIS, PIPINOS and TRITON 1941-1944 ... at The National Archives, Kew, SW London. Hope this helps, Bruce
Forum: Warship forum

On the 16th of April, 1942, Admiral Krancke reported on the manpower of the KM: '...only 15,000 officers for 500,000 men...' AH conceded that the KM was very short of officers. Hope this helps, Bruce
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There are three documents at the Public Record Office, Kew, that may help. MT 10/1716: Lights. Application for the improvement of the light at Loch Eriboll. 1914 T 161/104 : LAND. Settlement: Scotland: Acquisition of the Eriboll Estate, Sutherlandshire and subsequent sale 1921 Feb 19-1928 May 5 ADM 267/129: Loch Eriboll 1940-1941 Hope this helps, Bruce
Forum: WWI forum

Adam There is a full account of the episode, including the attempt by the captured U-boat crew to hide the identity of the flyers they had rescued, in 'The Strike Wings' by Roy Conyers Nesbit. HTH Bruce
Forum: General Discussions

U-489 was the U-boat. The Bv138, code K6+BK from SAGr130, was one of two shot down in the same patrol by FO E.J. Keefe flying a Beaufighter XIC of 404 Squadron on 28th July. U-489 was attacked and crippled by a Sunderland of 423(RCAF) Sqdn on 4th August, piloted by FO Albert A Bishop, and the rescue carried out by HMS Castleton, Orwell and Orbit. Hope this helps, Bruce
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Thank you Ken. Regards, Bruce
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According to Rick Atkinson in ‘An Army at Dawn: the War in North Africa, 1942-1943’, on November 7 1942 the USS Thomas Stone, a troopship, was torpedoed ‘…at daybreak …thirtythree miles off of the Spanish coast’. The ship didn’t sink and the troops aboard took to their landing craft and attempted to carry on to Algiers. There is no mention of who fired the torpedo but it is clear
Forum: General Discussions

Hi Rainer, Many thanks. I assumed the modification had to be ‘make the boat fit the torpedo’ rather than ‘make torpedoes to fit the boat’ but I had never heard of the solution. Thomas, my question was addressed well by Rainer. The subs that joined the Allied war effort from occupied navies were most welcome, but to be effective they needed to carry their primary offensive weapon.
Forum: Technology and Operations

The recent thread about the origin of standard sizes for torpedoes got me wondering how torpedoes were procured for the Allied submarines operating with the RN during WWll. I am thinking of the French boats in particular, but the same could apply to the Polish boats. Bruce
Forum: Technology and Operations

Rainer, I was hoping someone would know the answer to the very good question posted by Thomas. Thank you for the explanation. Regards, Bruce
Forum: Technology and Operations

Well done.
Forum: General Discussions

23:00 tonight to 02:20 hrs on BBC2. Bruce
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Gary, This earlier thread might be of use. Regards, Bruce
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Cape Crusader, on reading your response to Ken, I felt obliged to point out that there was no such thing as a ‘swift landing’: an operation of that type is a hazardous undertaking for a submarine, without absolutely reliable charts it could not even be considered. The circumstances you describe as ideal for U-boat landings don’t add up in wartime, for all the reasons Ken gave. He does
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If you can gain more information from the retired police officer (dates, type of equipment, etc.) there may be ways to proceed. An eyewitness to a U-boat landing an agent has proved impossible to find: a first hand account of handling communications equipment presumed to be from a U-boat is well worth following thouroughly. It is often the case for the modern investigator that there is more of
Forum: General Discussions