This record was kindly provided by the generous assistance of Tony Cooper
COPY No. |
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C.B. 04051 (85) |
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"U 468" |
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Interrogation of Survivors |
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October, 1943 |
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SECRET |
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This book is the property of His Majesty's Government. | ||
It is intended for the use of the recipients only, and for communication to such Officers under them (not below the rank of Commissioned Officer) who may require to be acquainted with its contents in the course of their duties. The Officers exercising this power will be held responsible that such information is imparted with due care and caution. | ||
C.B. 04051 (85) |
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Oberleutnant zur See Clemens Schamong, Commanding Officer of "U 468" |
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Prisoners from "U 468" and other U-Boats landing in the United Kingdom |
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(C50709) Frontspiece | ||
SECRET |
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Attention is called to the penalties attaching to any infraction of the |
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Official Secrets Acts. |
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C.B. 04051 (85) |
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"U 468" |
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Interrogation of Survivors |
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October, 1943 |
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NAVAL INTELLIGENCE DIVISION, | ||
ADMIRALTY, S.W.1. | ||
N.I.D. 07015/43. | ||
The following report is compiled from information derived from prisoners of war. The statements made cannot always be verified; they should therefore not be accepted as facts unless they are definitely stated to be confirmed by information from other sources. | ||
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CONTENTS |
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(C50709) B* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1 |
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REPORT ON INTERROGATION OF SURVIVORS FROM "U 468," A 500-TON | ||
U-BOAT, SUNK ON 11th AUGUST, 1943, BY LIBERATOR "D" OF |
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200 SQUADRON. |
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I. INTRODUCTORY REMARKS |
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(i) General | ||
"U 468," a 500-ton U-Boat commanded by Oberleutnant zur See Clemens Schamong, was sunk on 11th August, 1943, in position 12° 20' N., 20° 07' W. by Liberator "D" of 200 Squadron. She was surprised on the surface by the aircraft at about 6,500 yards. It being against the captain's policy to dive with the enemy so near, he elected to fight it out on the surface. "U 468's" two single A/A guns were brought to bear so effectively that the attacking aircraft was severely hit. The Liberator nevertheless pressed home an accurate and fatal attack and then plunged into the sea about 300 yards from the U-Boat, with the loss of her entire crew. Only seven men, including the captain and two other officers, survived from the U-Boat. They were rescued two days later from the aircraft's rubber dinghy by H.M.S. "Clarkia" and eventually arrived in the United Kingdom for interrogation on 10th September. | ||
"U 468" was commissioned on 11th or 12th August, 1942 and had been operating since January, 1943. She was on her third patrol when sunk. She had only one sinking of about 10,000 tons to her credit, and her career and equipment offered no items of unusual interest. On leaving La Pallice for her last patrol in early July, 1943, she had sailed along the French and Spanish coasts instead of through the middle of the Bay of Biscay. | ||
(ii) Complement of "U 468" | ||
"U 468" carried a complement of 46 officers and men, including a Surgeon Lieutenant. The four ratings who survived were average U-Boat men in respect of training and intelligence. They had been well drilled in security by their officers, but none was a fanatical Nazi. The three officers were highly security conscious but they displayed better manners than have recently been encountered among U-Boat officers. | ||
(iii) Captain | ||
The captain of "U 468" was Oberleutnant zur See Clemens Schamong of the April, 1937, term. He was 26 years old. In 1938 he was a Fähnrich zur See at the Naval College, Mürwik, and he also trained as a Fähnrich in a destroyer. His early career included serving in "U 555" in a school flotilla, and as First Lieutenant in "U 333" under Kapitänleutnant Cremer. "U 468" was his first command. He holds the Iron Cross, 1st Class, and had also been decorated for service in the G.A.F. to which he had been lent temporarily. | ||
