EASTERN SEA FRONTIER
WAR DIARY
FEBRUARY 1942
  
     
 
CHAPTER II
  
 
 
 
THE SUBMARINE SITUATION
  
     
 
        February began as January had ended, with an alarming number of sinkings. In the first five days of the month, six vessels went down within the limits of the Frontier. During the next two weeks the mortality rate dropped, but not enough to give any grounds for confidence that the situation was under control. And in the final week of February, the enemy struck with renewed energy to send four ships to the bottom in four days.
  
     
          The entries in the Enemy Action Diary for one typical twenty-four hour period indicates the nature of the activity within the Frontier throughout February, and reveal the constant tension that existed almost every hour of every day.  
 
     
  0150: Sound contact on submarine established by naval vessel at 42-16N; 69-37W. No name given.
   
  0328: SS SIXAOLA chased by two submarines in 33-40N; 77-15W. Course 060 T. speed 14 knots. She is U.S. passenger vessel, 4693 tons, and belongs to United Fruit Company.
     
  0600: EST, Burning tanker seen by fishing boat 45 miles ESE of Five Fathom Buoy.
     
  0640: Notice received of derelict steamer in 47-14N; 50-44W. at 2145 EST. February 4. This is off Cape Race.
     
  0700: SS SIXAOLA resumed course and ended alert.
     
  1228: ALCOA PIONEER SSS 22-58N; 85-36W.
     
  1238: SS BRAZIL sent SSS from 33-47N; 68-57W. bearing 93.5 T. from Cape Lookout.
     
  1319: SS NIOBE sighted submarine and sent SSS from 36-31N; 75-45W. This position close inshore off Currituck Sound, North Carolina. NIOBE is Panamanian tanker, 7153 tons, 476' overall and belongs to Panama Transport Co. Carrying bulk oil, empty and going south.
 
     
 
 
 
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  1337: Airplane dropped depth charge -- oil on water. This message originated from SS NIOBE.
     
1510: TOURMALINE reports encountering wreck of INDIA ARROW near Winter Quarter Shoals. Her boats afloat but no survivors in them. 27-31N; 75-14W.
     
  1545: At 38-07N; 73-45W. Army bomber reports submarine contact. Later report same location, three lifeboats sighted with 29 survivors. EAGLE 56 dispatched to investigate.
     
  1745: C.G. CAMPBELL picked up 35 survivors from torpedoed M/V SILVERAY (British) in position 43-45N; 64-16W. and report originating from same.
     
  2040: Lieut. Evans, First Army from Lieut. W. B. Boyd, Chesapeake H. Q. reports Wash Woods C. G. Station, Caffey's C. G. Station, and Little Island C. G. Station at 1930 to 1938 saw flares and burst of light and heard gunfire. Position of same plotted at 36-30N; 75-20W.
     
  2242: SS HALCYON bombarded by raider (500KC message) 34-20N; 59-10W.
     
  2300: Information Center reports two suspicious ships approached from opposite directions and stopped 10 or 15 miles off Cape Fear.
     
  0435: SS LIHUE reports sinking submarine off No. 2 Buoy, Cape Henry. (LIHUE 7000-ton cargo, U.S.) Position 10 miles 77 from Cape Henry.
     
  0515: Suspicious vessel, submarine, sighted Lakewater, Florida, 26-15N; 84-46W. sent by KKKG.
     
  0747: SSS from ESSO BELGIAN followed by suspicious vessel 29-20N; 74-09W. (10568-ton tanker.)
 
 
 
          The habits of the submarine changed but little in the course of the month. Attacks continued to be made chiefly at night by U-boats operating on the surface. Gunfire, remarkable for its accuracy, was frequently employed to supplement the work of the torpedoes. Toward the end of February, a slight though discernible shift of activity to the southward took place, indicating that perhaps next month will see increased intensity of the warfare in the South Atlantic. There have been repeated reports that the submarines have  
     
 
 
 
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  been using a supply ship, sometimes said to be Portuguese, stationed off this coast. Such reports have been unconfirmed but there is no real reason to doubt that some such vessel does exist. An intercepted radio message has also led to the belief that Germany is receiving sailing dates before the ships leave this country.  
 
 
          The total sinkings for the month reached fourteen; at first glance a satisfactory reduction from the total of thirteen for the last seventeen days of January. But further analysis of the figures gives little cause for comfort. Ten of these losses, or almost two thirds, were concentrated in the first five and the last two days of February. Those at the beginning were apparently sunk by submarines that were just about to return home. The comparative calm that followed can be attributed to the fact that most of the U-boats that arrived in January, left this coast before others from Germany took their place. The greatly increased activity toward the end of the month indicates that the movement of replacements had been accomplished.  
     
          It also suggests that the situation in March may well become more critical than in either of the preceding months. How many submarines there are between four and seven -- but it is clear, as the month ends, that submarines in groups of unknown number are operating off our Eastern coast from Newfoundland to the Caribbean.  
     
 
 
 
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