Subject: WWII-L Digest - 7 Jan 1995 to 8 Jan 1995

From: Automatic digest processor <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 9 Jan 1995 00:01:46 -0500

There are 14 messages totalling 780 lines in this issue.

Topics of the day:

  1. INF: USN Chronology 01-08-95
  2. IJN Oxygen Torpedo Update
  3. INF: 50 Years Ago - 09-JAN-1945
  4. 50TH: WAR ENTERS A NEW YEAR
  5. German Ocean Liners?? (2)
  6. Stalingrad etc. (was Re: Movie "Das Boot")
  7. GERMAN OCEAN LINERS?? (3)
  8. Neutrals
  9. Operation Deadlight u-boats
 10. U-boats at sea on May 4
 11. U-boat Collisions with other u-boats

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date:    Sun, 8 Jan 1995 04:00:17 PST
From:    "Keller, Theron P." <[email-masked]>
Subject: INF: USN Chronology 01-08-95

UNITED STATES NAVY CHRONOLOGY
from:
//byrd.mu.wvnet.edu/pub/history/military/wwii/naval_chronology/chr4(4,5).txt

1945
01/08 Mon.  United States naval vessels damaged:
             Escort carrier KITKUN BAY (CVE-71), by suicide plane,
              Luzon area, P. I.,
              15 d. 48'N., 119 d. 09'E.
             Escort carrier KADASHAN BAY (CVE-76), by suicide plane,
              Luzon area, P. I.,
              15 d. 10'N., 119 d. 08'E.

Information compiled by U.S. Navy Historians.  For more information,
contact the Naval Historical Center at (202) 433-3940.
Archived by: "Larry W. Jewell" <[email-masked]>
Posted by:
Theron P. Keller
Logicon, Inc.
Dahlgren, VA  22448 USA
[email-masked]

------------------------------

Date:    Sat, 7 Jan 1995 23:39:45 -1000
From:    John DeVirgilio <[email-masked]>
Subject: IJN Oxygen Torpedo Update

Revision & update on previous informational post.

IJN Salt Water Engine Torpedo Types:

The Type 93 24" Long Lance Torpedo was fueled by pure oxygen or enriched
air (minimum 93% oxygen) mixed with kerosene and salt water.

The Type 95  21" submarine torpedo was a smaller version of the type 93.

The Type 96  21" submarine torpedo used enriched air (38% oxygen)

The Type 97   17.7" was a further miniaturization of the larger Type 93 & 95
torpedoes.   The type 97 was not a safe weapon with the possiblitiy
of an explosion at the start of the engine upon firing.  Due to this
unsatisfactory performance, production was halted after 100 torpedoes
were completed.   This torpedo equiped the five midget submarines that
were used against Pearl Harbor.

The Type 98 (also known as the Type 97 Special) 17.7" torpedo used
enriched air (38% oxygen).  The reduced oxygen content gave this
torpedo a safe start.

Trivia note: Pure oxygen torpedoes produced less visible wake tracks (small
bubble signature) making it difficult for defenders to spot an incoming
attack.

------
Good English source:  Campbell, John. Naval Weapons of World War Two.
London: Conway Maritime Press, 1985.  Also check the U.S. Naval
Techinical Mission to Japan, 1946.

Aloha,

John DeVirgilio

------------------------------

Date:    Sun, 8 Jan 1995 04:21:54 -0800
From:    John Davis <[email-masked]>
Subject: INF: 50 Years Ago - 09-JAN-1945

On 09-JAN-1945, the following occurred -

World War II - The Battlefronts
-------------------------------
Western Front - The U.S. 1st and 3rd Armies continue to advance in the
central-northern sector of the front, with the aim of eliminating the
salient taken by the Germans in the Ardennes offensive. In the 3rd Army
sector, the 87th and 101st Airborne Divisions make good progress towards
Tillet and Noville. The III Corps is attacking the German pocket southeast
of Bastogne.