Schamong was a civilized type with considerable poise and charm, in marked contrast to many of the U-Boat officers recently encountered. He nevertheless had very firm ideas on the duties of a German officer in captivity, was constantly on his guard and divulged nothing concerning his boat except the story of her sinking. | ||
(iv) First Lieutenant | ||
The First Lieutenant of "U 468" was Leutnant zur See Alfons Heimannsberg, aged 22, of the 1939 naval term. He followed the example of his captain in civility and in security consciousness, but discussed matter such as the final action of his boat in a most friendly fashion. | ||
(v) Second Lieutenant | ||
The Second Lieutenant, Leutnant zur See Ulrich Wilimann, did not survive. He was only 19 years old and had been promoted Leutnant in February, 1943, having joined "U 468" as a Fähnrich in September, 1942. | ||
(vi) Engineer Officer | ||
Leutnant (Ing.) der Reserve Emil Giesbert, the Engineer Officer, was 23 years old. He was commissioned in 1942 after two and a quarter years as a cadet of the lower deck. He too behaved himself correctly, but he had no intention of discussing anything of even relative importance. | ||
(C50709) B*2 | ||
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(vii) Surgeon-Lieutenant | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Oberassistenzarzt Kleinen did not survive. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The following are the British equivalents of ranks mentioned in this report: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The suffix "(Ing.)" after a rank in place of "zur See" denotes Engineer Officer; thus Oberleutnant (Ing.) = Sub-Lieutenant (E). The suffix "der Reserve" denotes a Reserve Officer. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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II. DETAILS OF "U 468" |
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III. THIRD AND LAST PATROL OF "U 468" |
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"U 468" sailed from La Pallice for her third and last patrol on 7th July, 1943, under escort of minesweepers. She was in company with another 500-ton U-Boat, commanded by Olt. Loeser, as far as 18° W. (N.I.D. Note. Other prisoners have identified this U-Boat as "U 373.") She deviated from previous routine by following a course along the French and Spanish coasts instead of through the middle of the Bay of Biscay. These tactics enabled her to make the entire passage of the Bay without once being sighted or detected, a most unusual accomplishment in the opinion of the survivors. She proceeded to an operational area off the west coast of Africa. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The patrol was uneventful. No attacks were delivered or sustained by "U 468" before the final one. One night a brightly lit small steamer was challenged; she was allowed to proceed after several exchanges of signals proved her to be Swiss. "U 468" was scheduled to be refuelled by "U 462," but the latter was sunk before she could keep the rendezvous. (See C.B. 04051 (82). ) "U 468" was therefore returning to base along the coast of Africa when she was sunk. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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IV. SINKING OF "U 468" |
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"U 468" was sunk on the morning of 11th August, 1943, by Liberator "D" of 200 Squadron in position 12° 20' N., 20° 07' W. The Liberator was already burning fiercely as the result of A.A. fire from the U-Boat, when she dropped her charges, and she crashed into the sea immediately afterwards. The only account of the action therefore is that given by two of the surviving officers of the U-Boat, who described it in detail and were unreserved in their admiration of the courage and performance of the aircraft's crew. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
At about 0945 G.M.T. on 11th August, "U 468" was proceeding on the surface when a Liberator aircraft was sighted at a distance of about 6,000 yards. The U-Boat opened fire with her 20 mm. guns as the aircraft was manœuvring to start a run in to attack. The shooting was accurate and set the aircraft afire before she started her run in. She nevertheless ran in to attack with great determination and without deviating to avoid the U-Boat's sustained and heavy fire. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Liberator came in from the port quarter and crossed the U-Boat just abaft the bridge. As she passed overhead at a height of 50 ft. she dropped six depth-charges, two of which exploded within 6 ft. of the U-Boat's hull. The whole U-Boat was thrown violently upward. The Captain lost sight of the aircraft for a moment and then saw it hit the water with a loud explosion. There were no survivors. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Damage to the U-Boat was catastrophic and she began to settle at once with water entering at several points. The engines and motors were torn from their beds, as well as the transformers and the bilge pumps. The fuel tank above the Diesels, containing about 65 gallons of fuel, crashed down. The battery containers cracked. Nothing remained fixed on the bulkheads, and equipments and instruments were strewn all over the floor plates. The W/T room was a shambles and no distress signal could be made. The after torpedo tube fractured and a two-inch stream of water poured into the boat. Water was also entering the after battery compartment; and within a few minutes the U-Boat was filled with clouds of chlorine gas. Men immediately began to suffocate and could not get to their life belts. There was some panic and only about 20 men succeeded in reaching deck and jumping overboard. The U-Boat sank on an even keel within 10 minutes. | ||
