Hell Below (2016–2018): Season 1, Episode 6 - Fatal Voyage - full transcript
December, 1943. Fueled by the loss of mentor and friend Dudley "Mush" Morton, Richard Hetherington O'Kane and his submarine USS Tang set out to assault Japanese shipping. In four patrols O'Kane rises to the ranks of America's top submarine commander. But in the Formosa Strait his last Mark 18 torpedo turns against him. As O'Kane's submarine meets its end, an unforgettable fight to survive begins.
Narrator: MARCH 16, 1943.
NAZI U-BOAT U-653
LIMPS BACK TO BASE
AFTER A MONTH OF COMBAT
ON THE NORTH ATLANTIC.
[SPEAKING GERMAN]
THE SUBMARINE
IS HAVING ENGINE TROUBLES.
THE BRIDGE WATCHMAN
SEES A BRIEF SPARK,
THEN A RED GLOW
AGAINST THE DARKNESS.
[SPEAKING GERMAN]
A SAILOR ON DECK
LIGHTING HIS CIGARETTE
HAS REVEALED THE PRESENCE
OF AN ALLIED SHIP.
LOOKOUTS SCAN
THE SURROUNDING SEAS
AND FIND THEMSELVES SURROUNDED
BY THE GHOSTLY SHADOWS
OF DOZENS MORE.
[SPEAKING GERMAN]
U- 653 HAS SOMEHOW
MANAGED TO SAIL
INTO THE MIDST
OF AN ALLIED CONVOY.
IT IS A LUCKY ACCIDENT
THAT SETS THE STAGE
FOR THE LARGEST CONVOY BATTLE
OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR.
IN WORLD WAR II,
A SUBSEA WEAPON ALLOWS WARRIORS
TO FIGHT FROM BENEATH THE WAVES.
WITH CUNNING, FORCE...
AND TENACITY,
THEIR ENEMIES STRIKE BACK.
REVOLUTIONARY BUT STILL
SOMETIMES PRIMITIVE,
IT'S A DESPERATE BID
TO CHANGE THE COURSE OF WAR.
THEIR STORIES ARE LEGEND.
♪
AFTER BLUNDERING INTO THE MIDDLE
OF AN ALLIED CONVOY...
KAPITÄNLEUTNANT GERHARD FEILER
ORDERS A CRASH DIVE
TO ESCAPE DETECTION.
[SPEAKING GERMAN]
SAFELY SUBMERGED,
U- 653 TRACKS THE VESSELS
THAT PASS OVERHEAD.
[SPEAKING SOFTLY]
♪
HOURS LATER, FEILER RESURFACES
JUST BEHIND THE COLUMNS
OF SHIPS...
TO SEND A CONVOY SIGHTING SIGNAL
TO U-BOAT HEADQUARTERS.
WITHIN AN HOUR,
28 U-BOATS HOME IN ON U-653
TO FORM ONE OF THE LARGEST
WOLFPACK FORCES EVER.
[SPEAKING GERMAN]
THE DESTRUCTION
INFLICTED BY NAZI U-BOATS
OVER THE NEXT THREE DAYS
WILL BRING THEM
TO THE BRINK OF VICTORY
IN THE BATTLE OF THE ATLANTIC.
♪
MARCH 15, 1943.
ALLIED CONVOY HX.229
PLOWS THROUGH STORMY SEAS
ON A NORTH-NORTHEASTERLY COURSE.
THE MERCHANT SHIPS ARE ESCORTED
BY WARSHIPS FOR PROTECTION.
MORE THAN THREE YEARS
INTO THE WAR,
MOST OF THE GOODS
AND RAW MATERIALS
REQUIRED BY THE WAR EFFORT
TRAVEL IN CONVOYS
FROM NORTH AMERICA TO BRITAIN.
Marc Milner: THE GREAT BENEFIT
OF PUTTING SHIPS IN CONVOYS
IS YOU MAKE
THE REST OF THE SEA EMPTY,
AND THEN YOU CONCENTRATE
YOUR DEFENSES
AROUND THE ONLY TARGET
THAT MATTERS,
SO THE SUBMARINERS
HAVE TO FIGHT THEIR WAY IN.
Narrator: ALL CONVOYS ARE GIVEN
NAMES FOR IDENTIFICATION.
"HX" ORIGINALLY INDICATED
A DEPARTURE FROM HALIFAX.
"229" MEANS THAT 228 CONVOYS
LEFT BEFORE IT.
♪
HX.229 GRADUALLY ADVANCES
ON ANOTHER CONVOY,
A SLOW CONVOY:
SC.122, WHICH LEFT
FROM NEW YORK.
TOGETHER THEY CONTAIN
NEARLY 100 MERCHANT SHIPS.
LIEUTENANT COMMANDER
GORDON JOHN LUTHER
LEADS THE ESCORT GROUP
PROTECTING HX.229
AS IT CROSSES
2,500 MILES OF OCEAN.
WITH JUST FIVE WARSHIPS
TO PROTECT 40 SHIPS,
THE ESCORT GROUP HAS
LIMITED CAPABILITY.
Eric Grove: HE HASN'T GOT
THE ASSETS TO GIVE THE CONVOY
ANYTHING LIKE THE DEGREE
OF PROTECTION IT NEEDS.
Narrator: IT IS
LIEUTENANT COMMANDER LUTHER'S
SECOND TRANS-ATLANTIC ESCORT.
HIS FIRST WAS WITHOUT INCIDENT;
THIS TIME HE WON'T BE SO LUCKY.
NAZI NAVAL INTELLIGENCE
IS EXPECTING HIM.
Jann Witt:
WHEN THESE TWO CONVOYS
WERE LEAVING NORTH AMERICA,
THE GERMAN B-DIENST,
GERMAN INTELLIGENCE DEPARTMENT,
WAS ABLE TO READ
THE ALLIED CONVOY SIGNALS.
AND THIS, OF COURSE,
GAVE THE OPPORTUNITY
TO SEND OUT THE U-BOATS TO FIND
AND TO FIGHT THAT CONVOY.
Narrator:
FOR GROSSADMIRAL KARL DÖNITZ,
CUTTING OFF ALLIED SHIPPING
TO BRITAIN
IS THE KEY TO WINNING THE WAR.
Milner: IT'S OFTEN SAID THAT
DÖNITZ WANTED 300 SUBMARINES
TO GO TO WAR
AGAINST GREAT BRITAIN.
AND IN JANUARY OF 1943,
HE'S GOT 300 SUBMARINES.
Grove:
THE BIG DIFFERENCE BY 1943
IS THAT THE PRODUCTION
HAS COME ON STREAM
AND NOW THERE ARE VERY LARGE
NUMBERS OF U-BOATS.
DÖNITZ CAN DEPLOY 50 OR MORE
IN SEVERAL PACKS
AGAINST INDIVIDUAL CONVOYS.
AND SO THE U-BOATS
HAVE NEVER BEEN STRONGER.
Narrator: DÖNITZ THINKS
HE NOW HAS THE U-BOAT FLEET
TO KNOCK BRITAIN OUT OF THE WAR.
BY EARLY 1943,
NEARLY 11 MILLION TONS
OF RAW MATERIALS,
SUPPLIES AND FOOD
HAS BEEN SUNK IN THE ATLANTIC.
[BOOM]
BRITAIN IS REACHING
A TIPPING POINT.
Milner: SOMETHING LIKE 22%
OF ALL THE SHIPPING THAT SAILED
FROM THE 1st OF MARCH
TO THE 21st OF MARCH
FAILS TO MAKE IT
TO THE OTHER SIDE.
IT IS ABSOLUTELY
THE LOW POINT OF THE WAR.
IT'S NEARLY CATASTROPHIC.
Narrator: HOWEVER, FOR DÖNITZ,
THE CHALLENGE REMAINS
LOCATING ALLIED SHIPS.
HIS CREWS PRACTICE
THE WOLFPACK TACTIC.
A WOLFPACK IS
A GROUP OF SUBMARINES
LINED UP ACROSS
A KNOWN CONVOY ROUTE,
SO THE SHIPS PASS IN BETWEEN
AND ARE DETECTED.
IF A CONVOY IS SIGHTED,
A LOCATING SIGNAL MESSAGE
IS SENT TO U-BOAT HEADQUARTERS.
NEARBY SUBMARINES ARE ORDERED TO
CONVERGE AND PREPARE FOR ATTACK.
Witt: THE ONLY CHANCE
TO FIGHT A CONVOY WITH U-BOATS
WOULD BE THE SIMULTANEOUS ATTACK
OF A NUMBER OF U-BOATS,
JUST TO KEEP THE ESCORTS BUSY
AND SO GIVING OTHER BOATS
THE CHANCE
TO ACTUALLY TORPEDO
THE MERCHANT VESSELS.
Narrator: DÖNITZ POSITIONS
A WOLPACK-GRUPPE RAUBGRAF-
NORTHEAST OF NEWFOUNDLAND.
Christian Jentzsch:
SO AT THIS TIME,
DÖNITZ GOT THE INFORMATION
OF A VERY LARGE CONVOY
MOVING FROM WEST TO EAST
WITH SUPPLIES
FOR THE ALLIED FORCES.
AND HE PUT HIS SUBMARINE
BATTLE GROUPS EN ROUTE
TO INTERCEPT THIS CONVOY.
Narrator:
BUT A DIFFERENT ALLIED CONVOY
GETS ATTACKED
BY RAUBGRAF FIRST...
[BOOM]
AND GIVES AWAY
THE WOLFPACK'S POSITION.
THE ALLIES IMMEDIATELY
CHANGE COURSE FOR BOTH CONVOYS:
HX.229 AND SC.122.
WITH THE HELP OF STORMY WEATHER,
THEY SQUEAK PAST THE SOUTH END
OF THE RAUBGRAF WOLFPACK.
THEY ARE SAFE... FOR NOW.
♪
BUT GERMAN INTELLIGENCE
ALSO INTERCEPTS THE ADMIRALTY'S
REROUTING SIGNAL.
♪
Witt: LIKE A CHESS PLAYER,
DÖNITZ THEN MOVED HIS BOATS
LIKE YOU MOVE YOUR CHESS FIGURES
AND TRIED TO GATHER
AS MANY U-BOATS AS POSSIBLE
FOR ATTACK ON CONVOYS.
