Black May (60 page)
Authors: Michael Gannon
Schlüssel-M (Marine-Funkschlüssel-Machine M)
.
Kriegsmarine version of the electromechanical cipher machine used by the German armed forces for telex and wireless (radio) communication.
See Enigma.
Schnellboote
(S-boats).
105-foot fast German torpedo boats, called E-boats by the Allies.
Schnorchel
.
A valved air pipe that protruded above the water’s surface and allowed a U-boat to proceed underwater on diesel power.
Schussmeldung
.
A U-boat’s required “shooting report” on each torpedo or gun action.
sea force (sea state).
Seas were recorded in a
U
-boat’s
KTB
on an ascending scale from zero to ten.
II.W.O.
Second Watch Officer on a U-boat.
Special Intelligence.
Decrypted German wireless (radio) traffic from Bletchley Park. Also called Z and, when transmitted as information to operational commanders,
Ultra.
starboard.
The right-hand side of a vessel as one faces forward.
stern.
The after (rear) part of a vessel.
Tonnageschlacht
.
Tonnage battle.
Torpex.
A high explosive mix of Cyclonite, TNT, and aluminum flakes.
trim.
The balancing of a submarine’s weight and equilibrium underwater.
TRITON.
A U-boat’s cipher key employing four Enigma rotors instead of three, introduced first in October 1941, then fleet-wide in February 1942. It was not solved by cryptanalysts at Bletchley Park (where it was called “SHARK”) until December 1942.
U-bootiuaffe
.
The German submarine (U-boat) fleet.
Uboot-Zieloptik
(UZO).
Surface target-aiming binoculars with luminous graticule. It was attached to a bridge post that automatically fed target line-of-sight bearing and range to the
Vorhaltrechner
(q.v.).
U.K.
United Kingdom.
Ultra.
The source-disguising form in which the information provided by Special Intelligence (“Z”) was conveyed to operational commanders.
USN.
United States Navy.
Unterseeboot
.
Literally, “undersea boat,” or submarine, abbreviated as
U-boat
in English.
USAAF.
United States Army Air Forces.
USCG.
United States Coast Guard.
USNR.
United States Naval Reserve.
UZO.
See Uboot-Zieloptik.
V.L.R.
Very Long Range, a term used to describe certain models and modifications of the B-24 Liberator bomber.
Vorhaltrechner
.
A Siemens-made electromechanical deflection calculator in a U-boat’s conning tower that fed attack headings into the gyrocompass steering mechanism of the torpedoes in their tubes.
Wabo
.
German nickname for
Wasserbombe
(q.v.).
Wasserbombe
.
German term for depth charge.
WATU.
Western Approaches Tactical Unit.
way.
The motion or speed of a ship or boat through the water.
WESTOMP.
Western Ocean Meeting Point, east of St. John’s, Newfoundland.
Wintergarten
.
The open, railed platform on the after part of a U-boat bridge.
WLEF.
Canadian Western Local Escort Force.
WRNS.
Women’s Royal Naval Services.
W/T.
Wireless Telegraphy (radio).
X-B-Bericht
.
Cryptographic service report from
B-Dienst
(q.v.).
Zaunkönig
(Wren).
An acoustic torpedo designed to home in on the propeller cavitation noise of a convoy escort (warship).
Zentrale
.
U-boat control room, directly below the conning tower and bridge, containing all diving controls.
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Abel-Smith, E. M. C, 334
Admiral Scheer, II
Adventure, H.M.S, 32
Agios Georgios, 116
Aircraft, anti-submarine, 6–7, 161–64, 389–93.
See also
Royal Air Force (RAF) Coastal Command.
Alexander, A. V, 250, 252
Amatol, 61, 349
Anderson, John A, 141
Anglo-American Convoy Cipher, 52
Apel, Herbert, 42–43, 288–92, 305
Aphrodite
, 386
Aquila
, S.S., 152
Archer,
H.M.S, 302, 332, 336–37, 363–64, 366, 372–75
Arendt, Bruno, 43–44, 292, 328
Argon,
U.S.S, 116,121,123,145–46, 186,198
Arran,
H.M.T, 25, 26
Asdic echo contact, 62–64, 67, 72
Athenia,
206
Atkinson, Robert, 132–33, 142–43, 150, 152, 189–93, 196
Atlantic Convoy Conference, 255–58
Atlantic Convoy Instructions, 115, 178, 191
Audacity,
H.M.S, 336
Aufferman, Hans-Jürgen, 176, 185
Aymeric,
351–52
Bahr, Rudolf, 271, 368
Baker-Creswell, A.J, 106
Baltz, Rudolf, 270, 346
Bamako,
3, 12
Bandar Shahpour,
18–20
Baron Graham,
140, 188, 200
Barrie,
231
Bate, H. A, 264
Battle for Convoy ONS.5, 56, 69, 72, 115–240
after-action reports on, 232–38
air escorts, 141–42, 144, 161–64, 201–2, 225, 228–29, 240
Allied ships attacked in, 165–75, 179–85, 187–88, 198–201
collision of boats in, 124–25
components of, 115–16, 147–54
Battle for Convoy ONS.5 (cont.)
