ubootwaffe.net

[Siri (Oklahoma)]

I had so much luck with my query on Litiopa that I'm trying again.

Here's some of my text for the Norwegian Marpesia:

"Reported being attacked by a U-boat at 08:00 GMT on Oct. 2-1942, position 08 53N 60 20W, but reached her destination unharmed. Checking with Rohwer, I find that U-201 (Rosenberg) was in position 09 03N 60 10W at 08:33 Berlin time on that date, and U-175 (Bruns) was in 08 24N 59 12W at 10:54. The day before, the latter was in position 09 27N 60 05W in the morning, while U-202 was in 09 06N 59 48W in the evening. With my limited knowledge of positions, I'm not sure whether any of these could have been likely candidates for the attack on Marpesia."

Any comments or ideas?

Siri

[Guest]

Hi Siri

Its me again. Your guess is quite good. Your searched boat is U-201 Rosenberg. He reported an unsuccessful attack against an single going fright ship at 09.56 h. He shot one torpedo. This torpdo missed the targed. The grid position is given with EO 14, what is exactly the position of the MARPESIA. There was indeed a second boat at the same time in EO 14, Bruns U-175. I have its KTB. He sighted the panamanian frighter ANEROID at that time (10.30h) and started to shadow her with the result of sinking the ship at 11.15h in EO1811. I am sure that Rosenberg would have tried to attack the MARPESIA again, but his boat was attacked at 10.58 h by a US PBY-5A of VP73 with two bombs and damaged slightly, but with the result of loosing MARPESIAS track. In the morning he sank the ALCOA TRANSPORT in the same square (EO 14) at 08.33 h.

Hope this is a little help for you again.

Best regards
Roland Berr

[Siri]

Fantastic! Thanks again Roland for your quick response, I shall get my text fixed. Wish I knew more about grids and positions etc., but they are like Greek to me Besides, I have plenty other things to occupy my poor brain cells.

I'll probably be back with more!

Siri

[Siri]

I'm a little confused now - would GMT and Berlin time not be the same time in this case?

Marpesia's report was at 08:00 GMT, Alcoa Transport was sunk at 08:33 Berlin time, same date - Rosenberg's attack on the independent vessel was at 09:56 (presumably also Berlin time?). There's something here that doesn't quite fit (unless the time given for Marpesia's report in Norwegian sources is an error).

Siri

[Guest]

Hi Siri

I can understand you very well! I have the same troubles with this time thing. But to bring you on the save side: ALCOA TRANSPORTs sinking time is given with 08.33h by Rosenberg, that was 06.35 h board time of the US ship. You can check this in ROHWER. The date is october 2nd, so it was german summer time, that means one h plus. And one more h depending on the time zone, so Rosenbergs time was 08.33h.

Best regards
Roland Berr

[Siri]

Hmmm, thinking.... and thinking......

Just to confirm I've gotten it right: You're saying then that in this case, GMT + 2 hours = Rosenberg's time? (that is, attack time on Marpesia).

Siri

[Roland Berr]

Hi Siri

YES! In Marpeisas case 08.00 h GMT is about 10.00 h Rosenbergs boat time. So is seems he saw her four minutes earlier

Best regards
Roland

PS: Believe me I have the same problems as you! Maybe some time one will do a great work and create a time table with all theses different times.

[RodneyMartin]

go to www.u-434.com, page down and click on the Grid Map.

EO 14 is the second square down, far left, first row, quadrant of grid square EO.

[Siri]

Thanks for clearing this up Roland, and thanks for putting that grid on your site, Rodney, it's a bit kinder to the old eyes than Rohwer's miniscule numbers etc. I keep meaning to study those grids a bit more closely so that I can understand them better, but then there's the question of time - always the question of time.....

Siri