Narrator: DÖNITZ ACTIVATES
TWO MORE WOLFPACKS-
GRUPPES STÜRMER AND DRÄNGER-
TO LOCATE AND DESTROY
THE MERCHANT SHIPS.
STILL FIVE DAYS FROM ITS
DESTINATION IN LIVERPOOL,
LIEUTENANT COMMANDER LUTHER'S
CONVOY APPROACHES
THE MOST DANGEROUS PART
OF ITS JOURNEY:
WHAT SOME CALL
THE DEVIL'S GORGE.
Grove: THE GERMANS WOULD TEND
TO CONCENTRATE THEIR WOLFPACKS
IN THIS AREA, IN MID-ATLANTIC.
AND BY EARLY 1943,
THERE ARE A LOT OF U-BOATS.
Narrator: IMPORTANT PROTECTION
TO ALLIED SHIPPING
COMES FROM AIR COVERAGE.
LONG-RANGE AIRCRAFT
EQUIPPED WITH RADAR
AND ARMED WITH DEPTH CHARGES
DRIVE U-BOATS UNDERWATER
TO DETER ATTACKS
AGAINST MERCHANT SHIPPING.
♪
BUT FAR OUT IN THE ATLANTIC
IS AN EXPANSE OF OCEAN
BEYOND THE RANGE OF AIR SUPPORT.
THE ALLIES CALL IT
THE "AIR GAP."
Grove: THERE IS A GAP
IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ATLANTIC
WHICH CANNOT BE COVERED
BY AIRCRAFT
FLYING FROM CANADA OR ICELAND
OR FLYING FROM NORTHERN IRELAND,
GIVEN THE RANGE
OF MOST OF THE AIRCRAFT.
ESSENTIALLY THEREFORE, SENSIBLY,
THE U-BOATS CONCENTRATE
ON THAT AREA WHERE
THE THREAT TO THEM IS LEAST.
Narrator:
IT TAKES TWO OR THREE DAYS
FOR SHIPS TO PASS
THROUGH THE AIR GAP.
WITHOUT AERIAL COVERAGE
AND ONLY FIVE WARSHIPS
TO PROTECT CONVOY HX.229,
LUTHER STEAMS AHEAD UNPREPARED
FOR WHAT DÖNITZ HAS IN STORE.
Milner:
SOMEWHERE ALONG THAT STRETCH
BETWEEN THE GRAND BANKS
OF NEWFOUNDLAND
AND THE APPROACHES TO IRELAND,
THEY'RE GONNA FIND YOU.
♪
Narrator: MARCH 1943
IN THE MID-ATLANTIC.
ALLIED CONVOY HX.229
PASSES JUST SOUTH
OF A U-BOAT WOLFPACK
CONSISTING OF EIGHT SUBS-
CODENAMED "GRUPPE RAUBGRAF,"
THE "ROBBER BARONS."
THE CONVOY IS HEADED
TO BRITAIN FROM CANADA.
ITS 40 MERCHANT VESSELS
ARE DEFENDED BY AN ESCORT
OF JUST FIVE WARSHIPS.
LIEUTENANT COMMANDER
GORDON JOHN LUTHER
KNOWS IT WON'T BE ENOUGH
IF A WOLFPACK FINDS THEM.
LUTHER'S JOB IS FURTHER
COMPLICATED BY HEAVY SEAS.
♪
U- BOATS FROM GRUPPE RAUBGRAF
CONTINUE TO SEARCH
FOR THE CONVOY,
BATTERED BY A WINTER STORM.
Jentzsch: YOU HAVE WIND BLOWING
WITH UP TO 60, 70
MILES PER HOUR,
SOMETIMES INTO THE FACE
OF THE CREWS.
TEMPERATURE'S A LITTLE BIT
ABOVE ZERO CENTIGRADE.
AND YOU HAVE THE WATER
SPILLING OVER THE OPEN BRIDGE.
THEY HAVE TO BE THERE
ON THE CONNING TOWER
WITH THEIR BINOCULARS
AND SPOTTING
INTO THE THREE DIRECTIONS
TO GET ANY POSSIBLE CONTACT.
Narrator: FINDING SHIPS IS NOT
EASY AT THE BEST OF TIMES.
Jentzsch: IT WAS REALLY HARD
FOR A SUBMARINE
TO SPOT AN ALLIED CONVOY;
IT'S STILL LIKE THE SEARCH
FOR A NEEDLE IN A HAYSTACK.
♪
Narrator: AFTER OPERATING WITH
GRUPPE RAUBGRAF FOR A MONTH...
[SPEAKING GERMAN]
U- 653'S STARBOARD ENGINE
IS FAILING.
LOW ON DIESEL,
KAPITÄNLEUTNANT GERHARD FEILER
MUST RENDEZVOUS
WITH A FUEL TANKER
BEFORE RETURNING TO BASE
FOR REPAIRS.
DESPITE THEIR DWINDLING CAPACITY
TO ATTACK,
THE LOOKOUTS REMAIN POSTED.
AS THEY HOBBLE AWAY...
[SPEAKING GERMAN]
THE BRIDGE WATCH MAKES
A STARTLING DISCOVERY.
Grove: VISIBILITY IS VERY POOR,
BUT UNFORTUNATELY
IN ONE OF THE SHIPS,
SOMEBODY LIGHTS A CIGARETTE,
AND THIS SHOWS THROUGH THE MIST,
AND IT TELLS THE SUBMARINE THAT,
OH, THERE'S A TARGET OVER THERE.
Narrator: U-653 HAS CRUISED
RIGHT INTO THE MIDDLE
OF AN ALLIED CONVOY.
FEILER DOES NOT HAVE
THE TORPEDOES TO ATTACK,
BUT HE COMMANDS THE MOST
POWERFUL U-BOAT IN THE ATLANTIC.
[SPEAKING GERMAN]
HE MUST KEEP THE CONVOY
WITHIN REACH,
WITHOUT BEING DISCOVERED.
[SPEAKING GERMAN]
FEILER ORDERS A CRASH DIVE...
[SHOUTING IN GERMAN]
TO PRESERVE THEIR INVISIBILITY.
NON-ESSENTIAL CREW RUSH FORWARD
TO GET THE BOW DOWN, FAST.
♪
[SPEAKING GERMAN]
♪
THEY LISTEN, DISCERNING
DIFFERENT SHIPS OF THE CONVOY
THAT PASS OVERHEAD...
[SPEAKING SOFTLY]
THEN USE THE SOUNDS
OF THE PROPELLERS TO TRACK THEM,
WITHOUT REVEALING THE SUB.
♪
HOURS LATER FEILER SURFACES
BEHIND THE COLUMNS
OF MERCHANT SHIPS
AND THEIR ESCORTS,
STILL UNDETECTED.
THE RADIO OPERATOR ISSUES
A CODED SIGHTING REPORT
TO U-BOAT HEADQUARTERS.
THREE LETTERS IN MORSE CODE.
Jentzsch: IF ONE SUBMARINE
IN THE OPERATIONAL AREA
IS IN CONTACT WITH THE ENEMY,
IT REPORTS THE POSITION
SO THEY COULD PLOT
AN INTERCEPTION COURSE
TO MAKE A COORDINATED
NIGHT ATTACK
WHEN THERE ARE ENOUGH
SUBMARINES.
Milner: THE WOLFPACK
IS PREDICATED ENTIRELY
ON THE FREE USE OF THE RADIO.
THERE'S NO OTHER WAY TO DO IT.
Narrator: KARL DÖNITZ
IS THE MASTERMIND.
Milner: HE CONTROLS THEM
ON A HIGH FREQUENCY
RADIO LINK LEAD
SO HE CAN MOVE THE PACK AROUND,
UP, DOWN, LEFT, RIGHT,
FORWARD, BACKWARDS,
BASED ON THE INTELLIGENCE.
Narrator: THE SIGHTING REPORT
THRILLS DÖNITZ.
HE NOW HAS A PRECISE TARGET.
THE REST OF GRUPPE RAUBGRAF
IS JUST 80 MILES AWAY.
DÖNITZ ORDERS THEM TO PROCEED
AT TOP SPEED TOWARDS THE CONVOY.
♪
U- 653 CONTINUES TO TRANSMIT
LOCATION UPDATES
AS IT SHADOWS THE CONVOY.
11 U-BOATS FROM THE
STÜRMER AND DRÄNGER WOLFPACKS
ALSO SET COURSE FROM THE EAST.
BY NIGHTFALL, 38 U-BOATS ADVANCE
ON THE LIGHTLY DEFENDED SHIPS.
Witt: ONE OF THE LARGEST NUMBERS
OF U-BOATS
WAS GATHERED FOR ATTACK
ON THOSE CONVOYS.
Narrator: VERY LOW ON DIESEL,
FEILER IS RELEASED TO REFUEL
AND RETURN TO PORT...
BUT NOW U-615
AND THREE OTHER U-BOATS
STALK CONVOY HX.229
AND THE THOUSANDS OF TONS
OF ALLIED SHIPPING IT PROTECTS.
THEY SEND THE SHORT CODED SIGNAL
TO UPDATE THEIR LOCATION
EVERY TWO HOURS.
THE INFORMATION IS RELAYED
TO OTHER U-BOATS
TO UPDATE THEIR BEARINGS.
THE WOLFPACK GATHERS,
BUT THEY NEED MORE U-BOATS
TO LAUNCH A FULL ATTACK.
THEY FOLLOW LUTHER'S CONVOY
INTO THE AIR GAP.
Milner: THE LARGEST NUMBER
OF SINKINGS
AND THE GREATEST AREA
OF OPERATIONS
IS THE NORTH ATLANTIC AIR GAP,
'CAUSE THAT'S THE PLACE
BY THE END OF '42 AND EARLY '43
THAT THEY CAN USE SUBMARINES
WITH IMPUNITY.
Narrator:
THE U-BOAT COMMANDERS KNOW
THEY ONLY HAVE TWO OR THREE DAYS
TO EXECUTE THEIR ASSAULT
BEFORE ALLIED AIR COVERAGE
ARRIVES TO DRIVE THEM OFF.
[SPEAKING GERMAN]
MARCH 16, 1943,
THE NORTH ATLANTIC.
U- BOATS HAVE BEEN TRAILING
CONVOY HX.229
AND RELAYING COORDINATES
BY WIRELESS
TO ALLOW NEIGHBORING WOLFPACKS
TO CLOSE IN.
