The Decoys by Edwards Bernard;

Author:Edwards, Bernard;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Bisac Code 1: JWF; JWMV2; HIS027100; HIS027150; HISTORY / Military / World War II
ISBN: 4767244
Publisher: Pen & Sword Books Limited
Published: 2012-10-30T00:00:00+00:00

Forced under water by the very high swell with the result that the bridge watch has practically drowned and received minor injuries … The seaman portion of the crew is starting to suffer injuries. All except five men have slight injuries. The other bridge watch keepers have been heavily taxed as I remained on the surface even in the heaviest weather and sought to establish contact. There are now sufficient men for only 2 watches.

When finally in place, Group Panther’s patrol line straddled the Black Pit in a north-south direction, forming a 400-mile-long net across the convoy routes. U-442, which had sustained minor damage and one man seriously injured in the atrocious weather encountered, was part of that net. Soon after she was in position, U-258 reported sighting the westbound convoy ON 136, and Dönitz detached eight boats to form Group Leopard, which he then sent in pursuit of this convoy. U-442 was one of those chosen for Leopard.

ON 136, comprising fifty-three merchantmen bound from Liverpool to New York, had a strong Canadian escort, but the wind was force 10 at the time, with heavy rain, and neither U-boats nor escorts were able to operate with any great effect. Only one ship was sunk before the U-boats called off the attack, this after losing U-597 to a Liberator sent out from Iceland. Hans-Joachim Hesse in U-442 failed to find an opportunity to fire his torpedoes.

The eight Leopard boats then went on to take part in an attack on the eastbound convoy SC 104, which was about to enter the Air Gap. This operation, which involved seventeen U-boats in all, and lasted for four days, was more successful. Eight merchant ships were sunk, one of which, the ex-whale factory ship Southern Empress, was carrying ten landing craft for Operation Torch.

The attack on SC 104 ended when the convoy came within range of Allied air patrols on the other side of the Black Pit. The Leopard pack was dispersed and U-442, once again, came away empty-handed. She resumed her voyage to the west.

There had been little improvement in the weather, and battling against head winds and seas, U-442’s progress was so slow that at times she was almost hove-to. October was giving way to November when she finally reached the waters off Newfoundland. The savaging of Convoy SC 107 by Group Veilchen was then in full swing.

When, at about 2100 on 3 November, Hesse made contact with the beleaguered convoy, he ran into what might be best described as a hornets’ nest disturbed. U-132 had just caused havoc by torpedoing, one after another, the Hobbema, the Empire Lynx and the Hatimura, and the C-4 escorts were thoroughly aroused. Lieutenant Commander Piers had ordered Operation Raspberry, and the night sky was aflame with brilliant displays of starshell and snowflakes. Even the Northern Lights seemed to be shimmering with a new intensity.

Unable to penetrate the escort screen, Hesse dropped back, intent on shadowing the convoy until the furore had died down. And so it was that he came upon the abandoned Hatimura, on fire and drifting aimlessly in the wake of SC 107.

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