Philippines - The U.S. 6th Army, composed of about 67,000 men, begins
landing on the shores of Lingayen Gulf on Luzon. The island is defended by
about 262,000 Japanese. Two corps land abreast, the XIV Corps on the right
and I Corps on the left. The XIV Corps composed of the 40th and 37th
Divisions pushes inland to an average depth of 4 miles and is virtually
unopposed. The I Corps, which is more strongly opposed, is less successful.
Its beachhead at the end of the day is narrower and shallower than the XIV
Corps. The 6th Division gains a line from Dagupan to the Pantalan River.
The 43rd Division attacks to the vicinity of San Jacinto and Binday. The
Japanese send up the few remaining aircraft they have against the invasion
fleet, damaging the battleship Mississippi and the light cruiser Columbia.
For the first time the Japanese makes use of explosive boats piloted by the
equivalent of the kamikaze pilots. The battleship Colorado is accidentally
hit by fire from other U.S. ships.

Pacific - In support of the Luzon operation, carrier planes from TF 38
attack airfields and shipping in the Formosa, Pescadores and Ryukyus areas
despite bad weather conditions. The 7th Air Force continues raids on Iwo
Jima.

=============================================================================

Sources: "United States Army in World War II, Chronology 1941-1945" compiled
by Mary H. Williams, Office of the Chief of Military History, Department of
the Army, "2194 Days of War" by Cesare Salmaggi and Alfredo Pallavisimi,
"Facts On File Yearbook 1945, Person's Index Of World Events" edited by R.L.
Lapica.

Copyright 1995 by John B Davis, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Previous articles are archived at ftp.webcom.com in directory /pub/jbd/www
and can be accessed via the WWW by URL: http://www.webcom.com/~jbd/ww2.html.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
John Davis                Cary, North Carolina                 [email-masked]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------

Date:    Sun, 8 Jan 1995 09:58:31 +0100
From:    JOHN AUSLAND <[email-masked]>
Subject: 50TH: WAR ENTERS A NEW YEAR

  Oslo, January 8, 1995

  After an absence over the holidays, in order to finish a book
containing my father's writings about his adventures in WWI and II and
to buy a new computer, I have rejoined the list.  Since I note that
there are some new users, perhaps it will be useful to reintroduce
myself.
  I am a retired American Foreign Service officer, living now here in
Norway.  Last year, I published (myself) a book about my exeriences
during World War II, when I was with the 4th Infantry Division, under
the title LETTERS HOME: A WAR MEMOIR.  It covers our preparations in
England for Overlord and then from our landing on June 6 on Utah Beach
to the end of the war in Europe, which found us south of Munich.
  I regret to (am happy to) say that the book is now out of print.
However, I have put it on disk and some of these days (who knows
when?) it will be available on the World Wide Web.
  From time to time, I have been making available here selections from
the book and propose to continue this now, with excerpts from Chapter
14, which opens in a new year:

          * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
          *                                                         *
          *            THE WAR MOVES INTO A NEW YEAR                *
          *                                                         *
          * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

          The arrival of the new year found me still in Luxembourg.
          Although we continued to follow the terrible fighting to the
          north of us, there was nothing we could do but wait for
          orders. Command changes made as a result of the German
          offensive left us in Patton's Third Army, a new experience.
          Well aware of his reputation for driving his troops hard, we
          wondered when he would call upon us. While waiting, I
          found time to exchange views with my parents about the
          German offensive. From their letters and the press, it was
          clear that this had come as a rude shock to the American
          public. After our successes during the summer, it had
          decided the war in Europe was all but over.

          As the clock passed midnight, I wrote a short letter home.

          Dear Folks, 00:15 January 1, 1945, Luxembourg

          The New Year is here. Let me send to all of you wishes for
          the best possible happiness during the coming year.

          Love, John

          In mid-morning, I was driving along a road when I saw an
          infantry unit conducting an exercise. As a part of simulating
          an attack on the town of Wecker, which was well behind our
          lines, it was shooting up flares. Suddenly a group of
          American aircraft began to bomb and strafe the town.
          Fortunately, the bombs fell short of the houses, and there
          were not many casualties.