[DIAL CLICKING]
BUT RADIO OPERATORS
AT U-BOAT HEADQUARTERS
AREN'T THE ONLY ONES LISTENING.
THE ALLIES ALSO
INTERCEPT THE MESSAGES
VIA STATIONS ALONG THE COASTS.
WHILE DETAILS
OF THE SIGNAL REPORTS
CANNOT BE DECODED
BY ALLIED NAVAL INTELLIGENCE,
THE TRANSMISSIONS PROVIDE
CRITICAL INFORMATION.
Grove: EVEN IF YOU CAN'T
READ THE CODES
OF WHAT THE SUBMARINES
ARE SAYING,
YOU CAN TELL IT'S A SUBMARINE
BY WHAT'S CALLING DFing,
DIRECTION FINDING.
Narrator:
THE ALLIES INTERCEPT SIGNALS
USING TWO OR MORE SHORE STATIONS
EQUIPPED WITH HIGH FREQUENCY
DIRECTION-FINDING TECHNOLOGY.
THEN, WITH BASIC TRIANGULATION,
THE ALLIES CAN DETERMINE
THE APPROXIMATE LOCATION
OF THE U-BOAT.
Grove: ANY RADIO MESSAGE
COULD BE PICKED UP,
COULD BE TRIANGULATED,
AND YOU KNEW THERE
WAS A SUBMARINE THERE.
SO THE OPERATIONAL
INTELLIGENCE CENTER
COULD KEEP A PRETTY GOOD TAB
ON WHERE GERMAN SUBMARINES WERE.
♪
Narrator: THE ADMIRALTY RELAYS
THE CALCULATIONS TO LUTHER
ABOARD HMS VOLUNTEER.
Grove:
LIEUTENANT COMMANDER LUTHER
IS IN A TERRIBLE SITUATION.
HE KNOWS FROM
HIS INTELLIGENCE REPORTS
THAT HE'S SURROUNDED
BY A HUGE NUMBER OF U-BOATS.
HE ONLY HAS THREE
OF HIS OWN SHIPS
PLUS A DESTROYER,
BUT HE KNOWS
IT'S TOTALLY INADEQUATE
FOR THE SCALE OF THE ATTACK
THAT IS COMING.
Narrator:
LUTHER'S SITUATION IS BLEAK.
GERMAN U-BOATS OFTEN WAIT TO
EXPLOIT THE COVER OF DARKNESS,
AND THE SUN HAS BEGUN TO SET.
♪
Milner: THE ATTACK USUALLY COMES
AT NIGHT OUT OF THE DARK,
WITH THE SUBMARINE
SLIGHTLY AWASH,
SO ONLY THE CONNING TOWER
REALLY SHOWING ABOVE.
AND YOU COME IN AT FULL SPEED,
AND IT'S BASICALLY
BEING ATTACKED
BY MOTOR TORPEDO BOATS
ON THE HIGH SEAS.
Narrator: EXPECTING AN ATTACK
FROM THE NORTH,
LUTHER POSITIONS HIS SHIP,
HMS VOLUNTEER,
ON THE PORT COLUMN
OF THE MERCHANT SHIPS.
HE ORDERS THE OTHER ESCORTS
TO ADOPT DEFENSIVE POSITIONS
AROUND THE CONVOY.
SEVEN NAZI U-BOATS
ALREADY DRAW NEAR.
Milner: DÖNITZ ON OCCASION
WOULD ACTUALLY HOLD OFF,
UNTIL HE'S GOT SIX, EIGHT,
IN SOME CASES, UH, 15 OR 20
ASSEMBLED AROUND THE CONVOY.
AND THEN THE ORDER
WOULD BE GIVEN
THAT AT THE RIGHT MOMENT
IN THE DARK OF NIGHT,
YOU'RE FREE TO ATTACK.
Narrator: ABOARD U-603...
[SPEAKING GERMAN]
OBERLEUTNANT ZUR SEE BERTELSMANN
PREPARES FOR A SURFACE ATTACK.
Grove: BERTELSMANN,
HE MANAGES TO GET
BETWEEN TWO
OF THE ESCORT VESSELS,
ONE OF THEM HMS BEVERLEY,
AN AMERICAN-BUILT DESTROYER
IN ROYAL NAVY SERVICE,
AND ONE OF THE CORVETTES.
AND HE SKILLFULLY MANEUVERS
BETWEEN THE ESCORTS
SO THAT HE CAN FIRE HIS TORPEDO
INTO THE CONVOY.
Narrator: WHILE BERTELSMANN
LINES UP HIS SHOT,
LIEUTENANT COMMANDER LUTHER
ORDERS THE CONVOY
TO TURN SOUTH-
HOPING TO EVADE U-BOATS DETECTED
TO THE NORTH AND WEST.
Jentzsch: YOU NEED LUCK,
BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH YOU ARE
MOVING INTO A POSITION,
WHICH IS PERFECT,
AS SOON AS THE CONVOY
ZIGZAGS AWAY FROM YOU,
YOUR POSITION IS TOTALLY WASTED
AND ANOTHER SUBMARINE,
BEFORE THAT BEING
IN A STUPID POSITION,
IS ALL OF A SUDDEN
IN A PERFECT POSITION.
Narrator: LUTHER'S DETOUR
PUTS BERTELSMANN
IN A POSITION TO ATTACK
SOONER THAN ANTICIPATED.
U- 603 AND ITS CREW HAVE BEEN
AT SEA FOR MORE THAN A MONTH.
THEY'VE ALREADY SUNK TWO SHIPS
FROM ANOTHER CONVOY.
THEY ONLY HAVE
FOUR TORPEDOES LEFT.
BUT SOME ARE ARMED WITH
NEW TECHNOLOGY CALLED F. A. T.
Grove: THE GERMANS HAD DEVELOPED
A NEW PATTERN-RUNNING TORPEDO
KNOWN AS THE F. A. T.
YOU DIDN'T ACTUALLY HAVE TO
PENETRATE THE CONVOY.
YOU ACTUALLY COULD
FIRE A TORPEDO
FROM OUTSIDE INTO THE CONVOY
AND IT WOULD RUN IN A PATTERN.
Narrator: A TORPEDO ARMED
WITH F. A. T. GUIDANCE SYSTEM
MAKES REGULAR TURNS
AND SWEEPS THROUGH,
UNTIL IT RUNS OUT OF FUEL
OR MAKES A HIT.
Grove: AND IT ALSO
GAVE THE APPEARANCE
THAT THE U-BOAT
WAS INSIDE THE CONVOY
EVEN WHEN IT WAS OUTSIDE.
Narrator: BUT IT'S RISKY.
F.A.T. TORPEDOES
DO NOT DISCRIMINATE
BETWEEN ALLIED SHIPS
AND GERMAN U-BOATS.
BOTH ARE IN DANGER.
[SPEAKING GERMAN]
BERTELSMANN'S RADIO OPERATOR
SENDS OUT A WARNING
TO OTHER U-BOATS
THAT F. A. T.- ARMED TORPEDOES
ARE ABOUT TO BE LAUNCHED.
Jentzsch: WHEN THE SUBMARINE
GETS THE INFORMATION
ABOUT ONE SUBMARINE FIRING
THE F. A. T. TORPEDO,
THEY HAVE TO LEAVE THE AREA
THAT THE TORPEDO IS MOVING
OR THEY HAVE TO GET DEEPER
SO THAT THE TORPEDO
WOULD PASS ABOVE THEM.
[SPEAKING GERMAN]
Narrator:
THEN ORDERS THE CREW TO FIRE
THE FOUR REMAINING TORPEDOES.
♪
[SPEAKING GERMAN]
[EXPLOSIONS]
Grove: OF COURSE IT WAS TENDED
TO BE CHANCE
WHAT ONE OF THESE TORPEDOES DID,
AND IT ACTUALLY MISSED
TWO SHIPS,
BUT EVENTUALLY
IT FOUND ITS MARK.
Narrator: LOADED WITH A FULL
CARGO OF WHEAT AND MANGANESE...
[SPEAKING GERMAN]
THE ELIN K SUFFERS
A CRIPPLING BLOW.
WHEN LUTHER REALIZES ONE
OF HIS SHIPS HAS BEEN STRUCK...
Luther: PORT TO CONTACT.
Narrator: HE ORDERS WHAT THE
NAVY CALLS A "HALF RASPBERRY."
ALL ESCORTS TURN OUTWARDS
TO SWEEP THEIR SECTOR-
FOLLOWING A TRIANGULAR ROUTE,
TO LOCATE THE SUBMARINE
THAT HAS FIRED THE TORPEDO.
RADAR IS USED TO DETECT U-BOATS
ON THE SURFACE.
[PING]
A TYPE OF SONAR, CALLED ASDIC,
SWEEPS FOR SUBMARINES BELOW.
BUT BERTELSMANN DIVES
WITHOUT BEING DETECTED
AND RETURNS TO BASE.
LUTHER'S ESCORTS FAIL
TO LOCATE ANY U-BOATS
AS EACH SCANS ITS SECTOR.
[PING]
BUT DURING ITS SWEEP,
HMS PENNYWORTH DISCOVERS
THE LIFEBOATS OF THE ELIN K,
THE SHIP SUNK BY BERTELSMANN.
LUTHER'S CONVOY LACKS
A DESIGNATED RESCUE SHIP.
STANDARD CONVOY PROCEDURE
THEN REQUIRES THE LAST
MERCHANT SHIP IN THE COLUMN
TO RECOVER THE SURVIVORS.
BUT THE SAILORS FROM THE ELIN K
HAVE BEEN LEFT BEHIND.
NOW ONE OF LUTHER'S
FEW PRECIOUS ESCORT SHIPS
IS OCCUPIED WITH RESCUE.
AS MIDNIGHT APPROACHES,
ONLY THREE ESCORTS
ARE POSITIONED TO DEFEND
THE SHIPS, GOODS AND CREWS
OF CONVOY HX.229.
MORE U-BOATS CONVERGE
AND ADOPT ATTACK POSITIONS.
U- 758, COMMANDED
BY HELMUT MANSECK,
HAS BEEN IN CONTACT WITH
THE CONVOY FOR OVER 12 HOURS.
[SPEAKING GERMAN]
HE MOVES IN ON THE UNPROTECTED
STARBOARD SIDE.
