U-boat Archive - U-575 - USS Haverfield Action Report

DE(FMR)393/A16-3

(JAM:fvd)

002

SECRET 14 March 1944.

From:	The Commanding Officer.
To: :	Commander in Chief, United States Fleet.
Via :	(1)	Commander, Escort Division 51.
	(2)	Commander, Task Group, 21.11.
	(3)	Commander in Chief, U.S. Atlantic Fleet.

Subject:	Antisubmarine action; narrative of.

At 1145/N, 13 March, steaming in formation as A/S screen for USS BOGUE, base course 025° true, speed 15 knts zig-zagging. Weather clear, visibility unlimited, wind from 180° true sea smooth. BOGUE had four planes in air on patrol operations.

At 1150 received word that plane had dropped sono buoy in oil slick and received indications of presence of sub. We were ordered to stand by for full power.

1151 HAVERFIELD ordered to proceed at full power to scene and conduct search. Position of plane given as bearing 336° true distant 35 miles from BOGUE. Ordered full speed (20 knots is maximum sustained speed) and came left to 336° true.

1345 Sighted plane bearing 306 true distant 15 miles, as plane closed challenge revealed it to be friendly, and it was recognized as Type B-17 belonging to RAF. Course was changed to 300° true to approach circling plane which was identified as BOGUE's.

1400 Sighted large oil slick, and detected strong odor of Diesel in area. Sono buoy from plane was slightly to North of slick. Ordered General Quarters, slowed to "standard" speed (15 knots) and started search, being directed largely by voice communication from BOGUE plane.

1409 Obtained echo ranging contact at 1700 yds bearing 280° true. Echo indicated slight down doppler bearing motion slightly to the right, classified definitely submarine. Inasmuch as contact was maintained to 300 yds, it was estimated that sub was at medium depth and it was decided to make hedgehog attacks. At 1417 fired hedgehogs by recorder rate, with no visible results. This was followed by two more hedgehog attacks, in each case contact was maintained and range opened to 1200 yds before coming to attack course.

1445 HMCS PRINCE RUPERT (X324) reached scene. As hedgehog attacks were ineffective, it was decided to use depth charges set for medium pattern.

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	HAVERFIELD to CTG21.11
	SECRET (A16-3)

	Subject: Anti-submarine action; narrative of (cont'd).
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	1447 Full pattern was fired on attack course 020° 15 knots, resulting in large black oil bubble appearing and spreading into wide slick. Comment from plane: "That shook him up." Following this attack sub apparently circled back into d.c. disturbance and contact was lost until 1506 regained contact bearing 270° true at 2400 yds. As we started in for another attack PRINCE RUPERT obtained contact and crossed our bow to make her own attack firing depth charges. She then circled, slowed and fired hedgehog pattern into d.c. disturbance with no results.

	At 1538 corvette cleared contact area and we attacked with d.c. set to deep settings on course 025° true. No apparent results. At 1551 fired full pattern of hedgehogs on course 295° true with no results. As contact had been lost 500 yds on last attack it was assumed that sub had gone deep and it was decided to make slow attack at very deep settings. At 1601 corvette again fired depth charges. 1614 approached contact on 060° true speed 7 knots, but lost contact at 500 yds and did not fire, having no satisfactory traces to fire on.

	1629 Corvette fired full pattern of depth charges and remained to left of contact to conn us into firing position. As we approached on 040° true, at 7 knots, we lost contact at 450 yds. Corvette signaled when we were on bearing, so we fired 13 chgs. set for very deep settings at 1632.

	At this time HOBSON (DD464) arrived at scene. It was decided to make coordinated "creep" attack using PRINCE RUPERT and HAVERFIELD. As satisfactory voice communication with PRINCE RUPERT could not be obtained, due to material failure in HAVERFIELD, we made one more 7 knot very deep attack on course 070° true using 13 charges with #3 impulse charges in K guns to increase spread. This drop was made a 1704. Further attempt was then made to establish voice circuit with corvette without success. At 1732 HAVERFIELD again attacked at slow speed using very deep settings being aided by PRINCE RUPERT signaling when we were over target. Course on this firing was 110° true, speed 7 knots.

