Apologies, I should also have included AL 5413 and AL 5488 in my previous message.
Forum: General Discussions

I'd be very grateful if someone could convert BD 5460 and BD 5720 into latitude and longitude for me please.
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Very many thanks Ken, the one of U-77 is particulary evocative as something similar was probably the last view seen by the Arakaka survivors. May I contact you next weekend as I'm about to go on holiday for a couple of days. Very grateful for your rapid response. Brian
Forum: General Discussions

During August 1940 the Admiralty chartered the SS Arakaka and SS Toronto City for weather reporting duties in the North Atlantic. The Arakaka was torpedoed by U-77 on 22 June 1941, whilst U-108 torpedoed the Toronto City on 1 July 1941. The Arakaka had 40 crew,including the RAFVR meteorologists, while the Toronto City also included three RAFVR meteorologists amongst its 43 crew. I am currentl
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Will PM you John. Brian
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John, I have a considerable interest in both the Toronto City and its sister weathership the SS Arakaka (sunk by U-77 on 22 June 1941. Could I ask why you are interested in the ship? I am in contact with the daughter of the senior meteorologist on the Toronto City and the families of all the meteorologists on the Arakaka. Brian
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The U-857 part of my original request has been resolved but I'm still looking for a pointer for U-534's KTB. U-534 was in a uniquely critical position in respect of both the Allied and German forecasts for D-day, and its log for 3 and 4 June would be of great value in meteorological terms.
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Both U-boats were acting as Wetterboote in mid-Atlantic before and during the invasion of France in June 1944. I'd like to see the pages of their respective KTBs for 3-5 June and wonder if anyone could help or advise how I might find them.
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This must have been U-371's unlucky day to have been attacked twice. The patrol info for this voyage lists 30 June in 'General events' but gives no reason why. Nor are any attacks on the submarine recorded for the voyage. Brian
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Rainer, Three more for you from "Even the birds were walking". 30 June 1941 U-boat sighted at 12.25 hours by Blenheim C/1404, position 47.45N 10.30W. One A/S bomb dropped; seen to burst over the bows as submarine submerged. I think that must have been U-371. Aircraft captain Slt Lt Wykeham-Martin (again). 5 October 1941 U-boat sighted at 09.20 hours by Blenheim A/1404,
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Copies of photos of the action, taken from "Even the birds were walking", sent by email. Brian
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My thanks gentlemen. That's another little myth about the Met Reconnaissance units put to bed. It's always a pity that once something appears in print it's taken as gospel, although in all fairness the crew of C/1404 did appear to have a legitimate claim. Brian
Forum: General Discussions

On 12 August 1941 Blenheim C/1404 of 1404 Meteorological Flight was credited with the sinking of a U-boat in Biscay. This account of the action comes from "Even the birds were walking" by John Kington and Peter Rackliff: "In position 47.43N 10.15W the crew spotted a U-boat proceeding on the surface, probably making for Brest. Wykeham-Martin (the pilot) attacked the boat from a
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If I read U-boat Archive correctly, U-124 was the first U-boat of the war ordered to assume weather reporting duties (in area 55-60N and 20-25W), probably with effect from 29/30 August. U-103 was tasked with deploying weather buoys to the west of Scotland, which she duly did om 3 October (also from U-boat Archive). I'm interested in obtaining more details about the two operations and
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Problem resolved gentlemen. This subject was discussed on the RAF Commands forum back in 2004 and I copy the definitive answer below. Brian *********** Eric Zimmerman, co-author of "U-boat versus Aircraft", has drawn my attention to the fact that a U-boat was sighted on 05May44 by FK226/G of 86 Squadron operating from Iceland. The following narrative of the encounter is a tran
Forum: General Discussions

Back in 2005 there was a brief discussion concerning the identity of the aircraft that U-955 claimed to have shot down on 5 May 1944. The advice given then was that the aircraft was a Sunderland of 201 Squadron piloted by Flt/Lt L H Baveystock (http://ubootwaffe.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=477). I'm afraid that advice was unfounded; Baveystock survived the war and was actually the pilot of
Forum: General Discussions

Thank you John, just the information I was seeking. Brian
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Mmm, that's what puzzled me at first, but I think it's to do with a U-boat Group or operation.
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Were there any specific instructions for U-boats to include a weather report in all messages transmitted to U-Boat Command, or was this left to the discretion of the U-boat's Captain?
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There are a number of references to "Landwirt" in the FdU/BdU pages of the U-boat Archive during April-June 1944. I suspect that "Landwirt" refers to a reserve to be held in port in the event of an invasion, but I'd appreciate advice as to the real meaning.
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Platon I noticed the time difference but assumed this came in part from the squadron's Operational Record Book. One of the problems we have with these records is that we are never quite sure what time datum is being used; some use GMT, some British Summer Time or Double British Summertime, whilst overseas squadrons sometimes use local time. However, if the ARGENTO has identified th
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Much obliged Platon; 179 Squadron's Operations Record Book simply recorded "U-boat" and I didn't think the problem through properly. Being greedy do you have any other details about the incident please? Brian
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A Wellington of 179 Sqn took off from Gibraltar at about 2200 hours on the evening of 21 January 1943, for an anti-submarine patrol over the western Mediterranean. It failed to return to base and was assumed to have been shot down whilst engaging a U-boat. The body of one crew-member was washed ashore 25 km east of Philippville (now Skikda) three weeks later, the distance suggesting that the lo
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Dom, Firstly my apology for not responding earlier - every time I attempted to open the Forum page I kept getting "Phorum database error". Seems perfectly OK now but that's not through anything I've done. Thank you for your suggestion - I did try that approach but came up against two problems !. Not all the positions are plotted 2. The lack of Lat/Long lines makes i
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U853 left Bergen on 29 April 1944 for a mid-Atlantic weather reporting patrol, berthing 67 days later at L'Orient, on 4 July. From the patrol details on u-boat net I estimate that after leaving Bergen the submarine sailed to about 30W south of Iceland before turning south. I would appreciate confirmation that my estimate of the southward track was down longitude 30W or, even better, U853
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From December 1943 two or three U-boats were stationed in the North Atlantic purely for weather reporting purposes. The Atlantic was divided into three zones, north, central and south and a U-boat assigned to each area to produce regular weather reports. U1053 was one such vessel, operating near 54N 27W during November and December 1944, until relieved by U248 (operating near 50N18W (positions
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