[SPEAKING GERMAN]
HE FIRES FOUR TORPEDOES
INTO THE CONVOY.
[BOOM]
TWO MERCHANT SHIPS ARE STRUCK.
Milner: ONCE THEY GET
THE BATTLE TO TUMBLE,
IT'S CHAOS FOR THE ALLIES.
[SPEAKING GERMAN]
Narrator: ALMOST SIMULTANEOUSLY,
ANOTHER U-BOAT FIRES.
[BOOM]
THE EFFECT IS DEVASTATING.
THE CARGO SHIP
S. S. HARRY LUCKENBACH IS HIT.
Milner: SUBMARINERS ARE
COMING IN FROM ALL DIRECTIONS,
SHIPS ARE GOING DOWN
HITHER AND YON.
IT'S JUST PURE CHAOS,
BUT MANAGED CHAOS
IN A WAY THAT WORKS
FOR THE GERMANS.
Narrator:
THEN SHORTLY AFTER MIDNIGHT,
KAPITÄNLEUTNANT
SIEGFRIED STRELOW
LAUNCHES HIS OWN ATTACK.
[SPEAKING GERMAN]
THE AMERICAN LIBERTY SHIP
WILLIAM EUSTIS,
CARRYING 7,000 TONS OF SUGAR,
IS STRUCK.
AGAIN, THE LAST MERCHANT SHIP
IN THE COLUMN
FAILS TO RETRIEVE
THE LIFEBOATS.
WITH THE OTHER ESCORTS
ALREADY PERFORMING RESCUES,
TO LUTHER'S DISMAY,
HE MUST NOW CHOOSE.
Grove: IN AN ATTACK LIKE THIS
WHERE SHIPS ARE GOING DOWN,
THE ESCORT COMMANDER
IS ALWAYS ON THE HORNS
OF A TERRIBLE DILEMMA.
DOES HE PICK UP SURVIVORS
OR DOES HE GO AFTER SUBMARINES?
AND IT'S VERY, VERY DIFFICULT,
PARTICULARLY IN THIS CASE
WHEN THERE WASN'T A DEDICATED
RESCUE SHIP ON THIS CONVOY.
SO THEREFORE HE IS FACED
WITH A TERRIBLE CHOICE.
Narrator: LUTHER DOES NOT
HESITATE FOR LONG.
HE, TOO, FALLS BACK
TO RESCUE SURVIVORS.
THE REMAINING SHIPS
OF CONVOY HX.229 CARRY ON,
COMPLETELY UNPROTECTED.
[SPEAKING GERMAN]
CREWS HOPE THAT
THE U-BOAT ATTACKS HAVE ENDED,
BUT IN FACT THE CARNAGE
HAS ONLY JUST BEGUN.
♪
IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS
OF MARCH 17, 1943,
ALLIED CONVOY HX.229 REGROUPS
AFTER A SERIES OF ASSAULTS
BY NAZI U-BOATS.
FOUR MERCHANT SHIPS
HAVE ALREADY BEEN SUNK.
WHILE THE DESTROYERS
AND CORVETTES
THAT MAKE UP THE ESCORT
SCRAMBLE TO RESCUE SURVIVORS...
THE REMAINING MERCHANT SHIPS
ARE LEFT ENTIRELY UNDEFENDED.
HOWEVER, AS THE MINUTES PASS,
NO ATTACK COMES.
HMS VOLUNTEER
IS THE FIRST ESCORT
TO RETAKE ITS POSITION
ON THE PERIMETER OF THE CONVOY.
SOON AFTERWARDS
HMS BEVERLEY AND MANSFIELD
ALSO RESUME DEFENSIVE POSITIONS.
BUT THE REPRIEVE PROVES
SHORT-LIVED.
ABOARD U-600, KAPITÄNLEUTNANT
BERNHARD ZURMUHLEN...
[SPEAKING GERMAN]
HAS FOLLOWED SILENTLY
FOR FOUR HOURS,
MONITORING THE ASSAULT.
HAVING COMPLETED HIS U-BOAT
TRAINING IN SEPTEMBER OF 1941,
ZURMUHLEN WOULD COMMISSION
AND SERVE AS THE ONLY COMMANDER
OF U-600.
[SPEAKING GERMAN]
HE MANEUVERS HIS U-BOAT
AHEAD OF THE CONVOY...
[SPEAKING GERMAN]
THEN FIRES A SALVO
OF FIVE TORPEDOES.
[SPEAKING GERMAN]
[EXPLOSIONS]
THREE SHIPS ARE STRUCK,
INCLUDING THE SOUTHERN PRINCESS,
A TANKER CARRYING
10,000 TONS OF FUEL OIL.
Grove: THE U-BOATS
CONSISTENTLY OVER TIME
NIBBLE AWAY AT THE CONVOY,
LIKE U-600,
WHICH SINKS A TANKER,
AND VERY SATISFACTORILY
FOR THE SUBMARINE,
NOT SO MUCH FOR THE CONVOY,
IT HAS A TYPICAL
TANKER EXPLOSION.
♪
Narrator:
LUTHER ORDERS TWO ESCORTS
TO CARRY OUT SWEEPS
ALONG THE STARBOARD SIDE.
HIS OWN SHIP, HMS VOLUNTEER,
PROWLS THE PORT SIDE.
♪
TWO SUBMARINES ARE DETECTED
ON THE SURFACE AND DRIVEN AWAY.
Grove: LUTHER, HE DOES
THE BEST HE CAN.
HE CHASES SUBMARINES AWAY,
BUT HE JUST HASN'T GOT
THE ASSETS
FOR THE DANGER
INTO WHICH HE'S SAILING.
[PING]
Sailor: ECHO BEARING 3-2-0.
DRAWING RIGHT.
Narrator: ALTHOUGH ESCORTS
DETECT U-BOATS WITH THEIR ASDIC,
THEY HUNT WITHOUT SUCCESS.
BUT ZURMUHLEN'S ATTACK
IS THE LAST OF THE NIGHT.
♪
WHEN DAWN COMES, THE SUN RISES
ON A DECIMATED CONVOY.
447 OF 590 SAILORS
HAVE BEEN RESCUED
THANKS TO THE QUICK RESPONSE
BY LUTHER'S MEN.
THE RAUBGRAF U-BOATS
SUCCESSFULLY SINK
EIGHT MERCHANT SHIPS
FROM HX.229.
ABOUT A HUNDRED MILES AHEAD,
SLOW CONVOY 122 HAS ALSO BEEN
ATTACKED OVERNIGHT.
ONE OF THE FIRST STÜRMER GRUPPE
U-BOATS MAKES CONTACT,
AND FOUR MORE SHIPS ARE LOST.
Grove: THE FIRST ATTACK
BY THE U-BOATS OF THE FIRST PACK
SINKS 12 ALLIED SHIPS,
QUITE A GOOD RATIO.
Narrator:
IT'S A ONE-SIDED FIGHT.
JUST TWO U-BOATS ARE DAMAGED
IN THE BATTLE.
A STREAM OF SIGNALS ARRIVES
AT U-BOAT HEADQUARTERS,
CLAIMING ALMOST 90,000 TONS OF
MERCHANT SHIPPING HAS BEEN SUNK.
EVENTUALLY DÖNITZ REALIZES
THAT HIS U-BOATS HAVE LOCATED
NOT ONE, BUT TWO ALLIED CONVOYS.
Jentzsch: IN THIS CASE, THEY HAD
A BAD OPERATIONAL PLANNING
IN SENDING THE CONVOYS
ON THE SAME ROUTE
SO THAT THEY HAD TO PASS
ALL THROUGH THE CONTESTED AREA
WITH THE GERMAN SUBMARINES.
AND IT WAS A MISTAKE
THEY REASSESSED LATER ON,
AND THEY DIDN'T DO IT
THE SECOND TIME.
Narrator: DÖNITZ SENDS A MESSAGE
TO THE U-BOATS
TO CONTINUE TO PRESS THE ATTACK.
Grove: BECAUSE OF THIS HX CONVOY
IN PARTICULAR
SUFFERING THE GREATEST LOSSES
OF ANY CONVOY OF THE WAR,
THERE ARE RUMBLINGS IN LONDON
THAT PERHAPS CONVOY
ISN'T PROTECTING MERCHANT SHIPS.
SO PERHAPS AN ALTERNATIVE
WOULD HAVE TO BE FOUND.
BUT THE TROUBLE IS
THERE ISN'T ONE.
Narrator:
DURING THE DAY THAT FOLLOWS,
THE CRISIS ONLY WORSENS
FOR THE ALLIES.
PREVIOUSLY WELL BEHIND,
HX.229 IS CATCHING UP
WITH SLOW-MOVING
ALLIED CONVOY SC.122.
NAZI U-BOATS HAVE TRAPPED
NEARLY A HUNDRED SPARSELY
DEFENDED MERCHANT SHIPS...
IN JUST OVER 100 SQUARE MILES.
MOST OF THE EARLY
RAUBGRAF BOATS,
LOW ON FUEL AND TORPEDOES,
DROP OUT OF THE BATTLE.
BUT STÜRMER AND DRÄNGER BOATS
BEGIN TO ASSERT THEIR PRESENCE.
HX.229 IS STILL WELL BEYOND
RANGE OF MOST AIRCRAFT.
IF IT HAD NOT BEEN DIVERTED
SO FAR TO THE SOUTH,
AIR SUPPORT
MIGHT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE.
BUT AS OF MARCH 17th,
THE CONVOY IS STILL
FAR OUT IN THE AIR GAP.
Grove:
BASICALLY THE ADMIRALTY SAYS
TO THE ESCORT GROUP
AND THE CONVOY COMMODORE,
BASH YOUR WAY THROUGH UNTIL
WE CAN GET AIR SUPPORT TO YOU.
Narrator:
WITH MORE U-BOATS CONVERGING,
LIEUTENANT COMMANDER LUTHER'S
ESCORTS
WILL HAVE TO FIGHT
FOR THEMSELVES.
38 U-BOATS FROM
THE STÜRMER AND DRÄNGER GRUPPES
SURROUND THE TWO CONVOYS.
RISKING THE DAYLIGHT
OF MARCH 17th,
THEY CONTINUE TO PICK OFF
MERCHANT SHIPS ONE BY ONE.
