UNITED STATES ATLANTIC FLEET
 
AIR FORCE
  
 
FLEET AIR WING SIXTEEN
  
  File:        FAW16/A16-3  
  Serial:     007  
                                                                                                   C/o FLEET POST OFFICE  
                                                                                                   NEW YORK, N.Y.  
                                                                                                   October 6, 1943  
     
 
From: Commander Fleet Air Wing SIXTEEN..
To: The Commander-in-Chief, U.S. FLEET.
Via: (1) Commander Fourth Fleet.
  (2) Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Atlantic Fleet.
   
Subject:  U-604, Attacks Upon and Sinking of.
   
Reference: (a) Aircraft Action, report of, 1410P, 30 July 1943
        Latitude 11-46 South Longitude 34-33 West (ASW6 No. 1 of VB129).
  (b) Aircraft Action, report of, 0726P, 3 August 1943
        Latitude 09-33 South Longitude 30-37 West (ASW6 No. 7 of VB107).
  (c) Aircraft Action, report of, 1745P, 3 August 1943
        Latitude 09-25 South Longitude 30-00 West (ASW6 No. 8 of VB107).
  (d) Preliminary Report of Interrogation of Survivors from U-604, dated 15 September 1943.
 
     
          1.        In view of facts disclosed in reference (d), this report is submitted as a supplement to references (a), (b) and (c). The facts herein set forth are based upon various reports received by Commander Fleet Air Wing SIXTEEN in addition to the preliminary report of interrogation of survivors of the U-604 (reference (d)). All times are local Peter.  
     
          2.        On July 30 at 1410, plane number 9 of VB129 (Venturas) piloted by Lt. Comdr. Davies, attacked a surfaced U/B at 11-46 South 34-33 West. (For full details of this attack see reference (a)). At the time, the sub was believed to have been sunk or severly damaged. Interrogation of members of the sub's crew discloses that two men were killed by machine gun fire, the commanding officer was wounded in the arm, and the tanks were seriously damaged. Indeed, according to the survivors, the sub was in shuch desperate condition that it reported to headquarters it could not make its home port, and asked for help.  
     
          3.        At 0725 August 3, plane number 1 of VB107 (Liberators), piloted by Lt. Cmdr. Prueher, Commanding Officer, attacked a sub (16 seconds down) at 09-33 South 30-37 West. (See reference (b) for full details of this attack). It was believed at the time that it had been slightly damaged. This was, in all probability, the same sub (U-604) which had been attacked by 129-9  
     
 
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UNITED STATES ATLANTIC FLEET
 
AIR FORCE
  
 
FLEET AIR WING SIXTEEN
  
  File:        FAW16/A16-3  
  Serial:     007  
                                                                                                   C/o FLEET POST OFFICE  
                                                                                                   NEW YORK, N.Y.  
                                                                                                   October 6, 1943  
     
 
From: Commander Fleet Air Wing SIXTEEN..
To: The Commander-in-Chief, U.S. FLEET.
 
Subject:  U-604, Attacks Upon and Sinking of.
 
     
  on the 30th. The survivors reported an attack at noon on the third. It is understood U/B's use Berlin time (-1), which would make the reported time of attack coincide within 1/2 hour. During this attack, a second sub was seen 10 or 12 miles to the southeast; it promptly submerged.  
     
          4.        At 1740 the same afternoon, the same plane attacked what was described as an unusually large sub on the surface at 09-25 South 30-30 West. (See reference (c)). The U/B shot back, the origin of its tracers furnishing a point of aim in the darkness. The sub was noticeably down by the stern and was believed to have been damaged. It seems established that this was not the same sub attacked in the morning, for the following reasons:  
     
 
(a)   It was described as being unusually large, giving a fat appearance. A large forward deck gun was seen about two-thirds the way from stem to conning tower. U-604, on the other hand, was of 500 tons, with no forward deck gun.
(b)   Survivors of the U-604 did not report an attack the evening of August 3, although they did describe all other attacks. Certainly they would have known it if they had been attacked on the surface and had shot back throughout the engagement.
 
     
          5.        During the night, USS MOFFETT dropped 19 depth charges on sound contacts in the neighborhood of 09-28 South 29-49 West. The MOFFETT'S report states "echos were unquestionably those of a U/B, and its movements indicate that it was fast and highly maneuverable". The U-604 must have been the object of these attacks; its survivors reported hearing hydrophone noises and counting 17 depth charges.  
     
 
        6.        At 0326 of the 4th in 09-18 South, 29-42 West, the MOFFETT attacked a surfaced sub with gunfire; the destroyer reported 5 direct hits, afterwhich the target disappeared. The U-604 reports being fired upon when she surfaced; she released radar balloons and apparently submerged without being hit. The reported hits were no doubt made on or near the radar balloons. The sub surfaced safely the following morning.
  