          If there was any doubt that the war had not ended, Hitler
          soon erased it. He chose January 1 to launch Northwind to
          the south of us, an offensive less well known than the one
          in the Ardennes. Unfortunately, the French forces had failed
          to eliminate a pocket of Germans in the Colmar area, south
          of Strasbourg. These coordinated an attack with one by
          German forces north of Strasbourg. At one point,
          Eisenhower seriously considered abandoning that city. This
          invited another threat from de Gaulle to withdraw French
          forces from Eisenhower's command. It proved possible,
          however, to defeat the German attack without precipitating
          a crisis in French-American relations.

          We were at the time unaware of these political maneuvers.
          Since the fighting did not affect me directly, I was more
          concerned with my father's efforts to adjust to civilian life.
          Then approaching fifty, his years in China (as adviser to the
          Chinese on railway construction), Alaska (where he
          commanded a railroad), and North Africa (where he selected
          railway targets for the Air Force) had been too much for
          him. After a lengthy hospitalization at Valley Forge, the
          doctors decided that his health would not permit him to
          continue in the army, and he was retired.

          Dear Dad, January 2, 1945, Luxembourg

          Your letters of December 12 and 14 have arrived. I noted
          especially your change of jobs to make a climb up the
          ladder of the railroad business with some pride. Certainly
          you would be foolish to fail to capitalize on your World War
          II experience.

          Your negotiations with the firms interest me no end. By all
          means, do keep me informed on developments. You know,
          I'm promoting your return to China like wildfire. Besides,
          this gives me a continuous thread on which to tie myself
          when things don't go well here.

          Boston, Richmond, New York. Well do I remember that trip
          with you when I was a child. The Woolworth Building, the
          subway, the Holland Tunnel, many exciting moments for a
          small boy.

          From the clipping I sent mother, you will see that our unit,
          after a difficult fight in Hurtgen, took the left wing of the
          offensive and held it. But that's the sort of thing that's duck
          soup for our men. They love to get a Jerry coming across an
          open field, with them in the hole, for once. We worked them
          over quite well.

          Many of us feel that had we been at the center of the
          German drive, they'd probably have gone through us as they
          did the others, but we'd surely have given them a tussle,
          believe you me. But, as it was, we had to be content with
          catching only the poor buzzards who were making the
          containing attack on the flank.

          General Patton has said this was our best action. If he
          thought that, he ought to have seen us on a couple of our
          others.

          Incidentally, I was interested in learning of your job as rail
          bombing officer in the Mediterranean. I had not known of
          this before.

          Your son, John
          END OF EXCERPT

------------------------------

Date:    Sun, 8 Jan 1995 08:46:58 -0800
From:    John Davis <[email-masked]>
Subject: German Ocean Liners??

Does anyone know if any German ocean liners were "seized" at the outbreak of
the war? If so, were they turned into Allied troops ships? On the other hand
did the Germans use any of the liners for war purposes? Where was the Bremen
at the start of the war? I know at the beginning of WW I several liners were
captured and turned into Allied ships.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
John Davis                Cary, North Carolina                 [email-masked]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------

Date:    Sun, 8 Jan 1995 09:28:00 -0800
From:    John Riegsecker <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: German Ocean Liners??

>Does anyone know if any German ocean liners were "seized" at the outbreak of
>the war? If so, were they turned into Allied troops ships? On the other hand
>did the Germans use any of the liners for war purposes? Where was the Bremen
>at the start of the war? I know at the beginning of WW I several liners were
>captured and turned into Allied ships.

There was the Normandie of course, although that was French.  In my copy
of _Jane's Fighting Ships of WWII_ I find that the US transport Lejeune was
the ex German Windhuk and many of the German ships are ex- something so that
might be a place to start looking if nobody has a ready list.

John Riegsecker
Department of Mathematics and Computer Science
University of Puget Sound

[email-masked]

------------------------------

Date:    Sun, 8 Jan 1995 13:30:25 -0500
From:    David Rising <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Stalingrad etc. (was Re: Movie "Das Boot")

On Sat, 7 Jan 1995, Sidney Allinson wrote:

> David...
>         Sometimes, Patton wore one pistol.
>         Sometimes, Patton wore two pistols.
>
I kind of figured that was the case... Still liked the story though. Cheers,
David Rising

------------------------------

Date:    Sun, 8 Jan 1995 15:44:53 -0500
From:    Ben Frank <[email-masked]>
Subject: GERMAN OCEAN LINERS??