cryptographic intelligence and, 52, 127–28, 129, 158
Escort Group B7, 118–23, 160, 232, 240
First Escort (Support) Group, 146, 203, 232, 234, 237
German communications monitoring and, 122–23
Gretton as commander of, 117–23, 128–31, 133, 136–37, 139–45, 147
Gruppe Amsel and,
155–58, 220, 224
Gruppe Fink and,
155–60, 166, 175, 185, 201–4, 220, 224–27, 229
Gruppe Specht and,
154–56, 159–61
Gruppe Star and,
128–38, 143–44, 154–56, 159–61
Iceland contingent, 123–25
McKeesport hit, 139–41
Sherwood as commander of, 145–47.158–59, 175,177.–185–86, 188–89, 198, 199, 201–4, 214, 230–31, 234–35, 239, 240
significance of, 393–96
surviving U-boats from, 331–32
Third Escort (Support) Group (EG3), 129–30, 132, 144–46, 160, 232, 234, 237, 240
U-boats attacked by, 124, 141–42, 162–64, 175–80, 191–95, 197, 205–32, 238–40
vengeance for, 354–62
Battle of Britain, 72
Battle of the Atlantic
Bay Offensive in. See Bay Offensive,
convoys and. See Convoy system;
specific convoys
.
importance of, xviii
scale of, xvii-xviii
turn in direction of, 393–94
Baughan, E. C., 91, 254
Baumann, Arend, 336
Baxter, James Phinney III, 72
Bay Offensive, 93–100, 110, 113
A.U. Committee and, 249, 250–57
Bay of Biscay described, 93–94
Blackett/Williams Plan, 248–53, 259–60
champions of, 252, 254–55
choke points and, 93–94
First Bay Offensive, 95–100
Operation Derange, 257–81, 389
Operation Enclose I, 257, 281
Operation Enclose II, 257, 258, 259
Operation Gondola, 248–50
Raushenbush Plan (Stark Plan), 241–52, 254, 255–56, 259–60, 280, 281
B-Dienst (Funkbeobachtungsdienst)
, 52–54, 66, 122
BdU (U-Boat Headquarters; Befehlshaber der Untersseboote)
, xxiv, xxvi, 7, 8, 27, 51–54, 58, 59, 86, 107–8, 122–24, 129–30, 132, 139
Beesly, Patrick, xxi, 51, 100, 128, 129
Belknap, U.S.S,
365
Bell, J. N. F, 357
Bell Laboratories, 340–42
Bellwort, H.M.S.,
14, 17
Bengkalis,
116
Berkel,
116, 124–25, 231–32
Bigalk, Gerhard, 336
Birch, A. J. W. “Tony,” 273
Bird, W, 18–19
Birdlip, H.M. Trawler,
18–19, 21–23,
Bismarck
, 190
Biter, H.M.S., 334–40, 347, 349, 363–64
Black, J. R.,19
Blackett, Patrick M. S., 71, 78, 87–92, 95–96, 110–14, 226, 243, 247, 248, 251, 254, 281, 394
Blair, Clay, 75–76
Bleichrodt, Heinrich, 79
Block Island
, U.S.S., 392
Bluebell
, H.M.S., 147
Bluestrife
, 183–84
Blum, Otto Erich, 356
Bogue
, U.S.S., 67–68, 362, 363–71, 392
Bonde
, 116, 198–201, 225
Boot, Henry, 71
Borchardt, Gustav, 278
Bornholm
, 116, 124–25, 231–32
Bosworth, 116, 125
Bowhill, Frederick, 87, 96–97
BoysSmith, L. G., 223–24
Brand,
334–35
Bredow, Horst, 284–85
Brewer, Godfrey N., 146, 220–22, 230–31, 237
Bridges, Edward, 251
Bristol City, 181–84, 193, 195, 210
British Admiralty
Anti-U-Boat Division, xx, xxi, xxii, 78
Naval Intelligence Division, 325–29
OIC Submarine Tracking Room, xxi, xxv, xxvi, 51–56, 65, 74, 86, 126, 127–28, 155, 219, 229–30, 239, 354–55
Operational Intelligence Centre (OIC), xxi, xxv, xxvi
U-Boat Assessment Committee, 93, 162, 193, 212, 219, 221, 224, 278
British Lady
, 117,123, 125, 142, 144, 145, 186, 187, 230, 231–32, 233
