UGS-6
USA to Gibraltar, slow (Central Atlantic and Mediterranean)12 Mar 1943 - 19 Mar 1943
The Convoy | 45 ships |
First sighting | On 12 Mar 1943 by U-130 |
Escorts | The American destroyers Rowan, Rhind, Wainwright, Champlin, Trippe, Mayrant and Hobby. |
U-boats | The wolfpack Unverzagt of 6 boats U-106 (Kptlt. Rasch), U-130 (Oblt. Keller), U-167 (Fregkapt. Sturm) *, U-172 (Korvkpt. Emmermann) *, U-513 (Korvkpt. Rüggeberg), U-515 (Kptlt. Henke) The wolfpack Wohlgemut of 5 boats: U-67 (Korvkpt. Müller-Stöckheim), U-103 (Kptlt. Janssen), U-109 (Oblt. Schramm), U-159 (Kptlt. Witte), U-524 (Kptlt. Freiherr von Steinaecker) * The wolfpack Tümmler of 6 boats: U-43 (Oblt. Schwantke), U-66 (Kptlt. Markworth), U-202 (Kptlt. Poser), U-504 (Kptlt. Luis), U-521 (Kptlt. Bargsten) *, U-558 (Kptlt. Krech) * * U-boats that fired torpedo or used the deck gun |
The battle | The same decode message that gives away the position of HX-229 to the BdU, also mentions the position of UGS-6. After sending the sighting report, U-130 is sunk by the Champlin. On the 13th U-167, U-172 and U-513 make contact but are driven off. Only U-172 manages to sink a straggler. The next day U-106, U-172 and U-513 come up but the escorts drive off all boats and damage the U-515 with depth charges. On the 15th U-159 and U-524 make daylight submerged attacks in which U-524 sinks one ship. On the 16th there are 10 U-boats in contact with the convoy but all attacks are frustrated by the escorts. In the evening U-524 and U-172 make together an submerged attack in which several ships are missed and only one ship is sunk. In the morning of the 17th U-558 has misses but in the evening U-167 damages one ship, which is finished off by U-521. On the 18th Liberator aircraft coming from bases in North Africa are providing air escort and although U-524 is still keeping contact the operation is broken off on the 19th. The escorts were all equipped with 10 cm radar but had no HF/DF. In the very calm seas the radar proved to be very effective: even periscopes of submerged U-boats could be detected. The absence of HF/DF equipment made it impossible to interfere with the build-up of the U-boats around the convoy but the radar made it possible to repulse most of the boats in time, before they could attack. |
Article compiled by Tom Linclau
Ships hit from convoy UGS-6
Date | U-boat | Commander | Name of ship | Tons | Nat. | Map | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
13 Mar 1943 | U-172 | Carl Emmermann | Keystone | 5,565 | am | A | ||
15 Mar 1943 | U-524 | Walter von Steinaecker | Wyoming | 8,062 | fr | B | ||
16 Mar 1943 | U-172 | Carl Emmermann | Benjamin Harrison | 7,191 | am | C | ||
17 Mar 1943 | U-167 | Kurt Sturm | Molly Pitcher (d.) | 7,200 | am | D | ||
18 Mar 1943 | U-521 | Klaus Heinrich Bargsten | Molly Pitcher | 7,200 | am | E | ||
35,218 | ||||||||
4 ships sunk (28,018 tons) and 1 ship damaged (7,200 tons). Legend |
10 convoys on route UGS were hit by U-boats in the war. Read more about them.