John, if memory serves, the liner 'Manhattan" was a German liner seized by the
US and renamed "Wakefield." I had a couple of trips on her in WWII. Ben Frank

------------------------------

Date:    Sun, 8 Jan 1995 14:41:11 -0800
From:    Sidney Allinson <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Neutrals

Paul Gregor...

        There's an interesting book on neautral Eire (Ireland) during
the Second World War:
                        THE SHAMROCK AND THE SWASTIKA.

        It was neautral Switzerland that was so agressive about defending
its air-apace during WW2. Swiss aircraft attacked Luftwaffe planes on
two occasions. Score was Swiss 6, Germans 0. Swiss also demanded resparations
for the incidents. Germans swallowed their annoyance over being defeated,
apologized officially, and gave the Swiss several Messerschmidts. 'Story has
it most of the planes given proved to be defective, though.

        There was a good account of the Swiss/German air combats in
AFTER THE BATTLE magazine some years ago.

Regards -- Sidney.

--

------------------------------

Date:    Sun, 8 Jan 1995 17:44:16 -0500
From:    "Steven Pudlo, Dept. Computer Svcs." <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: GERMAN OCEAN LINERS??

It is my understanding that the US Coast Guard Tall Ship "EAGLE" was once
german, as well as the tall training ship "Joseph Conrad" (Remaned) now on
display at Mystic Seaport.

Does anobody second this third hand info?

I sort of beleive the "Georg Stag" (I know I spelled it wrong) became the
Conrad, but I don't know definatly about the Eagle...
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Steven E. Pudlo  - [email-masked] |"Life may be a drag...
STC Programmer/Analyst - (203) 885-2343  |    But it sure beats the
Three Rivers Community-Technical College |       only known alternative"
574 New London Turnpike                  |                     (S.E.P.)
Norwich, CT. U.S.A. 06360                |No one gets out of it alive..
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                SteveiznL

------------------------------

Date:    Mon, 9 Jan 1995 00:09:31 +0000
From:    Gudmundur Helgason <[email-masked]>
Subject: Operation Deadlight u-boats

                                Operation Deadlight

    Operation Deadlight is the code name for the scuttling of the unneeded
    German u-boats which the allied got their hands on after the end of WWII.
    Most of these operations took place from Ireland (Lisahilly etc).

Boat          type           Date of scuttling if known (by me)

U.143         IID
U.145         IID
U.149         IID
U.150         IID
U.155         IXC
U.170         IXC/40
U.218         VIID
U.244         VIIC
U.245         VIIC
U.249         VIIC
U.255         VIIC
U.256         VIIC
U.278         VIIC
U.281         VIIC
U.291         VIIC
U.293         VIIC/41
U.294         VIIC/41
U.298         VIIC/41
U.299         VIIC/41
U.312         VIIC
U.313         VIIC
U.318         VIIC/41
U.328         VIIC/41
U.363         VIIC
U.368         VIIC
U.369         VIIC
U.427         VIIC
U.481         VIIC
U.483         VIIC
U.485         VIIC
U.516         IXC
U.532         IXC/40
U.539         IXC/40
U.541         IXC/40
U.668         VIIC
U.680         VIIC
U.716         VIIC
U.720         VIIC
U.739         VIIC
U.760         VIIC
U.764         VIIC
U.773         VIIC
U.775         VIIC
U.776         VIIC
U.778         VIIC
U.779         VIIC
U.802         IXC/40
U.806         IXC/40
U.825         VIIC
U.826         VIIC
U.861         IXD2
U.874         IX D2
U.875         IX D2
U.883         IXD/42
U.868         IXC/40
U.901         VIIC
U.907         VIIC
U.928         VIIC
U.930         VIIC/40
U.956         VIIC
U.968         VIIC
U.978         VIIC
U.985         VIIC
U.991         VIIC
U.992         VIIC
U.994         VIIC
U.997         VIIC/41
U.1002        VIIC/41
U.1004        VIIC/41
U.1005        VIIC/41
U.1009        VIIC/41
U.1010        VIIC/41
U.1019        VIIC/41
U.1022        VIIC/41
U.1052        VIIC/41
U.1061        VIIF
U.1102        VIIC
U.1103        VIIC/41
U.1104        VIIC/41
U.1109        VIIC/41        Sunk on Jan 6. 1946 by UK sub HMS Templar
U.1110        VIIC/41
U.1163        VIIC/41
U.1165        VIIC/41
U.1194        VIIC
U.1197        VIIC
U.1198        VIIC
U.1201        VIIC
U.1203        VIIC
U.1271        VIIC/41
U.1272        VIIC/41
U.1275        VIIC/41
U.1301        VIIC/41
U.1307        VIIC/41
U.1230        IXC/40
U.1233        IXC/40