Many of the men swimming in the water were suffering from the effects of the chlorine and were soon killed by sharks and barracuda. The Captain and the other two surviving officers kept the fish off by submerging their heads and "roaring." After about 30 minutes one rating discovered the Liberator's rubber dinghy. He inflated it with the air bottle provided and climbed into it with two others. About an hour later the Captain, the First Lieutenant and the Engineer Officer, who was supporting a rating on his back, succeeded in reaching the dinghy and also climbed into it. | ||
(N.I.D. Note. These seven survivors had supplies dropped to them by Sunderland H/204 next day, the 12th August, and were picked up by H.M.S. "Clarkia" at 0637Z/13/8 in position 12° 09' N., 19° 02' W. | ||
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V. GENERAL REMARKS ON U-BOATS |
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(i) G.S.R. | ||
"U 468's" departure on operational patrol was delayed in January, 1943, to permit her to carry out trials with a new type of G.S.R. | ||
The aerial of this new G.S.R. was mounted on the starboard side of the bridge. It consisted of one upright metal bar with two horizontal cross-bars, one at the top of the upright and one in the middle. Attached to both ends of both cross-bars were further metal bars, projecting forward at a 90 angle from the cross-bar like arms. At the ends of these arms were fixed short vertical bars. | ||
This aerial was removed from "U 468" after the trial. | ||
(ii) Torpedoes | ||
The T.3 torpedo was described by a prisoner as an electric torpedo with magnetic pistol. In December, 1942, "U 468" carried out trials with a "Fang-torpedo." Little information about the torpedo was available, but prisoners said that it was fired only from the stern tube and that it circled. | ||
(N.I.D. Note. The use of the word "Fang-torpedo" suggests a torpedo so equipped that will "catch" its target.) | ||
(iii) New Giant Transmitter | ||
The new giant transmitter in the Harz is located on top of the Brocken, according to a prisoner who lives nearby. It has extensible aerials. (See C.B. 04051 (74), Section VIII, and C.B. 04051 (84), Section V.) | ||
(N.I.D. Note. Extensible aerials for a transmitter of this size are unlikely.) | ||
(iv) U-Boat Losses and Morale | ||
One prisoner stated that in three months 25 U-Boats based on La Pallice were sunk, and that from 29th May to 6th July, 1943 only one U-Boat returned to this base. | ||
(N.I.D. Note. The latter statement should be treated with reserve.) | ||
"U 468" learned by W/T signal during her last patrol that three U-Boats left La Pallice one day and three more two days after her own sailing on 7th July, 1943, and that from each group one U-Boat was sunk on the way out. | ||
Consequently the morale of the 3rd Flotilla is extremely bad, according to the prisoners, and everyone now feels that he is sailing to his death on leaving port. The U-Boat arm is frequently referred to as the "suicide squadron" (Totenkommando") or as a "dog's death" (Hundsmord"). | ||
(v) U-Boats with Double Pressure Hulls | ||
A prisoner had heard at La Pallice that Germany was now building U-Boats with double pressure hulls which were designed to withstand depths of over 300 metres (984 ft.). (See C.B. 04051 (71), Section V, iii (b).) | ||
(vi) U-Boat Series | ||
"U 465" to "U 469" were stated to be a series of 500-ton U-Boats. "U 470" begins a new series of supply U-Boats. | ||
(N.I.D. Note. It is believed that "U 465" to "U 469" are 500-ton U-Boats. There is no corroboration that "U 470" is a supply and she is thought to be a 500-ton boat.) | ||
5 |
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VI. BASES |
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La Pallice | ||
(a) New Lock. The new concrete sheltered lock was scheduled to be completed about the middle of July. | ||
(b) New Shelters. The new pens being added to the shelters are complete. They consist of one dry pen, one wet pen, and one to hold a 1,200-ton U-Boat. Another new shelter is being built adjacent to these pens. | ||
(c) Bomb Damage. The electric workshop, the "Gerätelagerverwaltung," (spares Administration) and the "Verbrauchstoffslagerverwaltung" (Ready-use Stores) at the easternmost entrance to the shelters have been destroyed by bombing. A large crane was capsized and a Sperrbrecher which had just undocked after repairing previous damage had its whole forecastle blown away again. The lock escaped serious damage. | ||
"U 468" was just returning from patrol when the 29th May, 1943, raid was in progress. She ran into the shelter at full speed, and the crew lost no time in leaving her. The whole shelter was shaken by a direct hit. | ||
