Soviet submarines successes in Black Sea 1941 - 1944

[Sergey]

And D-4 launched three torpedoes in a point 45.03N/ 32.48,9E from starboard of transport by dispalacement 6-7000 tons at 20:19 (Moscow time), distance 12 cbt. The explosions were heard through 125, 145 and 165 seconds.

[Victor]

2019 Moscow time would be 1919 Bucharest time. The 1930 I found for the torpedo spotted by Regina Maria was indirectly determined by me. It says that at 1930 another wave of aircraft attacked (this time bombers). In the paragraph immediately underneath this says that right away the destroyer spotted the torpedo I mentioned. It thought it came from an airplane, because it saw AA fire in that direction.

The explosions could have been the the large AAA firing

[Bernard Miclescu]

Hello Victor,

What about the ship "Sturma" with jewish refugee that lived from Constanta in 12 dec 1941? In the book "Romania in al doilea razboi mondial", D Giurescu is speeking about it, and that it was sunk by the soviet submarine SC-213. All those information are correct?

Sincerelly yours,
Bernard

[Bernard Miclescu]

Nevermind Victor, it's only now that i saw it in Kirill's list. So it was a Bulgarian ship...

Many thanks.
Bernard

[Petre]

"Boy Federsen" = Anhalt (6,580t) Built 1914 for North German Lloyd, 1914 laid up at Telang Betok, 1919 ceded to Britain as war reparation, 1921 sold to Spain, 1924 reverted to Anhalt, 1932 sold to USSR renamed Harkov. Oct.14, 1941 scuttled at Nicolaev, salvaged by Germans. 1942 renamed Boy Feddersen. 1943 torpedoed by Sov. torpedo aircraft and Aug.11 sunk by Sov. submarine D.4. near Sevastapol.
I found on net this coincidence :
On Apr.20, 1943 the cargoboat "Suceava"(6876 or 5695 брт) - the largest cargo vessel of the Axis in the Black Sea, under escort of the destroyer "Regina Maria", minesweepers R-163, R-164, and MR-7, from Constantsa to Sulina. At 02.20 the convoy has been attacked with 3 torpedoes from the Sov. submarine S-33 and as result of hit of a torpedo "Suceava" within several minutes has sunk. 28 persons, including the chief of German sea transportations on Black sea, the Kapitan zur See Boy Feddersen, were lost.
According to archival data, destruction point 45°01'N 31°10'E.
Also : Kapitan zur See Boy Feddersen. born 1892, last rank promotion 1 Jul 1942. Seetransportchef Schwarzes Meer - Sep 1942 - Apr 1943. Death/missing date - 20 Apr 1943

This post has been edited by Petre on October 15, 2009 12:50 pm

[Petre]

http://www.soviet-empire.com/ussr/viewtopi...?f=112&p=762493

[Petre]

Admiral, Black Sea - War Diary (american-british translation, edited)

10 October 42
18.48 - Steamer "Carpaţi" torpedoed and sunk 45°0.5 N, 29°47 E.
15 antiaircraft personel, 3 marines, 29 romanian crew were rescued, 3 romanians are missing. A search of the scene of the accident will continue by day. Secret material was saved. ... the ship must have been torpedoed in a surface attack while still escorted by the minesweepers.
Commander of Convoys and Escorts, Black Sea (Geleitchef Schwarzes Meer) has issued the necessary orders for continuing antisubmarine operations in the sea area where the "Carpaţi" went down. The chase will not be broken off unless special orders. Planes are also operating throughout the day. The submarine was located several times and attacked with depth charges.
During the rescue of the crew of the "Carpaţi", a submarine made a surface attack. The boat, surfaced at 150 meter range, was fired with 2 cm. guns and after submerging was attacked with depth charges.

20 April 1943
01.23 While on passage from Sevastopol to Constanţa, escorted by destroyer "Regina Maria", 2 minesweepers and minesweeper MR 7, the steamer "Suceava" was hit by 2 torpedoes in hold No.2 and the engine room and sank. Submarine and torpedo track not sighted; the attack took place in bright moonlight in calm weather, so presumably was an underwater attack. Minesweeper R 164 lying stopped and listening with revolving directional hydrophones heard submarine noises.
"Suceava" sank 3-4 minutes after she was torpedoed. 71 men were rescued by the minesweepers and MR 7. 26 are missing, including Kpt.z.S. Feddersen, Chief Sea Transportation Office, Black Sea (Seetransportchef Schwarzes Meer) and the captain of "Suceava".
3 seaplanes carried out a search during the forenoon without result. A patch of oil and floating pieces of gear were sighted in air grid square 1513. Why the naval forces lid not keep up their search for survivors until dawn remains to be seen.
The torpedoing of a steamer of more than 7,000 brt. entailing the loss of about a quarter of our Black Sea freighter tonnage is a new indication of the extraordinary submarine danger in the Black Sea. Agents' messages and prisoners' statements agree that in spite of several losses, the enemy still has between 30 and 40 subs. at his disposal.
The anti-submarine forces at my disposal are in no way adequate to meet the submarine menace. For a long time I have been sending in repeated requests for submarine chasers equipped with all kinds of gear, but there has been no response so far. "Schiff 19" and "Xanten" are the only vessels equipped with search gear which could be used as submarine chasers ...
In view of the total number of escort forces available, the escort which Geleitchef Schwarzes Meer provided for "Succeava" which was returning empty from Sevastopol to Constantsa - 1 destroyer ahead, 1 minesweeper to port and starboard and minesweeper MR 7 astern - must be regarded as adequate.
The moonlight and the calm weather favored the enemy attack.
(...)
Following the loss of "Succeava" … I have given orders to Geleitchef Schwarzes Meer to instruct all commanders of convoys that depending on the visibility they should carry out frequent alterations of course at irregular intervals. A change of course every two hours as has been the practice so far, is not in my opinion sufficient in clear moonlight.