♪
[EXPLOSIONS]
Grove: THE SIZE OF THIS BATTLE
IS QUITE EXTRAORDINARY.
I MEAN, WELL OVER 100 ASSETS
INVOLVED ON BOTH SIDES-
ESCORTS, MERCHANT SHIPS,
U-BOATS.
OVER 50 U-BOATS WERE ACTUALLY
DEPLOYED BY DÖNITZ IN THIS,
OF WHICH 40 MADE CONTACT.
THIS IS ABSOLUTELY EXTRAORDINARY
SCALE OF BATTLE.
♪
Narrator: BUT AS THE DAY
GOES ON, THE WEATHER IMPROVES,
ALLOWING THE ALLIED CORVETTES
AND DESTROYERS
TO GO ON THE OFFENSE:
TO LOCATE AND ATTACK U-BOATS.
THEIR MOST EFFECTIVE WEAPONS
ARE DEPTH CHARGES-
UNDERWATER BOMBS DESIGNED
ESPECIALLY TO SINK SUBMARINES.
THEY CAN BE SET TO EXPLODE
AT DIFFERENT DEPTHS
TO CREATE A SANDWICH EFFECT
OF EXPLOSIONS
ABOVE AND BELOW THE U-BOAT.
Milner: WHAT DESTROYS THE SUB
IS THE OVERPRESSURE.
SO YOU'RE NOT BLOWING IT UP
IN THE SENSE THAT YOU
STRIKE IT WITH A SHELL
AND THE SHELL PENETRATES IT
AND DETONATES IT.
YOU JUST NEED TO SQUEEZE IT.
♪
Narrator: ON HIS FIRST PATROL,
KAPITÄNLEUTNANT KURT LANGE
COMMANDS U-530.
HE HAS JUST LOCATED HX.229
AND TRANSMITS A SIGHTING REPORT.
[SPEAKING GERMAN]
WHEN HE SUBMERGES
TO AVOID BEING SPOTTED...
[PING]
THE DESTROYER HMS BEVERLEY...
Sailor: NEW CONTACT.
Narrator: PICKS HIM UP
ON HER ASDIC AND CHARGES.
U- 530 CRASH DIVES
TO EVADE AN ATTACK.
[PING]
[PING]
[PING]
BEVERLEY'S SONAR CONTINUES
TO PING OFF THE U-BOAT.
[PING]
♪
GUIDED INTO POSITION
BY THE CONTACTS,
HMS BEVERLEY DROPS
ITS DEPTH CHARGES OVERBOARD.
[EXPLOSIONS]
Jentzsch: IT'S QUITE HARD
FOR THE COMMANDING OFFICER
TO KEEP HIS CREW CALM
AND EVERYBODY IS ONLY
SUPPOSED TO WAIT AND TO HOPE,
BECAUSE THEY CAN'T DO ANYTHING.
[WATER SPRAYING]
Narrator: OUTER STRUCTURES
ARE DAMAGED IN THE BLASTS
AND BEGIN TO FILL WITH WATER.
THE ADDED WEIGHT
DRAGS THE U-BOAT DOWN.
THE BOAT SINKS
TO NEARLY 800 FEET.
[CREAKING]
Jentzsch:
EVERYBODY IS UNDER STRESS.
YOU HAVE A LOT OF ADRENALINE
IN YOURSELF
AND YOU CAN'T GET RID OF
YOUR ADRENALINE, YOU CAN'T MOVE.
Narrator: WATER SWIRLING IN
AROUND THEIR FEET,
BOAT CREAKING UNDER PRESSURE,
KAPITÄNLEUTNANT LANGE
AND HIS CREW
HEAR THE DESTROYER
DIRECTLY OVERHEAD.
[PING]
Jentzsch: HE HAD TO REALIZE
THAT NOW HE IS IN THE POSITION
OF THE PREY,
AND HE IS DEPENDING ON LUCK
BECAUSE HE CAN'T DO ANYTHING
AGAINST THE ESCORTS.
[CREAKING]
Milner:
THE THING ABOUT SUBMARINES
IS THERE ARE NOT
A LOT A WOUNDED.
IF THE SUB GOES DOWN,
EVERYBODY GOES WITH IT.
NOBODY'S WALKING HOME.
[CREAKING]
Narrator: MARCH 17, 1943.
NAZI U-BOATS HAVE SUNK MORE
THAN A DOZEN MERCHANT SHIPS,
BUT U-530 IS BEING HUNTED
BY AN ALLIED ESCORT.
Jentzsch: IT'S PROBABLY LIKE
GOING FROM POSITIVE ADRENALINE,
LIKE YOU ARE HUNTING YOUR PREY
IN THE WOODS,
AND ALL OF A SUDDEN
A BEAR OR A WOLF
WOULD STAND IN FRONT OF YOU,
AND THEN YOU HAVE TO RUN AWAY.
Narrator:
BUT IT'S U-530'S LUCKY DAY.
HMS BEVERLEY LOSES CONTACT
WITH THE U-BOAT.
[CREAKING]
♪
[SPEAKING GERMAN]
Narrator:
WHEN THE SEAS FALL SILENT,
THE CREW JUMPS INTO ACTION.
CAREFULLY MANAGING
THEIR REMAINING BATTERY POWER,
THEY ASCEND
IN 30-FOOT INTERVALS.
Jentzsch: HE HAS TO CONSERVE
HIS BATTERY FUEL
BECAUSE HE NEEDS IT
FOR PROPULSION.
OTHERWISE THE SUBMARINE
WOULD SINK DEEPER AND DEEPER.
♪
Narrator:
AFTER THE TWO-HOUR ATTACK,
LANGE'S CRIPPLED U-BOAT
BREAKS THE SURFACE.
THEIR ORDEAL IS OVER.
[LAUGHTER]
[SPEAKING GERMAN]
THEY ARE FORTUNATE TO BE ALIVE.
ADDITIONAL ALLIED ATTACKS
THROUGHOUT THE DAY
OF MARCH 17th...
Sailor: LET'S GO,
LET'S GO, LET'S GO!
Narrator:
FORCE 12 GERMAN U-BOATS
TO LOSE CONTACT WITH THE CONVOY.
Milner: WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO
AS THE ESCORT COMMANDER...
Sailor: SAILORS, CLEAR!
Milner: IS TO BREAK CONTACT.
IT'S A BONUS
IF YOU CAN ATTACK IT.
IT'S EVEN BETTER
IF YOU CAN SINK IT.
♪
Narrator: GRADUALLY, THE SCALES
TIP IN THE ALLIES' FAVOR.
ALTHOUGH U-BOATS CONTINUE
TO PICK AWAY,
THE TWO CONVOYS APPROACH
THE EDGE OF THE AIR GAP.
[AIRCRAFT APPROACHING]
ALLIED AIRCRAFT CAN REACH
THE CONVOYS FROM EUROPE.
THE WOLFPACKS ARE NOW ALSO
BEING HUNTED FROM THE SKY.
LONG-RANGE AIR PATROLS-
LIBERATORS, SUNDERLANDS
AND FORTRESSES-
PROVIDE COVER FOR THE CONVOY,
RELIEVING PRESSURE
OFF THE EXHAUSTED ESCORTS.
Grove: LIKE THE CAVALRY
COMING OVER THE HILL,
THE ARRIVAL
OF COASTAL COMMAND AIRCRAFT
ALTERS THE SITUATION
VERY SIGNIFICANTLY.
AIRCRAFT CAN FORCE
SUBMARINES DOWN.
ONCE SUBMARINES ARE SUBMERGED,
THEIR MOBILITY
IS GREATLY REDUCED.
Narrator: A 206 SQUADRON
FLYING FORTRESS
FLIES INTO A SQUALL
ASTERN OF THE CONVOY
HOPING TO CATCH
A U-BOAT UNAWARE.
[SPEAKING GERMAN]
Narrator: U-384 DOESN'T HAVE
A CHANCE TO DIVE
BEFORE FOUR DEPTH CHARGES
ARE DROPPED.
EXPLOSIONS ARE SPOTTED
ON EITHER SIDE OF THE U-BOAT.
U- 384 SINKS TO THE OCEAN FLOOR,
TAKING WITH IT THE CREW OF 47.
THE NAZIS' LETHAL WEAPON
HAS BECOME THEIR IRON COFFIN.
[THUD]
Grove: NOW THE CONVOY
IS UNDER THE AIR UMBRELLA,
WHICH CAN BE QUITE AGGRESSIVE,
SO THE SENSIBLE THING TO DO
IS TO WITHDRAW THE U-BOATS
SO THAT THEY CAN GO
BACK INTO THE GAPS
AND FIND ANOTHER CONVOY
WITHOUT AIR COVER.
Narrator: DÖNITZ FINALLY
CALLS OFF THE ATTACK.
HX.229 AND SC.122 HAVE ENDURED
A THREE-DAY ASSAULT,
SUFFERING A RECORD AMOUNT
OF DESTRUCTION.
[SHOUTING IN GERMAN]
Narrator:
BETWEEN THE TWO CONVOYS,
22 SHIPS TOTALING
MORE THAN 146,000 TONS
HAS BEEN DESTROYED.
ON THE REMAINING VESSELS,
11 CARRIED MORE THAN 1,100
SURVIVORS BETWEEN THEM.
DURING THE U-BOAT ATTACKS
OF MARCH 1943,
DÖNITZ'S WOLFPACK STRATEGY
WORKS PERFECTLY.
THE SUCCESSFUL OPERATIONS
PROVIDE REASON
TO BELIEVE GERMANY
IS ON THE BRINK
OF WINNING THE WAR
FOR THE ATLANTIC.
Milner: FOR THE FIRST
THREE WEEKS IN MARCH OF 1943,
100% OF THE CONVOYS
CROSSING THE NORTH ATLANTIC
WERE INTERCEPTED.
OVER 50% OF THEM WERE
ACTUALLY ATTACKED BY U-BOATS.
Narrator:
BUT AT THE END OF MARCH,
CIRCUMSTANCES SHIFT AGAIN.
Milner: THE RESOURCES
ARE, ARE ON THE HORIZON,
AND SO IS BETTER WEATHER.
AND IT ALL CHANGES
ALMOST IN A HEARTBEAT
AT THE END OF MARCH.
Narrator: LONGER SPRING DAYS,
BETTER TECHNOLOGY
AND MORE AIRPLANES
ALLOW THE ALLIES
TO CLOSE THE AIR GAP.