	1759 HOBSON fired full pattern of charges at 15 knots. As we regained contact we lay to with sub bearing 015° distance 1300 yds and directed HOBSON by voice radio to proceed down bearing at slow speed. When it was estimated she was in position, we gave her "fire". At 1833 she dropped a full pattern set for very deep. At this point we asked corvette, who also had contact, how the pattern looked. He signaled back "excellent". At 1835 submarine broached, on approximate cse 040° true with surface ships disposed as follows:

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	HAVERFIELD to CTG21.11
	SECRET (A16-3)

	Subject: Anti-submarine action; narrative of (cont'd).
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	HOBSON bearing 030° true heading 060°, PRINCE RUPERT bearing 135° true heading 315°, HAVERFIELD bearing 195° true heading 080° at all ranges about 1500 yds. Our #2 gun opened fire immediately, the projectile striking the sub at water line under conning tower. As we turned to ram and went up to standard speed, PRINCE RUPERT opened fire with 20MM. It was necessary to abandon ramming and back two-thirds to avoid corvette's fire. As sub turned right and pointed bow at us, we went ahead standard on port engine with right full rudder and circled to right, ending up on parallel courses with all guns bearing and firing effectively. Plane from BOGUE dived on sub and dropped two depth bombs, circled and fired rockets into port side of sub. HOBSON was firing 5"/38 from forward guns. Violent explosion aft was assumed to be battery compartment. At 1843 with focsle and conning tower flaming, sub settled slowly on even keel until almost submerged,then sank stern first with bow projecting upward.

	The following is a summary of information pieced together from direct conversation with survivors and interpreters overhearing talk between prisoners.

	The sub was of the 517 ton class carrying a quadruple 20MM mount and two single 20MM all aft the conning tower. She was built in Hamburg in 1941 and carried a crew of 50 men and 4 officers. She left the French coast on or about 29 February, destination unknown to our prisoners. About 9 March at 0400, Berlin time, torpedoed a ship believed to be destroyer. On 9 March about sunset, had a carrier in periscope about to deliver attack when escort fired depth charges and forced them down. On 10 March about dusk a plane strafed them. They returned fire and believe they hit. On 13 March at 0500/N were attacked on surface by flying fortress. They submerged with oil tanks damaged. At about 1400/N they heard surface ship approach. First pattern of depth charges extinguished their lights, damaged their rudder and started slow leak aft.

	Sub remained at 140 meters (450 ft) throughout surface attacks. Of succeeding attacks, some very close, some not so good, but damage grew successively worse until just before last attack, blew all tanks and started to surface. Last patter exploded well below them as they were already half way up. On surfacing, first shell sprung conning tower hatch preventing access to gun mount. All men who could get clear abandoned immediately in a hail of gun fire.

	Recommendations:

	1. Hedgehog ineffective against deep sub due to lack of good traces for firing time.

	2. Coordinated two ship creep attack ideal method of attack for deep sub because:

	(a) Sub has no indication when to start evasion as attack ship is not pinging.

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	HAVERFIELD to CTG21.11
	SECRET (A16-3)

	Subject: Anti-submarine action; narrative of (cont'd).
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	(b) Contact is never lost by assisting ship preventing sub's escape into depth charge disturbance.

	(3) Single ship arriving on scene should await arrival of second ship before attack, simply holding contact until ready.



	JERRY A. MATHEWS.












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COMMANDER ESCORT DIVISION FIFTY-ONE

USS HAVERFIELD (DE 393), Flagship

FLEET POST OFFICE

NEW YORK, N. Y.

FILE NO.

SERIAL NO.

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FIRST ENDORSEMENT on COMMANDER ESCORT DIVISION FIFTY-ONE

Ltr., DE(FMR)393/A16-3, 18 March 1944.

Secret Serial 002, (JAM:FVD)

GED51/A16-3/A9-8 (TSL:kjc

Serail No. 001

S E C R E T

From:	Commander Escort Division Fifty-One
To:	Commander in Chief, United States Fleet.
Via:	(1)	Commander Task Group 21.11.
	(2)	Commander in Chief U.S. Atlantic Fleet.

Subject:	Anti-submarine action - Narrative of.

1. Forwarded.

2. The performance of the officers and crew of USS HAVERFIELD (DE393) was such as to maintain the high standard of the United States Navy. The sound personnel in particular should be commended for their excellence in gaining, evaluating and maintaining contact with a deep and evasive submarine in water disturbed by numerous wakes and depth charge attacks.

T. S. LANK.