11 August 1943
The steamer "Boy Feddersen" (ex "Harkov") which was torpedoed from the air yesterday was reported to be in 44°57 N, 32°56 E at 08.30. By this time the captain of "Schiff 19" had assumed command of the situation.
The steamer was drifting with a list of 25°. The crew had been rescued by 2 minesweepers. "Dumitrescu" had failed in all her efforts at towing, as the lines had constantly broken. 3 minesweepers, 2 MFPs and "Dumitrescu" were also with the damaged steamer. The romanian destroyers which had fled were ordered by the German Naval Command (Deutsches Marinekommando Konstanza) to return. Their behavior will be investigated further.
3 harbor tugs, the tug "Baikal" and 2 more minesweepers put out from Sevastopol to join the other vessels there. Around 15.00 the damaged ship was taken in tow by the 4 tugs at speed of approximately 3 knots. At 20.00 their position was in 44°51 N, 33°04.5' E. Escorting the towing formation were 5 minesweepers, 2 MFPs, 2 ships of 23.U-Bootjagdflottille, "Schiff 19", 3 harbor defense boats, "Murgescu" and "Dumitrescu". 3 more naval tugs with minesweeper MR 7 and 2 D-boats arrived during the night to add support. In the course of the day, enemy reconnaissance planes repeatedly flew over Eupatoria Bay but no further attacks were made.

12 august

… the following report was made to Group South (Marinegruppenkommando Sud): "On 10 August the "Boy Feddersen" - "Varna" convoy was proceeding in line abreast with "Boy Feddersen" as guide on the starboard side. Escorting forces: "Murgescu" ahead, "Regina Maria" on the starboard bow, "Mărăşti" on the port bow, minesweeper R 153 on the starboard beam, minesweeper R 196 on the starboard quarter, minesweeper R 204 on the port quarter, gunboat "Dumitrescu" astern, course 258°, speed 11 knots. Weather and light: wind northwest, force 2-3, slightly clouded, bright moon bearing 200°, last remaining daylight in the west, moderate visibility, becoming quickly darker in the east with haze and bad visibility.
At 19.22 in 45° 01' N, 32° 49.5' E, 2 russian torpedo-planes type DB-3, flew in from the southeast and attacked from the port quarter. 2 torpedoes were launched at "Boy Feddersen": one of them struck her amidships, causing a high column of smoke and water.
Astern of "Boy Feddersen", the planes turned off to the northeast. While they were turning, the ship's guns were trained on them and 1 plane was shot down. At the same time one DB-3 attacked from the starboard quarter from the northeast. One torpedo was launched on "Boy Feddersen"; it struck her amidships on the starboard side and a high column of smoke and water and heavy steam clouds limediately developed. The plane flew off to the northwest.
3 German signalmen of "Maria" claim to have sighted a periscope on the starboard quarter and 2 torpedo tracks from this direction, hence the torpedo hit on the starboard side. The periscope disappeared off the bow of "Boy Feddersen". These statements seem doubtful.
(…)
At 19.34 another attack was made on "Boy Feddersen" by 2 Russian bombers which flew in from the east at an altitude of 600 - 800 meters. They dropped several bombs which landed close astern of the ship, but did not hit her. The planes flew off in a westerly direction and our anti-aircraft guns failed to hit them.
Defensive maneuvers of the steamers: "Boy Feddersen's" attempt to turn off failed because the attacking planes were not observed until too late. On observing them, "Varna" made off to the southwest on zig-zag courses.
At 19.45 "Murgescu" continued passage to Constantza with "Mărăşti" and "Varna". The other escort vessels protected and attempted to salvage "Boy Feddersen" which was still afloat. At 19.53 another unsuccessful attack was made from the starboard quarter by a single DB-3. Our one fighter and close escort had left the convoy 10 minutes before the attack. Air protection had not been specially requested as it was a moonlight night. The convoy had been first detected at 15.00 by a russian reconnaissance plane. On being informed of this fact by radio, the commander of the convoy had ordered increased readiness of the anti-aircraft guns.

Comments by Admiral, Black Sea:
The aerial torpedo attack was made at the most favorable moment from a dark horizon. Our fighter escort had just left as darkness fell. The success of the attack was largely due to the fact that the approaching planes were not observed and also to the skill of the execution in attacking simultaneously from port and starboard.
The formation adopted by the convoy and the procedure of escort forces for the defense of "Varna" and "Boy Feddersen" after the attack were correct.
Commander Naval Air (?) reported that the Me-110 fighter escort had remained with the convoy until 19.20. The plane had then to fly back to reach its base before the end of twilight. It had arrived at approximately 19.35. Commander Naval Air has no night fighters at his disposal. 1.Fliegerkorps has approx. 6 night fighters, which are employed over the Kuban bridgehead and Kerch Strait. After discussion with Commander Naval Air, it was planned to request night fighters from Luftflotte 4. for special operations, such as the escorting of important convoys on bright nights.

This post has been edited by Petre on August 07, 2016 06:33 am