Milner: WHEN AIR POWER
BECOMES REALLY OPPRESSIVE
IN THE SPRING OF '43,
WHEN THE NORTH ATLANTIC
AIR GAP DISAPPEARS
BECAUSE OF SMALL
AIRCRAFT CARRIERS,
FOUR-ENGINE AIRCRAFT,
ALL RADAR-EQUIPPED,
THERE'S NO PLACE LEFT
FOR DÖNITZ TO GO.
HE HAS TO QUIT AT THE END OF MAY
'CAUSE HE HAS LITERALLY
NOTHING LEFT.
THE GERMANS GO
FROM NEAR VICTORY,
WHATEVER THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN,
TO CATASTROPHIC DEFEAT
IN ABOUT EIGHT WEEKS.
Jentzsch: THE BATTLE AGAINST
CONVOYS SC.122 AND HX.229
IS A MINOR BATTLE IN THE CONTEXT
OF THE WHOLE WAR,
BUT IT MARKS THE SHIFT
OF THE BATTLE OF THE ATLANTIC.
Narrator: BUT INCREASED
AIR COVER IS NOT THE ONLY REASON
GERMAN U-BOATS
MEET TOUGHER TIMES.
Grove: THE KEY TO THE WOLFPACK
TACTICS WAS RADIO CONTROL,
CENTRALIZED RADIO CONTROL,
FROM, FROM BDU.
THE PROBLEM WAS IT GAVE AWAY
THE POSITION OF THE SUBMARINES.
AND SO IT CONTAINED THE SEEDS
OF ITS OWN DESTRUCTION.
Narrator: THE ALLIES REGAIN
THEIR INTELLIGENCE EDGE,
THE WEATHER IMPROVES
AND THE AIR GAP DISAPPEARS.
THE NAZIS HAVE
NOWHERE LEFT TO HIDE.
IN MAY, ADMIRAL DÖNITZ
ORDERS HIS U-BOATS
OUT OF THE NORTH
ATLANTIC.
THE WOLFPACKS WOULD
NEVER AGAIN COME
AS CLOSE TO CUTTING
OFF THE ALLIES
AS THEY DID DURING THE LONG,
DARK NIGHTS OF MARCH 1943.
♪
NAZI U-BOAT U-653
LIMPS BACK TO BASE
AFTER A MONTH OF COMBAT
ON THE NORTH ATLANTIC.
[SPEAKING GERMAN]
THE SUBMARINE
IS HAVING ENGINE TROUBLES.
THE BRIDGE WATCHMAN
SEES A BRIEF SPARK,
THEN A RED GLOW
AGAINST THE DARKNESS.
[SPEAKING GERMAN]
A SAILOR ON DECK
LIGHTING HIS CIGARETTE
HAS REVEALED THE PRESENCE
OF AN ALLIED SHIP.
LOOKOUTS SCAN
THE SURROUNDING SEAS
AND FIND THEMSELVES SURROUNDED
BY THE GHOSTLY SHADOWS
OF DOZENS MORE.
[SPEAKING GERMAN]
U- 653 HAS SOMEHOW
MANAGED TO SAIL
INTO THE MIDST
OF AN ALLIED CONVOY.
IT IS A LUCKY ACCIDENT
THAT SETS THE STAGE
FOR THE LARGEST CONVOY BATTLE
OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR.
IN WORLD WAR II,
A SUBSEA WEAPON ALLOWS WARRIORS
TO FIGHT FROM BENEATH THE WAVES.
WITH CUNNING, FORCE...
AND TENACITY,
THEIR ENEMIES STRIKE BACK.
REVOLUTIONARY BUT STILL
SOMETIMES PRIMITIVE,
IT'S A DESPERATE BID
TO CHANGE THE COURSE OF WAR.
THEIR STORIES ARE LEGEND.
♪
AFTER BLUNDERING INTO THE MIDDLE
OF AN ALLIED CONVOY...
KAPITÄNLEUTNANT GERHARD FEILER
ORDERS A CRASH DIVE
TO ESCAPE DETECTION.
[SPEAKING GERMAN]
SAFELY SUBMERGED,
U- 653 TRACKS THE VESSELS
THAT PASS OVERHEAD.
[SPEAKING SOFTLY]
♪
HOURS LATER, FEILER RESURFACES
JUST BEHIND THE COLUMNS
OF SHIPS...
TO SEND A CONVOY SIGHTING SIGNAL
TO U-BOAT HEADQUARTERS.
WITHIN AN HOUR,
28 U-BOATS HOME IN ON U-653
TO FORM ONE OF THE LARGEST
WOLFPACK FORCES EVER.
[SPEAKING GERMAN]
THE DESTRUCTION
INFLICTED BY NAZI U-BOATS
OVER THE NEXT THREE DAYS
WILL BRING THEM
TO THE BRINK OF VICTORY
IN THE BATTLE OF THE ATLANTIC.
♪
MARCH 15, 1943.
ALLIED CONVOY HX.229
PLOWS THROUGH STORMY SEAS
ON A NORTH-NORTHEASTERLY COURSE.
THE MERCHANT SHIPS ARE ESCORTED
BY WARSHIPS FOR PROTECTION.
MORE THAN THREE YEARS
INTO THE WAR,
MOST OF THE GOODS
AND RAW MATERIALS
REQUIRED BY THE WAR EFFORT
TRAVEL IN CONVOYS
FROM NORTH AMERICA TO BRITAIN.
Marc Milner: THE GREAT BENEFIT
OF PUTTING SHIPS IN CONVOYS
IS YOU MAKE
THE REST OF THE SEA EMPTY,
AND THEN YOU CONCENTRATE
YOUR DEFENSES
AROUND THE ONLY TARGET
THAT MATTERS,
SO THE SUBMARINERS
HAVE TO FIGHT THEIR WAY IN.
Narrator: ALL CONVOYS ARE GIVEN
NAMES FOR IDENTIFICATION.
"HX" ORIGINALLY INDICATED
A DEPARTURE FROM HALIFAX.
"229" MEANS THAT 228 CONVOYS
LEFT BEFORE IT.
♪
HX.229 GRADUALLY ADVANCES
ON ANOTHER CONVOY,
A SLOW CONVOY:
SC.122, WHICH LEFT
FROM NEW YORK.
TOGETHER THEY CONTAIN
NEARLY 100 MERCHANT SHIPS.
LIEUTENANT COMMANDER
GORDON JOHN LUTHER
LEADS THE ESCORT GROUP
PROTECTING HX.229
AS IT CROSSES
2,500 MILES OF OCEAN.
WITH JUST FIVE WARSHIPS
TO PROTECT 40 SHIPS,
THE ESCORT GROUP HAS
LIMITED CAPABILITY.
Eric Grove: HE HASN'T GOT
THE ASSETS TO GIVE THE CONVOY
ANYTHING LIKE THE DEGREE
OF PROTECTION IT NEEDS.
Narrator: IT IS
LIEUTENANT COMMANDER LUTHER'S
SECOND TRANS-ATLANTIC ESCORT.
HIS FIRST WAS WITHOUT INCIDENT;
THIS TIME HE WON'T BE SO LUCKY.
NAZI NAVAL INTELLIGENCE
IS EXPECTING HIM.
Jann Witt:
WHEN THESE TWO CONVOYS
WERE LEAVING NORTH AMERICA,
THE GERMAN B-DIENST,
GERMAN INTELLIGENCE DEPARTMENT,
WAS ABLE TO READ
THE ALLIED CONVOY SIGNALS.
AND THIS, OF COURSE,
GAVE THE OPPORTUNITY
TO SEND OUT THE U-BOATS TO FIND
AND TO FIGHT THAT CONVOY.
Narrator:
FOR GROSSADMIRAL KARL DÖNITZ,
CUTTING OFF ALLIED SHIPPING
TO BRITAIN
IS THE KEY TO WINNING THE WAR.
Milner: IT'S OFTEN SAID THAT
DÖNITZ WANTED 300 SUBMARINES
TO GO TO WAR
AGAINST GREAT BRITAIN.
AND IN JANUARY OF 1943,
HE'S GOT 300 SUBMARINES.
Grove:
THE BIG DIFFERENCE BY 1943
IS THAT THE PRODUCTION
HAS COME ON STREAM
AND NOW THERE ARE VERY LARGE
NUMBERS OF U-BOATS.
DÖNITZ CAN DEPLOY 50 OR MORE
IN SEVERAL PACKS
AGAINST INDIVIDUAL CONVOYS.
AND SO THE U-BOATS
HAVE NEVER BEEN STRONGER.
Narrator: DÖNITZ THINKS
HE NOW HAS THE U-BOAT FLEET
TO KNOCK BRITAIN OUT OF THE WAR.
BY EARLY 1943,
NEARLY 11 MILLION TONS
OF RAW MATERIALS,
SUPPLIES AND FOOD
HAS BEEN SUNK IN THE ATLANTIC.
[BOOM]
BRITAIN IS REACHING
A TIPPING POINT.
Milner: SOMETHING LIKE 22%
OF ALL THE SHIPPING THAT SAILED
FROM THE 1st OF MARCH
TO THE 21st OF MARCH
FAILS TO MAKE IT
TO THE OTHER SIDE.
IT IS ABSOLUTELY
THE LOW POINT OF THE WAR.
IT'S NEARLY CATASTROPHIC.
Narrator: HOWEVER, FOR DÖNITZ,
THE CHALLENGE REMAINS
LOCATING ALLIED SHIPS.
HIS CREWS PRACTICE
THE WOLFPACK TACTIC.
A WOLFPACK IS
A GROUP OF SUBMARINES
LINED UP ACROSS
A KNOWN CONVOY ROUTE,
SO THE SHIPS PASS IN BETWEEN
AND ARE DETECTED.
IF A CONVOY IS SIGHTED,
A LOCATING SIGNAL MESSAGE
IS SENT TO U-BOAT HEADQUARTERS.
NEARBY SUBMARINES ARE ORDERED TO
CONVERGE AND PREPARE FOR ATTACK.
Witt: THE ONLY CHANCE
TO FIGHT A CONVOY WITH U-BOATS
WOULD BE THE SIMULTANEOUS ATTACK
OF A NUMBER OF U-BOATS,
JUST TO KEEP THE ESCORTS BUSY
AND SO GIVING OTHER BOATS
THE CHANCE
TO ACTUALLY TORPEDO
THE MERCHANT VESSELS.