                         The Elekro boats

U.2321        XXIII
U.2322        XXIII
U.2324        XXIII
U.2325        XXIII
U.2328        XXIII
U.2329        XXIII
U.2334        XXIII
U.2335        XXIII
U.2336        XXIII
U.2337        XXIII
U.2341        XXIII
U.2345        XXIII
U.2348        XXIII
U.2350        XXIII
U.2351        XXIII
U.2353        XXIII
U.2354        XXIII
U.2356        XXIII
U.2361        XXIII
U.2363        XXIII          Nov 1945

U.2502        XXI
U.2506        XXI
U.2511        XXI            Jan  7. 1946
U.3514        XXI            Feb 12. 1946 at 1004. The last one to be sunk.

    95 conventional boats
    24 Elektro boats (4 XXI)

   119 total

     Out of the 154 German U-boats surrendered at the end of the war, about
     119 were sunk near Ireland in 1945-1946 in Operation Deadlight. The other
     35 or so were used to varius tasks and then sunk thereafter (like U.1105
     sunk on explosives trial in the Potomac in 1948).

     U.995 still exists as a museam boat north of Kiel Germany.

     U.2540 was raised from it's resting place near Flensburg and is also a
     museum boat, now named U-Wilhelm Bauer.

 ******************************************************************************
    This is a compiled list using the available sources I have at the moment.
    I will get better info soon and thus either correct any errors here may
    lie withing or confirm the data.

    Also, I may have made some typos here and there, should you find any
    or have some corrections to make please e-mail me at:
                       [email-masked]

    I hope this list (and the others) will be of some interest to the list.
 ******************************************************************************

------------------------------

Date:    Mon, 9 Jan 1995 00:10:43 +0000
From:    Gudmundur Helgason <[email-masked]>
Subject: U-boats at sea on May 4

                    German U-boats at sea on May 4 1945

     43 u-boats were at sea when cease-fire orders came from Doenitz on
     May 4 1945, they were. [DL] means Operation Deadlight boat.

U-boat      Left port:            Came to port at:

