ASS-Datensatz: 18117

[TW]

http://www.historisches-marinearchiv.de/projekte/ass/ausgabe.php?where_value=3677

Hallo Thomas
Ich habe nach weiteren Infos zur Beschädigung von USS LST-280 im Juni 1944 gesucht und bin dabei auf Angaben gestoßen, die eine Neubeurteilung dieses Falles nötig macht. [Zunächst eine Zusammenfassung der bisherigen Wissensstandes]:

At 08.03 hours on 15 June 1944, U-621 fired one T-5 torpedo at a single LST in a convoy of landing ships in grid BF3615 and observed how the vessel broke in two after being hit with its stern remaining afloat. However, no tank landing ships were lost in the area on the day in question but LST-280 is listed as being damaged by a torpedo on that day and the lack of detailed information probably led to the assessment that this LST was torpedoed by U-621.

Admiralty War Diary for 14 June 1944:
A northbound convoy was attacked by aircraft at 2300 today 24 miles E by N of Cap Barfleur and the U.S. LST-280 was torpedoed.

Admiralty War Diary for 15 June 1944:
No E-boat activity has been confirmed during the night but two U.S. LST were damaged this morning, one by a mine and the other probably by aircraft torpedo attack: U.S. LST-280 damaged, believed by torpedo at 0024 near 78C buoy. U.S. LST-133 damaged by mine at 0900 near 14A buoy.

I found no detailed report about the damage sustained by LST-280, but a brief anti-aircraft action report shows that the vessel engaged two aircraft at 0024 (Time zone -2) on 15 June, one of which attacked from ahead and missed with bombs and the other dropped flares to port. Shortly afterwards she was hit by a torpedo on the starboard beam, possibly fired by a E-boat or U-boat cooperating with the aircraft.

There is a detailed damage and action report for LST-133, which shows that the vessel was badly damaged by an explosion underneath her stern which blew a greater part of the fantail away and completely disabled the steering and propulsion while in convoy EPL-8 in position 50°01'30"N/00°49'W at 0816 hours (no time zone given) on 15 June. It was assumed that the explosion was caused by an acoustic mine as no U-boats were known to have reached the cross channel convoy lanes yet.

Reasons for the reassessment:

The damage to LST-280 occurred several hours before U-621 carried out its attack. The time and position reported by LST-133 match better to those reported by the U-boat and furthermore the damage sustained by LST-133 corresponds to what could be expected from a hit with an acoustic homing torpedo.

According to "Luftwaffe Aerial Torpedo Aircraft and Operations" written by Harold Thiele, the Luftwaffe flew 53 sorties with Ju 88 torpedo bombers from KG 26 and KG 77 against shipping between Barfleur and the Isle of Wight during the night of 14/15 June. It is very likely that the damage sustained by LST-280 was caused by one of these torpedo aircraft.

Beste Grüsse, Rainer Kolbicz
Crew member of <http://www.uboat.net>