Narrator: DÖNITZ POSITIONS
A WOLPACK-GRUPPE RAUBGRAF-
NORTHEAST OF NEWFOUNDLAND.
Christian Jentzsch:
SO AT THIS TIME,
DÖNITZ GOT THE INFORMATION
OF A VERY LARGE CONVOY
MOVING FROM WEST TO EAST
WITH SUPPLIES
FOR THE ALLIED FORCES.
AND HE PUT HIS SUBMARINE
BATTLE GROUPS EN ROUTE
TO INTERCEPT THIS CONVOY.
Narrator:
BUT A DIFFERENT ALLIED CONVOY
GETS ATTACKED
BY RAUBGRAF FIRST...
[BOOM]
AND GIVES AWAY
THE WOLFPACK'S POSITION.
THE ALLIES IMMEDIATELY
CHANGE COURSE FOR BOTH CONVOYS:
HX.229 AND SC.122.
WITH THE HELP OF STORMY WEATHER,
THEY SQUEAK PAST THE SOUTH END
OF THE RAUBGRAF WOLFPACK.
THEY ARE SAFE... FOR NOW.
♪
BUT GERMAN INTELLIGENCE
ALSO INTERCEPTS THE ADMIRALTY'S
REROUTING SIGNAL.
♪
Witt: LIKE A CHESS PLAYER,
DÖNITZ THEN MOVED HIS BOATS
LIKE YOU MOVE YOUR CHESS FIGURES
AND TRIED TO GATHER
AS MANY U-BOATS AS POSSIBLE
FOR ATTACK ON CONVOYS.
Narrator: DÖNITZ ACTIVATES
TWO MORE WOLFPACKS-
GRUPPES STÜRMER AND DRÄNGER-
TO LOCATE AND DESTROY
THE MERCHANT SHIPS.
STILL FIVE DAYS FROM ITS
DESTINATION IN LIVERPOOL,
LIEUTENANT COMMANDER LUTHER'S
CONVOY APPROACHES
THE MOST DANGEROUS PART
OF ITS JOURNEY:
WHAT SOME CALL
THE DEVIL'S GORGE.
Grove: THE GERMANS WOULD TEND
TO CONCENTRATE THEIR WOLFPACKS
IN THIS AREA, IN MID-ATLANTIC.
AND BY EARLY 1943,
THERE ARE A LOT OF U-BOATS.
Narrator: IMPORTANT PROTECTION
TO ALLIED SHIPPING
COMES FROM AIR COVERAGE.
LONG-RANGE AIRCRAFT
EQUIPPED WITH RADAR
AND ARMED WITH DEPTH CHARGES
DRIVE U-BOATS UNDERWATER
TO DETER ATTACKS
AGAINST MERCHANT SHIPPING.
♪
BUT FAR OUT IN THE ATLANTIC
IS AN EXPANSE OF OCEAN
BEYOND THE RANGE OF AIR SUPPORT.
THE ALLIES CALL IT
THE "AIR GAP."
Grove: THERE IS A GAP
IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ATLANTIC
WHICH CANNOT BE COVERED
BY AIRCRAFT
FLYING FROM CANADA OR ICELAND
OR FLYING FROM NORTHERN IRELAND,
GIVEN THE RANGE
OF MOST OF THE AIRCRAFT.
ESSENTIALLY THEREFORE, SENSIBLY,
THE U-BOATS CONCENTRATE
ON THAT AREA WHERE
THE THREAT TO THEM IS LEAST.
Narrator:
IT TAKES TWO OR THREE DAYS
FOR SHIPS TO PASS
THROUGH THE AIR GAP.
WITHOUT AERIAL COVERAGE
AND ONLY FIVE WARSHIPS
TO PROTECT CONVOY HX.229,
LUTHER STEAMS AHEAD UNPREPARED
FOR WHAT DÖNITZ HAS IN STORE.
Milner:
SOMEWHERE ALONG THAT STRETCH
BETWEEN THE GRAND BANKS
OF NEWFOUNDLAND
AND THE APPROACHES TO IRELAND,
THEY'RE GONNA FIND YOU.
♪
Narrator: MARCH 1943
IN THE MID-ATLANTIC.
ALLIED CONVOY HX.229
PASSES JUST SOUTH
OF A U-BOAT WOLFPACK
CONSISTING OF EIGHT SUBS-
CODENAMED "GRUPPE RAUBGRAF,"
THE "ROBBER BARONS."
THE CONVOY IS HEADED
TO BRITAIN FROM CANADA.
ITS 40 MERCHANT VESSELS
ARE DEFENDED BY AN ESCORT
OF JUST FIVE WARSHIPS.
LIEUTENANT COMMANDER
GORDON JOHN LUTHER
KNOWS IT WON'T BE ENOUGH
IF A WOLFPACK FINDS THEM.
LUTHER'S JOB IS FURTHER
COMPLICATED BY HEAVY SEAS.
♪
U- BOATS FROM GRUPPE RAUBGRAF
CONTINUE TO SEARCH
FOR THE CONVOY,
BATTERED BY A WINTER STORM.
Jentzsch: YOU HAVE WIND BLOWING
WITH UP TO 60, 70
MILES PER HOUR,
SOMETIMES INTO THE FACE
OF THE CREWS.
TEMPERATURE'S A LITTLE BIT
ABOVE ZERO CENTIGRADE.
AND YOU HAVE THE WATER
SPILLING OVER THE OPEN BRIDGE.
THEY HAVE TO BE THERE
ON THE CONNING TOWER
WITH THEIR BINOCULARS
AND SPOTTING
INTO THE THREE DIRECTIONS
TO GET ANY POSSIBLE CONTACT.
Narrator: FINDING SHIPS IS NOT
EASY AT THE BEST OF TIMES.
Jentzsch: IT WAS REALLY HARD
FOR A SUBMARINE
TO SPOT AN ALLIED CONVOY;
IT'S STILL LIKE THE SEARCH
FOR A NEEDLE IN A HAYSTACK.
♪
Narrator: AFTER OPERATING WITH
GRUPPE RAUBGRAF FOR A MONTH...
[SPEAKING GERMAN]
U- 653'S STARBOARD ENGINE
IS FAILING.
LOW ON DIESEL,
KAPITÄNLEUTNANT GERHARD FEILER
MUST RENDEZVOUS
WITH A FUEL TANKER
BEFORE RETURNING TO BASE
FOR REPAIRS.
DESPITE THEIR DWINDLING CAPACITY
TO ATTACK,
THE LOOKOUTS REMAIN POSTED.
AS THEY HOBBLE AWAY...
[SPEAKING GERMAN]
THE BRIDGE WATCH MAKES
A STARTLING DISCOVERY.
Grove: VISIBILITY IS VERY POOR,
BUT UNFORTUNATELY
IN ONE OF THE SHIPS,
SOMEBODY LIGHTS A CIGARETTE,
AND THIS SHOWS THROUGH THE MIST,
AND IT TELLS THE SUBMARINE THAT,
OH, THERE'S A TARGET OVER THERE.
Narrator: U-653 HAS CRUISED
RIGHT INTO THE MIDDLE
OF AN ALLIED CONVOY.
FEILER DOES NOT HAVE
THE TORPEDOES TO ATTACK,
BUT HE COMMANDS THE MOST
POWERFUL U-BOAT IN THE ATLANTIC.
[SPEAKING GERMAN]
HE MUST KEEP THE CONVOY
WITHIN REACH,
WITHOUT BEING DISCOVERED.
[SPEAKING GERMAN]
FEILER ORDERS A CRASH DIVE...
[SHOUTING IN GERMAN]
TO PRESERVE THEIR INVISIBILITY.
NON-ESSENTIAL CREW RUSH FORWARD
TO GET THE BOW DOWN, FAST.
♪
[SPEAKING GERMAN]
♪
THEY LISTEN, DISCERNING
DIFFERENT SHIPS OF THE CONVOY
THAT PASS OVERHEAD...
[SPEAKING SOFTLY]
THEN USE THE SOUNDS
OF THE PROPELLERS TO TRACK THEM,
WITHOUT REVEALING THE SUB.
♪
HOURS LATER FEILER SURFACES
BEHIND THE COLUMNS
OF MERCHANT SHIPS
AND THEIR ESCORTS,
STILL UNDETECTED.
THE RADIO OPERATOR ISSUES
A CODED SIGHTING REPORT
TO U-BOAT HEADQUARTERS.
THREE LETTERS IN MORSE CODE.
Jentzsch: IF ONE SUBMARINE
IN THE OPERATIONAL AREA
IS IN CONTACT WITH THE ENEMY,
IT REPORTS THE POSITION
SO THEY COULD PLOT
AN INTERCEPTION COURSE
TO MAKE A COORDINATED
NIGHT ATTACK
WHEN THERE ARE ENOUGH
SUBMARINES.
Milner: THE WOLFPACK
IS PREDICATED ENTIRELY
ON THE FREE USE OF THE RADIO.
THERE'S NO OTHER WAY TO DO IT.
Narrator: KARL DÖNITZ
IS THE MASTERMIND.
Milner: HE CONTROLS THEM
ON A HIGH FREQUENCY
RADIO LINK LEAD
SO HE CAN MOVE THE PACK AROUND,
UP, DOWN, LEFT, RIGHT,
FORWARD, BACKWARDS,
BASED ON THE INTELLIGENCE.
Narrator: THE SIGHTING REPORT
THRILLS DÖNITZ.
HE NOW HAS A PRECISE TARGET.
THE REST OF GRUPPE RAUBGRAF
IS JUST 80 MILES AWAY.
DÖNITZ ORDERS THEM TO PROCEED
AT TOP SPEED TOWARDS THE CONVOY.
♪
U- 653 CONTINUES TO TRANSMIT
LOCATION UPDATES
AS IT SHADOWS THE CONVOY.
11 U-BOATS FROM THE
STÜRMER AND DRÄNGER WOLFPACKS
ALSO SET COURSE FROM THE EAST.
BY NIGHTFALL, 38 U-BOATS ADVANCE
ON THE LIGHTLY DEFENDED SHIPS.
Witt: ONE OF THE LARGEST NUMBERS
OF U-BOATS
WAS GATHERED FOR ATTACK
ON THOSE CONVOYS.