U.190       Norway   Feb 22       Halifax, Canada on May 12.
U.218  [DL] Norway   Mar 23       Bergen, Norway in May
U.234       Norway   Apr 17       Portsmouth, USA on May 16.
U.244  [DL] Norway   Apr 15       Loch Eriboll, UK on May 14.
U.245  [DL] Helig    Apr  9       Bergen, Norway on May 10.
U.249  [DL] Norway   Apr  4       Portland, England on May 10.
U.255  [DL] France   May  1       Loch Eriboll, UK on May 15.
U.287       Norway   Apr 29       Hit a mine on the Elbe on May 16.
U.293  [DL]          Apr  1       Loch Alsh, UK on May 12.
U.328  [DL] Germany  Apr 25       England (date unknown to me)
U.485  [DL] France   Apr 26       Gibraltar on May 12.
U.516  [DL] Norway   Apr  6       Loch Eriboll, UK on May 14.
U.530       Norway   Mar  4       Argentina on July 10.
U.532  [DL] Jakarta  Jan 1        Loch Eriboll, UK on May 13.
U.541  [DL] Norway   Apr 11       Gibraltar on May 12.
U.764  [DL] Norway   May  1       Loch Eriboll, UK on May 14.
U.776  [DL] Norway   Mar 24       Portland, England on May 16.
U.802  [DL] Germany  Apr  9       Loch Eriboll, UK on May 11.
U.805       Germany  Mar  4       St. Johns, Canada on May 14.
U.825  [DL] Norway   Apr  3       Portland, England on May 10.
U.826  [DL] Norway   Mar 11       Loch Eriboll, UK on May 10.
U.858       Norway   Mar 14       Delaware, USA on May 14.
U.873       Norway   Apr  1       Portsmouth, USA on May 17.
U.889       Norway   Apr  6       Halifax, Canada on May 14.
U.901  [DL] Norway   Apr  5       Stavanger, Norway on May 16.
U.956  [DL] Norway   Mar 31       Loch Eriboll, UK on May 13.
U.963       Norway   Apr 23       Ran aground, scuttled neat Portugal on May 21.
U.977       Germany  Apr 14       Argentina in August 1945
U.979       Norway   Mar 29       Ran aground at Amrum on May 25.
U.1009 [DL] Norway   Apr  1       Loch Eriboll, UK on May 10.
U.1010 [DL] Norway   Apr 15       Loch Eriboll, UK on May 14.
U.1023 [DL] Norway   Mar  7       Portland, England on May 12.
U.1057      Norway   Apr 26       Bergen, Norway on May 10.
U.1058      Norway   Apr 28       Loch Eriboll, UK on May 10.
U.1105      Norway   Apr 13       Loch Eriboll, UK on May 10.
U.1109 [DL] Norway   Apr 18       Loch Eriboll, UK on May 13.
U.1165 [DL] Norway   Apr 29       Narvik, Norway on May (16?)
U.1228      Germany  Apr 14       Portsmouth, USA on May 16.
U.1231      Norway   Apr 27       Loch Eriboll, UK on May 13.
U.1277      Germany  Apr 15       scuttled by her crew near Portugal in May
U.1305      Norway   Apr  5       Loch Eriboll, UK on May 10.
U.2326      Norway   May  3       Dundee, Scotland on May 19.
U.2336 [DL] Norway   May  1       Kiel, Germany on May 14.
U.2511 [DL] Norway   Apr 30       Bergen, Norway on May 6
U.3008      Germany  May  3       Kiel, Germany on May 25

     Out of these 43 boats, 23 sailed to England, 3 to Canada, 4 to USA,
     4 did not return to port (scuttled etc), 7 returned to Germany or Norway
     and 2 went all the way to Argentina.

     The allied captured 154 boats at the end of the war, 39 out of them were
     returned from sea and 115 were in their bases.

     The Germans scuttled 218 u-boats near the end of the way to prevent them
     from falling into allied hands.

     The Third Reich thus had 376 u-boats available at the end of the war.

******************************************************************************
    This is a compiled list using the available sources I have at the moment.
    I will get better info soon and thus either correct any errors here may
    lie withing or confirm the data.

    Also, I may have made some typos here and there, should you find any
    or have some corrections to make please e-mail me at:
                       [email-masked]

    I hope this list (and the others) will be of some interest to the list.
******************************************************************************

------------------------------

Date:    Mon, 9 Jan 1995 00:11:47 +0000
From:    Gudmundur Helgason <[email-masked]>
Subject: U-boat Collisions with other u-boats

        German U-boats sunk after collisions with other German u-boats

        date.       Collided with:      Killed    Survivors.    Location.

