Dunish tug Volmer, crew rescued by german U-boot

[offshore]

30.05.1943 danish tug Volmer ex Hans,115 Brt, build 1916 by Gebr.G&H Bodewes Martenshoek, owned by Det Danske Petroleum A/S , on the voyage Danzing- Thisted sank in a heavy sea, off Rixhofft Lighthause. Part of the crew were rescued by german U-boot.
It's a quite interesting story.  Does anybody know more about that , what U-boot was that. Any previous history of the tug, picture of the tug etc. ?

[ARANTALES]

Gruß Offshore,

A quick search on the date 30/05/43 in HMA's own https://historisches-marinearchiv.de/projekte/duikboot/eingabe.php?neu=1&active_duik=search that both U284 and U972 were involved.

The information in DUIKBOOT stems from captured and decyphered radio messages.

Those radio messages do not provide the name of the danish vessel, but thanks to your information we can now add that name to the relevant records in DUIKBOOT. Thanks!

P.S. We tried to join the 3 radio messages but didn't succeed. Problems with the internet gave me a repeated time-out.

Met vriendelijke groeten,
Frans & Walter

[ARANTALES]

Abbreviated transcription of the 3 radio messages found in TNA record DEFE3/279:

ZTPG 135495, 30/05/43, TOO 0850, from U284 to Control
"AT HELA NORTH AM RESCUING DANISH STEAMSHIP FROM DISTRESS, AND TOWING HER TO HELA."

ZTPG 135496, 30/05/43, TOO 0902, from Control to U284
"HAND STEAMSHIP OVER TO TUG 'LAUENBURG'."

ZTPG 135497, 30/05/43, TOO 0926, from U972 to Control:
"HAVE PICKED UP 3 SHIPWRECKED DANES. AM I TO PROCEED IN?"

TOO= Time Of Origin

Met vriendelijke groeten,
Frans & Walter

[offshore]

ARANTALES, I sent You p.m.

[Darius]

Hallo offshore, hallo Arantales,

ich habe noch ergänzend was bei Warsailors eingestellt:

Re: Dunish tug Volmer, crew rescued by german U-boot.
Posted by: Darius (IP Logged)
Date: November 01, 2018 09:00PM

Hello offshore,

I have here
a) from KTB des Marineoberkommando Ostsee:

30.05.1943, 18.49 Uhr:
Kübef. Ost meldet:
Schlepper "Vollmer" ist am 30.05. 00.10 Uhr infolge Seegang und Kohlendeckslast ungefähr 10 sm querab Rixhöft gekentert. Der von ihm geschleppte Tanker "Heimdal" wurde von einem U-Boot treibend angetroffen und nach Hela eingebracht. Von U-Boot 3 Mann der Schlepperbesatzung vom Floß gerettet.

b) HMA-Database "Duikboot" (https://historisches-marinearchiv.de/projekte/duikboot/eingabe.php?neu=1&active_duik=search):
30.05.1943 08u50 1 U284 284 8 SCHOLZ Günther TR TR Hilfe für Schiffbrüchige thv Hela bijstand aan deens schip, in noord verkerend

So the submarine you are looking for seems to be U 284.

Regards

Darius

Darius

[ARANTALES]

Danke Darius für die Ergänzungen aus dem KTB des Marineoberkommando Ostsee!


Frans & Walter