U-boat Archive - U-409 - HMS Inconstant Action Report

S E C R E T

R E P O R T O F A T T A C K O N U-B O A T.

1. SHIP - "INCONSTANT" 2. SHIPS & AIRCRAFT in company: E.C.C.

3. SIGHTING OR FIRST ATTACK: 0653 hrs 12th July 1943 Zone - 2

4. POSITION: 37⁰ 12' N 4⁰ 00' E. Reliability: DR Depth of Water: 1400 fathoms

5. WIND N.N.E. Force 3 Sea 31 Weather B Visibility 15 miles.

6. Direction and Rate of Tidal Stream - - Knots Moon -

7. REASON FOR ATTACK: A/S Contact. Initial Range: 300x

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DEPTH CHARGE ATTACKS:	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th

8. TIME OF ATTACK:	0710	0722	0737	0754-1/2	0830	0947
9. Nature of Contact:
a) Inclination	-	Slight opening	Slight closing	-	Slight opening	Moving right
b) Hydrophone Effect	-	No	No	-	After attack	No
or Whistle effect					Whistle & Crashes
c) Did target appear to move?	Yes	Slowly left	No	Slow left then steady	Slowly right	Yes
10. Range at which contact was lost	100x	700x	800x	800x	800x	450x

11. Names of other ships in contact	PLYM as she passed steaming 266-25 knots	None	None	None	None	None
12. Method of obtaining time to fire	Recorder	Recorder	Recorder	Recorder	Recorder	Recorder

13. Was contact reestablished after attack	Yes	Not immediately	Not immediately	Not immediately	Not immediately	Yes at 150 yards

14. Asdic conditions	Good	Good	Good	Good	Good	Good

15. DEPTH CHARGES:
a) Type used	Mk.7 light	Mk.7 light & heavy	Mk.7 light & heavy	Mk.7 light & heavy	Mk.7 light & heavy	Mk.7 heavy with light pistols
b) No. dropped and/or fired from throwers	One	10	10	10	10	5
		4 from throwers	4 from throwers	4 from throwers	4 from throwers	(throwers) (2)
c) Depth Settings:
i) Traps	Nil	350-550	350-550	350-550	500-550	700 approx.
ii) Throwers	50 ft	350-550	350-550	350-550	500-550	700 approx.
d) Failures	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil
16. Result of attack,	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	Whistle effect and crashing noise	U-boat surfaced

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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lt-Cmdr, R.N.

Commanding Officer

SECRET

REPORT OF ATTACK ON U-BOAT (Cont'd)

18. ATTACK BY GUNFIRE.

a) Size of Gun - 4.7" b) Range on opening fire - 100x c) Type of shell & fuse HE D A

d) No. of Rounds fired - 17. e) No. of hits - 3. f) Were all shells which hit seen to burst or

penetrate? - Yes - Most effective.

19. ATTACK BY TORPEDO - Nil

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20. NARRATIVE:

0653.	Position CD. CO.266⁰ - 15 knots. See track chart. Echo report RED 80⁰ - 300 yards. A/C to Port - Hoist black pendant. Investigating.
0701.	Commenced Asdic plot. I was still in doubt as to nature of contact as we had been getting anything up to 15 contacts per day on Fish NON-SUB. Contact was in dangerous position - kept between contact and EMPRESS of RUSSIA.
0710.	Dropped single charge set to 50 feet. Contact did not disperse as it would have done if it had been fish.
0716.	Ran in for Full Pattern attack with 10 charges "C" settings. Lost contact at 800x and so altered settings to "G".
0722.	Dropped Full Pattern of 10 charges - "G" settings. Lost contact at 800x on run in.
0735.	Regained contact.
0737.	Dropped Pattern of 10 charges - "G" settings. Lost contact at 800x on run in.
0745.	Regained contact. Went in to attack with 10 charges Pattern set to "G" settings. Lost contact on run in at 800x.
0754-1/2.	Dropped 10 charge Pattern set to "G".
0756.	Gained contact. After Asdic investigation combined with reference of Plot this was assessed as non-sub. In my estimation this was a bubble target dropped by S/M on his run in to attack convoy.
0800.	A/C to N.W. - general direction of S/M by Plot.
0805.	Regained contact. The situation was now assessed as follows: - The contact was definitely established as S/M by (a) Plot, (b) Doppler, (c) Extent of target, (d) One single charge and 3 Full Patterns had been dropped and there had been no sign of echo breaking up, (e) Asdic operating conditions appeared to be good BUT contact was being lost at 800x. This could either mean (1) Asdic skip distance, (2) S/M very deep. The latter seemed the most likely as the original contact had been gained at 300x. As the S/M was assessed as very deep it was decided to try something a little different. All 10 charges in Pattern were set to 500 ft. lights and 550 heavy.
0825.	Ran in to attack, depth charge settings as previously stated. An additional "throw off" of 15⁰ was allowed for sinking time. This seemed an excessive amount and the Plot complained that we were missing the S/M.
0828.	Lost contact at 800x.
0830.	Dropped 10 charges Pattern set to 500 and 550 feet.
0831.	Whistle effect and cracking noises heard on stern bearing.
0843.	Regained contact. Endeavored to run over S/M using echo Sounder - No results.
0915.	2nd attempt at running over with echo sounder - No result.
0917.	Heard whistle effect.
0938.	Fitted 5 heavy depth charges with Mk.7 pistol. Anticipated detonating at 750 feet.
0934.	Ran in to attack - Lost contact at 800x - regained contact at 500x - lost at 450x. THis was of value as it enabled me to throw off further to the right.
0947.	Dropped Pattern of 5 charges set to 750 feet.
0950.	S/M broke surface vertically - 60 ft of bows showing bearing G 170 - 800x. S/M then slid back and disappeared. Reappeared shortly after at an angle of about 30⁰ and slowly leveled off. A/C towards - Stand by Pattern "C" of depth charges.
0951.	Opened fire with B and X guns and Oerlikons
0951-1/2.	Some of the crew seen abandoning ship.
0952.	It appeared that Submarine was manning their gun forward of conning tower. 4.7 guns approx. then scored 3 hits in quick succession. (1) On casing just abaft gun - sent debris and the guns crew into the air. (2) Base of conning tower - seen to penetrate. (3) After end of conning tower. Blew away after end of conning tower and Oerlikon. Started fire which may have been Oerlikon Ammunition.
0952.	Gave order to cease fire.
	During the brief period, the Germans lost 14 dead including the 1st Lieut who was killed in the conning tower, and 6 seriously wounded.
	I had decided not to drop a pattern as the submarine was a wreck, and it would have certainly killed all the men in the water of whom there were about 30.
0959.	S/M slowly sinking bows first making good about 2 knots through the water.
	Captain and officers remained on Bridge until they were washed overboard.
1000.	S/M sank.
1002.	Underwater explosion.
1020.	All survivors picked up. 4 Officers including C.O. and 31 ratings.

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SECRET

REPORT OF ATTACK ON U-BOAT (Cont'd)

R E M A R K S

1.	The Hedgehog was not used as the s/m was estimated to be very deep.

2.	My previous experience in the Submarine Service was of great assistance during this hunt, but I would never have believed a s/m could surface vertically unless I had seen this astonishing spectacle with my own eyes.

3.	The conduct of the German Officers and men was good under very severe circumstances, as they struck me as a well disciplined crew. The Officers in particular showed themselves brave men in the way they stood by their ship until she sank.

4.	Survivors were stripped immediately they came aboard. THis resulted in the collection of a considerable amount of written material.

5.	Examination of the Plot shows that U 409 was probably attacking EMPRESS of RUSSIA on a approx. 90 track. He probably kept bows into INCONSTANT and must have passed under her or very close. After detection he altered sharply to Port and increased speed.

6.	It is difficult to single out anyone for particular praise because it was a case of teamwork. THe A/S C.C. Lieut. Ingham R.N.V.R., the H.S.D. A/B Weatherbound and the A/S team did very well, and the depth charge crew under Mr. Burgress (Gunner) and P.O. Robbins T.G.M. appeared to produce beautifully spaced patterns with the exception of the first 10 charge pattern which was ragged. Reloading was good.
	Gunnery was a little wild to start with but settled down and made some good shooting at short range. Plotting of Midshipman List, R.N.V.R. was excellent and of real value. Recommendation for meritorious service will be forwarded under a separate heading.

Lieutenant Commander, R.N.

In Command.