U.254    8. Dec 1942    U.221             41            3    North Atlantic
U.222    2. Sep 1944    U.626             42           (2)   Baltic
U.612    8. Aug 1942    U.444              2          (42)   Baltic
U.649   24. Feb 1943    U.232             35           (9)   Baltic
U.659    4. May 1943    U.439             44           (6)   North Atlantic
U.673   24. Oct 1944    U.382              0          (52)   North of Stavanger
U.718   18. Nov 1943    U.476             43           (8)   Baltic
U.983    8. Sep 1943    U.988              5          (47)   North of Leba
U.1013  17. Mar 1944    U.286             25          (27)   Baltic
U.1015  19. May 1944    U.1014            36          (12)   West of Pillau

U.2344  18. Feb 1945    U.2336             7           (8)   North of Heiligenamm
U.2367   5. May 1945    U. ?               0          (15)   near Schliemunde

                                  ----          ----
   12 boats                                280          231*   (54% killed)*

   * I use the average number of complement compiled from my own list of 404
     German u-boats sunk with all hands as the base figure of each class. I
     divided the WWII into 11 sections and calculated the average complement
     for each section (i.e. VIIC in Jan-Jun '43 was 49.4 men). These numbers
     should be fairly accurate but may be a bit off.

******************************************************************************
    This is a compiled list using the available sources I have at the moment.
    I will get better info soon and thus either correct any errors here may
    lie withing or confirm the data.

    Also, I may have made some typos here and there, should you find any
    or have some corrections to make please e-mail me at:
                       [email-masked]

    I hope this list (and the others) will be of some interest to the list.
******************************************************************************

------------------------------

Date:    Mon, 9 Jan 1995 02:51:00 UTC
From:    "Edward S. Miller" <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: GERMAN OCEAN LINERS??

  It appears that German merchantmen in the Atlantic made a run for home but
not many got through.  Those in the Pacific holed up in the Dutch East
Indies:

-- 25 August 1939.  In the morning first warning telegram from Nordeich
Radio to German merchant shipping overseas.
 -- 27 August 1939.  All German merchant ships overseas are asked to do
 everything to reach their home ports "within the next four days" or to make
 for ports of friendly or neutral states.
 -- 31 August to September 7 1939.  British Home Fleet (6 battleships and
 battle cruisers, carrier Ark Royal, etc.) searches waters between Scotland,
 Iceland and Norway for returning German merchant ships, in particular, for
 the fast Atlantic liner Bremen.
 -- 1 September 0445 hours.  Start of German attack on Poland.
 -- 3 September.  Great Britain and France declare war on Germany.
 -- 3 September.  South Atlantic.  British cruiser Ajax stops the German
 freighters Olinda (4576 tons) and Carl Fritzen (6594 tons) between Rio
 Grande do Sul and the estuary of the River Plate.  They avoid capture by
 scuttling themselves.
 -- 3 to 6 September.  Home Fleet cruises west of the Hebrides and searches
 for the Bremen (51731 tons), the flagship of the German Merchant Navy, on
 her way back from New York.  But she has already arrived at North Base near
 Murmansk.
 -- 3 to 28 September.  British northern patrols stop 108 merchant ships, of
 which 28 ordered to Kirkwall for inspection.  [No info if any German ships.]
 -- 28 September.  French submarine Poncelet captures the steamer Chemnitz
 (5522 tons).  [Seems to mean near the Azores.]
 -- 22 Sept. to 3 November.  French submarines keep watch on German merchant
 ships in north Spanish ports.
 -- 9 October.  British cruiser Belfast of the Northern Patrol captures the
 German passenger steamer Cap Norte (13615 tons).
 -- 12 to 26 October.  Light and auxiliary cruisers of the Northern Patrol
 stop the German merchant ships Bianca (1375 tons), Biskaya (6386 tons),
 Gloria (5986 tons), Gonzenheim (4574 tons), Poseidon (5864 tons) and
 Rheingold (5055 tons).  The latter three ships avoid capture by scuttling
 themselves.
 -- 16 October.  The German freighter Halle (5889 tons) is encountered by the
 French cruiser Duguay-Trouin west of Dakar and scuttles herself.
 -- 23 October.  The German tanker Emmy Friedrich (4372 tons) coming from
 Tampico, Mexico, is reported in the Yucatan Channel by British cruisers.
 She scuttles herself on being stopped.
 -- 5 December.  British cruiser Depatch captures the German freighter
 Dusseldorf (4930 tons) in Chilean waters off Punta Caldera.
 -- 9 December 1939 to 5 January 1940.  The German tanker Nordmeer sails from
 Curacao and reaches Vigo, Spain, in spite of being pursued by the French
 submarine Ouessant.
 -- 19 December.  The passenger ship Columbus (32581 tons) and freighter
 Arauca (4354 tons),left Vera Cruz 14 December in an attempt to get home.
 The Columbus was constantly shadowed by U.S. warships of the Neutrality
 Patrol, who gave her position in plain language through Florida Channel and
 off Capte Hatteras.  This led two British destroyers to intercept the ship
 which was forced to scuttle.  U.S. naval aircraft report the Arauca off
 Miami, the British cruiser Orion arrives, but the Arauca avoids capture and
 puts into Port Everglades.
 -- 7 January to 6 February 1940.  The German freighter Consul Horn (8384
 tons) gets through the Anglo-French watch at Aruba unnoticed, escapes from
the French submarine Agosta, and deceives U.S. naval reconnaissance aircraft
 and the British cruiser Enterprise as she is disguised as a Soviet
 freighter.  She reaches Norwegian waters.
 -- February to 3 March 1940.  Home Fleet operates against six German
 merchant ships which have broken out of Vigo.  On 11 February the French
 sloop Elan captures the Rostock (2542 tons) and on 12 February the British
 destroyer Hasty seizes the Morea (4709 tons).  The Wahehe (4709 tons) is
 captured on Feb. 21 by a British cruiser and destroyer.  The Orizaba (4354
 tons), after successfully breaking the blockade, is lost of Skjervoy,
 northern Norway, where she goes aground.  The Wangoni evades the British
 submarine Triton off Kristiansand on 28 Feb. and reaches Kiel.  The last
 ship, the Arucas (3359 tons) has to scuttle herself on 3 March when
 approached by the British cruiser York east of Iceland.
 -- 11 to 13 February 1940.  The German freighter Wakama (3771 tons), coming
 from Rio de Janeiro, is stopped by the British cruiser Dorsetshire in the
 area of Cabo Frio and scuttles herself.
 -- 1 to 2 March 1940.  The German freighers Troja (2390 tons) and Heidelberg
 (6530 tons) try to reach home from Aruba.  The Troja is encountered on 1
 March by the cruiser Despatch dear Aruba and the Heidelberg on 2 March by
 the British cruiser Dunedin off the Windward Passage.  Both freighters
 scuttle themselves.
 -- 5 March to 8 April 1940.  On 5-6 March the German freighters Hannover,
Mimmi Horn and Seattle leave Curacao.  The Hannover is encountered in the
Mona Passage on the night of 7-8 March by the Canadia destroyer Assinboine.
She is prevented from scuttling herself inside Dominican waters by a
boarding party from the British cruiser Dunedin.  During the hunt for the
Hannover, in which the French cruiser Jeanne d'Arc also takes part, the two
other ships are able to break out into the Caribbean.  But the Mimmi Horn
has to scuttle herself in the Denmark Strait on 28 March when approached by
the British armed merchant cruiser Transylvania.  The Seattle becomes
incolved in the beginnings of the Norwegian operation off Kristiansand on 8-
9 April and is lost.
 -- 23 March 1940.  Formation of the British Malaya Froce to keep watch on
German merchant ships in Dutch East Indies harbors.  There are 5 German
ships at Sabang, 5 at Padang, 3 at Batavia, 3 at Surabaya, 1 at Tjilatjap.

THERE MAY BE MORE BUT I STOPPED HERE.  AVOBE DOES NOT INCLUDE ACTIONS OF
BLOCKADE RUNNERS THAT APPEARED TO SAIL FROM GERMANY AFTER START OF WAR.

Source: J. Rohwer and G. Hummelchen, =Chronology of the War At Sea=, V. 1
 (New York, 1972)

Edward Miller     Stamford, Conn.   [email-masked]

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End of WWII-L Digest - 7 Jan 1995 to 8 Jan 1995
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