 
 
 
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UNITED STATES ATLANTIC FLEET
 
AIR FORCE
  
 
FLEET AIR WING SIXTEEN
  
  File:        FAW16/A16-3  
  Serial:     007  
                                                                                                   C/o FLEET POST OFFICE  
                                                                                                   NEW YORK, N.Y.  
     
 
From: Commander Fleet Air Wing SIXTEEN..
To: The Commander-in-Chief, U.S. FLEET.
 
Subject:  U-604, Attacks Upon and Sinking of.
 
     
          7.        Other developments in the story are:  
     
 
(1)   August 5, at 1947, D/F fix within 150 miles of 08-00 South 29-45 West.
(2)   August 5, at 2036, D/F fix within 150 miles of 09-00 South 28-00 West.
(3)   August 6, at 0314, SS FORT HALKETT sunk at 09-30 South 26-50 West.
(4)   August 6, at 0400, transient plane sighted sub at 09-08 South 26-15 West.
(5)   August 6, at 1239, MOFFETT visually sighted sub at 08-54 South 26-08 West, which submerged before radar contact could be made; at 1251 3 depth charges were dropped and 5 more at 1258.
(6)   August 6, at 2025, D/F fix within 150 miles of 03-30 South 25-30 West.
(7)   August 10, at 1024, transient plane sighted sub at 06-55 South 22-37 West.
 
     
          8.        On August 11, U-604 met U-185 and U-EMMERMANN to which she transferred provisions and oil. Shortly before the transfer was completed, a single Liberator attacked. Emmermann submerged, but U-604 and U-185 stayed on the surface and shot the plane down. U-604 was scuttled and its crew taken aboard U-185, which started homeward. A few days later, U-185 met U-EMMERMANN to which 23 members of the crew of U-185 were transferred. On August 24, U-185 was sunk by aircraft from the USS CORE. (All above information appears in reference (d)).  
     
          9.        At approximately 0900 August 11, Lt. Comdr. Prueher, Commanding Officer of VB107, left Natal on an endurance flight. His flight plan contemplated a course of due east for 800 miles, then northwest about 200 miles, thence to Natal. He intended to cover the area in which a U/B had been tracked by D/Fs. Thorough sweeps over a period of many days brought no trace of plane or crew. It may now be assumed that this is the plane shot down by U-604 and U-185. At 1820 the same day there was agood D/F fix placing a sub within 100  
     
 
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UNITED STATES ATLANTIC FLEET
 
AIR FORCE
  
 
FLEET AIR WING SIXTEEN
  
  File:        FAW16/A16-3  
  Serial:     007  
                                                                                                   C/o FLEET POST OFFICE  
                                                                                                   NEW YORK, N.Y.  
     
 
From: Commander Fleet Air Wing SIXTEEN..
To: The Commander-in-Chief, U.S. FLEET.
 
Subject:  U-604, Attacks Upon and Sinking of.
 
     
  miles of 04 South 23 West (about 750 miles from Natal). Later that evening porr D/F fixes were reported at 05 South 23 West and at 07 South 32 West. And at 1030 on August 12, another Liberator of VB107 sighted a swirl at 01-45 South 22-08 West.  
     
          10.        It was with great interest and mixed feelings of pride and sorrow that this command finally learned through teh interrogations of survivors from U-604 of the fate of 107-B-1. 107-B-1 with the same pilot and crew had made attacks on U-604 and on an unidentified sub on August 3rd, having returned to the base for a new bomb load after the first attack and taking off again after an hour's rest. It was due to Lt. Comdr. Prueher's persistance that the rendevous invoing U-604, U-185, and U-EMMERMANN on August 11th was interrupted at least 750 miles from land and possibly further away. Survivors report that the plane made an attack and was shot down, and immediately thereafter U-604 scuttled. It may be assumed that Lt. Comdr. Prueher and his crew lost their lives in the final destruction of U-604.  
     
  Transmission of this correspondence by registered mail within the U.S. Mail and the Naval Postal Service is authorized  
     
     
                                                                                         R. D. LYON  
     
 
Advance copies to:
  
 
  Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Fleet, Washington, D.C.
  Anti-Submarine Warfare Unit, Atlantic Fleet, 150 Causway Street, Boston, Mass.
  Commander Air Force, Atlantic Fleet, Norfolk, Va.
  Commander Aircraft Anti-Submarine Warfare Development Detachment of the Atlantic Fleet, Quonset Point, R.I.
  Comdesron Nine for annex to MOFFETT'S ASW-1 Reports.
 
     
 
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