Broadway
, H.M.S., 334, 335, 339
Broddel, Heinrich, 163
Bromet, Geoffrey, 110, 258–60, 390
Brook, J. Kenneth, 115–17, 121–22, 124–25, 142, 144, 165–66, 185, 201–3, 230, 232, 234
Brooks, Earl E., 172–73
Brown, David K., 150
Brown, J. David, 21, 60
Büchel, Paul, 287–88, 371
Buchheim, Lothar-Günther, 36
Buctouche
, 231
Bulldog
, H.M.S., 50
Bulloch, Terence M., 98, 261, 263
Bülow, Otto von, 287
Busignies, Henri, 65–66
Byatt, Stuart, 21
California Star
, 3, 9
Camouflage, 150–51
Campion
, H.M.S., 152
Canada, xviii
Canadian Western Local Escort Force (WLEF), 231
Card
, U.S.S., 68, 392
Carlowitz, Dietrich von, 124
Carlsen, Klaus-Peter, 177, 185
Carnelly, Stuart, 21
Casablanca Conference, 78, 109
Chamberlain, Neville, 317
Chamberlain, William F. “Champ,” 368–70, 371
Champlain
, 222
Chappell, W. A., 19–20
Chavasse, E. H., 334
Cheetham, G. R., 188, 219
Cherwell, Lord, 87–88, 247, 251
Chesterman, Harold G.,
137–38, 151–53. 177–79, 212–16
Churchill, Winston S., xvii, 1,
27, 75, 77, 88, 101, 107, 109, 175, 238, 244, 247, 250, 319, 391–92, 394
City of Singapore
, 24–25
Clan McPherson (freighter), 25–26
Clark, Donald L., 369
Clausen, Hans, 335, 345
Clausen, Nicolai, 287, 376
Clematis, H.M.S., 349
Combined Services Detailed Interrogation Centre (Latimer House)
described, 282–83
transcripts of German POWs, 282–329
Communications technology
asdic echo contact, 62–64, 67, 72
Enigma machines, 49–53, 55, 56, 65, 86, 100, 127, 129, 219, 227, 229, 334. 339
G.S.R. (German Search Receiver), 99–100, 310–11, 313–14, 391
high-frequency direction-finding, 64–70, 72, 86, 103, 127, 128
hydrophone effect, 72
radar, 15, 64, 69, 70–73, 76, 95, 97, 99–100, 103, 227–28, 244–45, 249, 258–60, 288, 311–13, 387
Sonar, 62
TBS (Talk Between Ships), 72
Composite Squadron Nine (CV-9), 363–71
Convoy HG.76, 102, 336
Convoy HX.229, xx. 47, 53, 54, 56, 75
Convoy HX.229A, xix, xx
Convoy HX.231, 112, 113, 119–20, 209, 235–36
Convoy HX.234, xxvi, 113, 126
Convoy HX.235, 126, 365
Convoy HX.236, 126, 375
Convoy HX.237, 220, 333, 334–40, 345–47, 350
Convoy HX.239, 366, 369–70, 372, 374. 375
Convoy ON.178, 113, 128
Convoy ON.180, 126, 156
Convoy ON.184, 149, 366, 372
Convoy ONS.3, 113, 128
Convoy ONS.4, 126, 128, 336
Convoy ONS.5. See Battle for Convoy ONS.5
Convoy ONS.6, 331–32, 337
Convoy ONS.7, 351–52, 361
Convoy OS.47, 136, 375
Convoy SC.122, xix, xx, 47, 53, 54, 56, 75, 116
Convoy SC.127, 126, 127, 130–31, 132
Convoy SC.128, 126, 154–55, 159–60
Convoy SC.129, 220, 333–34, 337, 347–51
Convoy SC.130, 69, 353–62, 366–67, 377
Convoy TS.37, 14–27
Convoy system
Allied communications technology and, 49–56, 62–72
alternatives to, xxii-xxiii
Atlantic Convoy Instructions, 115, 178, 191 codes for, 57, 104
corvettes in, 83–84, 147–54, 305
destroyers in, 83–84, 148–49, 150, 288, 305, 311
improvements in, 56–62, 73–77, 87–100, 110–14, 226–30, 350, 353–62
independent sailing versus, xxii-xxiii, 60
losses of ships in, xix-xxi
major routes, 57
in 1942 vs. 1943, xxii
size of convoys, 59, 111–12
value of, 86–87