(d) Torpedo Store at Chatelaillon. A large concrete shelter has been built in a pine wood just inshore south of Chatelaillon as a supply store for torpedoes and warheads, which are delivered from there to all U-Boat bases. Spare parts for U-Boats are now also stored there instead of in the Store Sheds in La Pallice. Dockyard workers from La Pallice live in hutments outside the wood. | ||
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V. MISCELLANEOUS REMARKS |
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Strike in Cologne. A prisoner reported that in June or July, 1943, a serious strike broke out in Cologne. The factories were taken over by the Wehrmacht, who forced the workers to return to their benches. | ||
6 |
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APPENDIX "A." BUILDING AND WORKING UP |
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(i) Standing-by Period during Building | ||
Technical personnel were drafted to stand by "U 468" during her building at the Deutsche Werke, Kiel as early as May, 1942. This period lasted until August. | ||
(ii) Commissioning | ||
"U 468" was commissioned on 11th or 12th August, 1942. | ||
(iii) Trials and Working Up | ||
"U 468's" trials and working up were entirely normal and without incident. She was at Danzig in October and back in Kiel by December, 1942. She was scheduled to sail on her first patrol on 17th December, but instead carried out special trials in Kiel, one with an experimental type of G.S.R., and the other with a special type of torpedo called a "Fangtorpedo." (See Section V.) These trials occupied her well into January, 1943. | ||
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APPENDIX "B." EARLY PATROLS |
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(i) First Patrol | ||
(a) Departure. "U 468" finally sailed from Kiel on her first patrol on 28th January, 1943. She made the usual call in Norway and proceeded to her operational area in the western North Atlantic. During passage of the Rosengarten her G.S.R. failed. | ||
(b) Refuelling. In early March "U 468" made rendezvous with a minelaying supply U-Boat to refuel and embark fresh fruit and a new G.S.R. set. Her old disabled G.S.R. fell overboard and sank during the transfer. Two other U-Boats were standing by, one of them commanded by an officer named Wenzel. | ||
(c) Convoy Attack. A short time later "U 468" participated in a week long convoy battle. She had no success, but herself sustained a prolonged and severe depth-charge attack. At one time she dived to a depth of 190 metres (623 ft.) and found herself too heavy and 25° down by the stern. The Captain gave great credit to his Engineer Officer for holding and steering the U-Boat in this condition without having to blow tanks. | ||
(d) Sinking of Tanker. After the above attack "U 468" shaped course for base. She sighted an empty westbound tanker of about 10,000 tons independently routed. She attacked from periscope depth with three torpedoes. All missed. "U 468" then surfaced and fired two more torpedoes, one of which hit. The tanker's crew took to the boats, but after a short while, when their ship did not sink and the enemy did not appear, they prepared to reboard. "U 468" then fired a sixth torpedo and the tanker sank. | ||
(e) Return to base. "U 468" arrived at La Pallice from her first patrol during the first days of April, 1943. She spent only a very short time in dock, perhaps as little as 13 days, and was ordered on patrol again without proper leave for the crew. | ||
(ii) Second Patrol | ||
(a) Departure. "U 468" left La Pallice on her second patrol on 19th April, 1943, in company with a 500-ton boat and with minesweeper escort. Her operational area was again in the North Atlantic. She scored no successes whatsoever. | ||
(b) Attack. An attack on a convoy was attempted about 20th May. "U 468," however, was sighted and attacked by a two-engined land-based aircraft, which dropped four bombs without effect. A second aircraft joined the attack. "U 468" dived to 80 metres (262 ft.) and escaped damage from depth-charges. She remained submerged all day; on resurfacing she found another aircraft overhead and once more crash-dived to the accompaniment of depth-charges. A destroyer then joined the hunt and attacked with many depth-charges, inflicting some damage. | ||
"U 468" released five S.B.T. charges and prisoner believed that the destroyer lost contact with the U-Boat on account of them. "U 468" continued submerged all night and finally succeeded in surfacing next morning and escaping undetected. She proceeded to base at full speed, leaving an oil trace. | ||
(c) Return to base. She arrived in La Pallice on 29th May, 1943, just as a heavy air raid was in progress. Bombs fell on either side of the lock, but neither the lock or "U 468" was damaged. | ||
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APPENDIX "C." NOMINAL ROLL OF "U 468" |
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(C50709) 500 11/43 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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