RFA Bacchus

Begonnen von jaap, 14 Juli 2017, 13:03:09

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jaap

On 16/9/1939 the British depotship RFA Bacchus was attacked by an unidentified U-boat 170 miles southwest of Fastnet. This boat launched one torpedo which was evaded by the Bacchus. The U-boat followed the vessel on the surface but was chased away by gunfire.

A British site speculates that the U-boat might have been U31 or U33. I thought it may have been U53.

Can anyone shed some light on this event?????


Regards,

Jaap




Urs Heßling

#1
hi,

Zitat von: jaap am 14 Juli 2017, 13:03:09
On 16/9/1939 the British depotship RFA Bacchus was attacked by an unidentified U-boat 170 miles southwest of Fastnet.
A British site speculates that the U-boat might have been U31 or U33. I thought it may have been U53.
If you take the term "southwest" seriously from a navigator's view, U 33 ist the most probable

Comparing the 16-9-1939 positions of the three boats with the "patrol view" mode in u-boat.net, you can see that U 53 was in a position approx. 275o (due West) from Fastnet, U 31 in approx 260o (West by South), and more distant, from Fastnet and U 33 in approx. 230o (Southwest) from Fastnet. That points to U 33 as the most probable "actor".
See
http://www.uboat.net/boats/patrols/details.php?boat=53&date=1939-09-16
http://www.uboat.net/boats/patrols/details.php?boat=31&date=1939-09-16
http://www.uboat.net/boats/patrols/details.php?boat=33&date=1939-09-16

greetings, Urs
"History will tell lies, Sir, as usual" - General "Gentleman Johnny" Burgoyne zu seiner Niederlage bei Saratoga 1777 im Amerikanischen Unabhängigkeitskrieg - nicht in Wirklichkeit, aber in George Bernard Shaw`s Bühnenstück "The Devil`s Disciple"

t-geronimo

On that day U 31 attacked a convoy, U 33 attacked and sank the steamer Arkleside and U 53 dealt with some other ships but attacked none.
All information according to the war diaries of the uboats.
Gruß, Thorsten

"There is every possibility that things are going to change completely."
(Captain Tennant, HMS Repulse, 09.12.1941)

Forum MarineArchiv / Historisches MarineArchiv

jaap

Thanks very much for your replies.

O.K., most likely U33!

Regards,

Jaap

ARANTALES

Dear all,

First some additional information:
1. 170sm SW of Fastnet translates as (roughly) 49°22,8'N 12°44,4'W, which is in grid BE3675.
2. http://www.naval-history.net/xDKWW2-3909-06SEP02.htm tells:"Royal Fleet Auxiliary BACCHUS (5150grt) was missed by a torpedo, 170 miles SW of Fastnet at 2242" which defines the time of the encounter.

We are therefor looking for a uboat that fired a torpedo at a vessel on 16/09/39 at about 2242, and was itself chased away by gunfire from said vessel.
Firing a torpedo and being fired upon are 2 actions one may suppose a CO would mention in his KTB.

The KTB's of U31, U33, U34 and U53 were re-checked and there is no indication of an action around the specified date and time.
U27 was at sea but did not return from patrol (meaning no KTB written by the boat). As far as known she was active in AM, not in BE.

From our point of view, it is not yet possible to define which Uboat - if indeed there was one ... - was the culprit of the attack on RFA BACCHUS. Therefor, there is no record in DUIKBOOT for this 'encounter'.

Met vriendelijke groeten,
Frans & Walter

Urs Heßling

hi,

Zitat von: ARANTALES am 18 Juli 2017, 12:04:37
at 2242" which defines the time of the encounter. We are therefor looking for a uboat that fired a torpedo at a vessel on 16/09/39 at about 2242, and was itself chased away by gunfire from said vessel.
At a latitude of 50 N in mid-September at 22:42, it will be quite dark ..
I wonder how the lookout spotted the torpedo and how the tanker had enough illumination to fire upon a target.
It might have been an attack by "marine life".

Zitat von: ARANTALES am 18 Juli 2017, 12:04:37
Therefor, there is no record in DUIKBOOT for this 'encounter'. 
which is the best course :TU:)

greetings, Urs
"History will tell lies, Sir, as usual" - General "Gentleman Johnny" Burgoyne zu seiner Niederlage bei Saratoga 1777 im Amerikanischen Unabhängigkeitskrieg - nicht in Wirklichkeit, aber in George Bernard Shaw`s Bühnenstück "The Devil`s Disciple"

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