Narrator: VERY LOW ON DIESEL,
FEILER IS RELEASED TO REFUEL
AND RETURN TO PORT...
BUT NOW U-615
AND THREE OTHER U-BOATS
STALK CONVOY HX.229
AND THE THOUSANDS OF TONS
OF ALLIED SHIPPING IT PROTECTS.
THEY SEND THE SHORT CODED SIGNAL
TO UPDATE THEIR LOCATION
EVERY TWO HOURS.
THE INFORMATION IS RELAYED
TO OTHER U-BOATS
TO UPDATE THEIR BEARINGS.
THE WOLFPACK GATHERS,
BUT THEY NEED MORE U-BOATS
TO LAUNCH A FULL ATTACK.
THEY FOLLOW LUTHER'S CONVOY
INTO THE AIR GAP.
Milner: THE LARGEST NUMBER
OF SINKINGS
AND THE GREATEST AREA
OF OPERATIONS
IS THE NORTH ATLANTIC AIR GAP,
'CAUSE THAT'S THE PLACE
BY THE END OF '42 AND EARLY '43
THAT THEY CAN USE SUBMARINES
WITH IMPUNITY.
Narrator:
THE U-BOAT COMMANDERS KNOW
THEY ONLY HAVE TWO OR THREE DAYS
TO EXECUTE THEIR ASSAULT
BEFORE ALLIED AIR COVERAGE
ARRIVES TO DRIVE THEM OFF.
[SPEAKING GERMAN]
MARCH 16, 1943,
THE NORTH ATLANTIC.
U- BOATS HAVE BEEN TRAILING
CONVOY HX.229
AND RELAYING COORDINATES
BY WIRELESS
TO ALLOW NEIGHBORING WOLFPACKS
TO CLOSE IN.
[DIAL CLICKING]
BUT RADIO OPERATORS
AT U-BOAT HEADQUARTERS
AREN'T THE ONLY ONES LISTENING.
THE ALLIES ALSO
INTERCEPT THE MESSAGES
VIA STATIONS ALONG THE COASTS.
WHILE DETAILS
OF THE SIGNAL REPORTS
CANNOT BE DECODED
BY ALLIED NAVAL INTELLIGENCE,
THE TRANSMISSIONS PROVIDE
CRITICAL INFORMATION.
Grove: EVEN IF YOU CAN'T
READ THE CODES
OF WHAT THE SUBMARINES
ARE SAYING,
YOU CAN TELL IT'S A SUBMARINE
BY WHAT'S CALLING DFing,
DIRECTION FINDING.
Narrator:
THE ALLIES INTERCEPT SIGNALS
USING TWO OR MORE SHORE STATIONS
EQUIPPED WITH HIGH FREQUENCY
DIRECTION-FINDING TECHNOLOGY.
THEN, WITH BASIC TRIANGULATION,
THE ALLIES CAN DETERMINE
THE APPROXIMATE LOCATION
OF THE U-BOAT.
Grove: ANY RADIO MESSAGE
COULD BE PICKED UP,
COULD BE TRIANGULATED,
AND YOU KNEW THERE
WAS A SUBMARINE THERE.
SO THE OPERATIONAL
INTELLIGENCE CENTER
COULD KEEP A PRETTY GOOD TAB
ON WHERE GERMAN SUBMARINES WERE.
♪
Narrator: THE ADMIRALTY RELAYS
THE CALCULATIONS TO LUTHER
ABOARD HMS VOLUNTEER.
Grove:
LIEUTENANT COMMANDER LUTHER
IS IN A TERRIBLE SITUATION.
HE KNOWS FROM
HIS INTELLIGENCE REPORTS
THAT HE'S SURROUNDED
BY A HUGE NUMBER OF U-BOATS.
HE ONLY HAS THREE
OF HIS OWN SHIPS
PLUS A DESTROYER,
BUT HE KNOWS
IT'S TOTALLY INADEQUATE
FOR THE SCALE OF THE ATTACK
THAT IS COMING.
Narrator:
LUTHER'S SITUATION IS BLEAK.
GERMAN U-BOATS OFTEN WAIT TO
EXPLOIT THE COVER OF DARKNESS,
AND THE SUN HAS BEGUN TO SET.
♪
Milner: THE ATTACK USUALLY COMES
AT NIGHT OUT OF THE DARK,
WITH THE SUBMARINE
SLIGHTLY AWASH,
SO ONLY THE CONNING TOWER
REALLY SHOWING ABOVE.
AND YOU COME IN AT FULL SPEED,
AND IT'S BASICALLY
BEING ATTACKED
BY MOTOR TORPEDO BOATS
ON THE HIGH SEAS.
Narrator: EXPECTING AN ATTACK
FROM THE NORTH,
LUTHER POSITIONS HIS SHIP,
HMS VOLUNTEER,
ON THE PORT COLUMN
OF THE MERCHANT SHIPS.
HE ORDERS THE OTHER ESCORTS
TO ADOPT DEFENSIVE POSITIONS
AROUND THE CONVOY.
SEVEN NAZI U-BOATS
ALREADY DRAW NEAR.
Milner: DÖNITZ ON OCCASION
WOULD ACTUALLY HOLD OFF,
UNTIL HE'S GOT SIX, EIGHT,
IN SOME CASES, UH, 15 OR 20
ASSEMBLED AROUND THE CONVOY.
AND THEN THE ORDER
WOULD BE GIVEN
THAT AT THE RIGHT MOMENT
IN THE DARK OF NIGHT,
YOU'RE FREE TO ATTACK.
Narrator: ABOARD U-603...
[SPEAKING GERMAN]
OBERLEUTNANT ZUR SEE BERTELSMANN
PREPARES FOR A SURFACE ATTACK.
Grove: BERTELSMANN,
HE MANAGES TO GET
BETWEEN TWO
OF THE ESCORT VESSELS,
ONE OF THEM HMS BEVERLEY,
AN AMERICAN-BUILT DESTROYER
IN ROYAL NAVY SERVICE,
AND ONE OF THE CORVETTES.
AND HE SKILLFULLY MANEUVERS
BETWEEN THE ESCORTS
SO THAT HE CAN FIRE HIS TORPEDO
INTO THE CONVOY.
Narrator: WHILE BERTELSMANN
LINES UP HIS SHOT,
LIEUTENANT COMMANDER LUTHER
ORDERS THE CONVOY
TO TURN SOUTH-
HOPING TO EVADE U-BOATS DETECTED
TO THE NORTH AND WEST.
Jentzsch: YOU NEED LUCK,
BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH YOU ARE
MOVING INTO A POSITION,
WHICH IS PERFECT,
AS SOON AS THE CONVOY
ZIGZAGS AWAY FROM YOU,
YOUR POSITION IS TOTALLY WASTED
AND ANOTHER SUBMARINE,
BEFORE THAT BEING
IN A STUPID POSITION,
IS ALL OF A SUDDEN
IN A PERFECT POSITION.
Narrator: LUTHER'S DETOUR
PUTS BERTELSMANN
IN A POSITION TO ATTACK
SOONER THAN ANTICIPATED.
U- 603 AND ITS CREW HAVE BEEN
AT SEA FOR MORE THAN A MONTH.
THEY'VE ALREADY SUNK TWO SHIPS
FROM ANOTHER CONVOY.
THEY ONLY HAVE
FOUR TORPEDOES LEFT.
BUT SOME ARE ARMED WITH
NEW TECHNOLOGY CALLED F. A. T.
Grove: THE GERMANS HAD DEVELOPED
A NEW PATTERN-RUNNING TORPEDO
KNOWN AS THE F. A. T.
YOU DIDN'T ACTUALLY HAVE TO
PENETRATE THE CONVOY.
YOU ACTUALLY COULD
FIRE A TORPEDO
FROM OUTSIDE INTO THE CONVOY
AND IT WOULD RUN IN A PATTERN.
Narrator: A TORPEDO ARMED
WITH F. A. T. GUIDANCE SYSTEM
MAKES REGULAR TURNS
AND SWEEPS THROUGH,
UNTIL IT RUNS OUT OF FUEL
OR MAKES A HIT.
Grove: AND IT ALSO
GAVE THE APPEARANCE
THAT THE U-BOAT
WAS INSIDE THE CONVOY
EVEN WHEN IT WAS OUTSIDE.
Narrator: BUT IT'S RISKY.
F.A.T. TORPEDOES
DO NOT DISCRIMINATE
BETWEEN ALLIED SHIPS
AND GERMAN U-BOATS.
BOTH ARE IN DANGER.
[SPEAKING GERMAN]
BERTELSMANN'S RADIO OPERATOR
SENDS OUT A WARNING
TO OTHER U-BOATS
THAT F. A. T.- ARMED TORPEDOES
ARE ABOUT TO BE LAUNCHED.
Jentzsch: WHEN THE SUBMARINE
GETS THE INFORMATION
ABOUT ONE SUBMARINE FIRING
THE F. A. T. TORPEDO,
THEY HAVE TO LEAVE THE AREA
THAT THE TORPEDO IS MOVING
OR THEY HAVE TO GET DEEPER
SO THAT THE TORPEDO
WOULD PASS ABOVE THEM.
[SPEAKING GERMAN]
Narrator:
THEN ORDERS THE CREW TO FIRE
THE FOUR REMAINING TORPEDOES.
♪
[SPEAKING GERMAN]
[EXPLOSIONS]
Grove: OF COURSE IT WAS TENDED
TO BE CHANCE
WHAT ONE OF THESE TORPEDOES DID,
AND IT ACTUALLY MISSED
TWO SHIPS,
BUT EVENTUALLY
IT FOUND ITS MARK.
Narrator: LOADED WITH A FULL
CARGO OF WHEAT AND MANGANESE...
[SPEAKING GERMAN]
THE ELIN K SUFFERS
A CRIPPLING BLOW.
WHEN LUTHER REALIZES ONE
OF HIS SHIPS HAS BEEN STRUCK...
Luther: PORT TO CONTACT.
Narrator: HE ORDERS WHAT THE
NAVY CALLS A "HALF RASPBERRY."
ALL ESCORTS TURN OUTWARDS
TO SWEEP THEIR SECTOR-
FOLLOWING A TRIANGULAR ROUTE,
TO LOCATE THE SUBMARINE
THAT HAS FIRED THE TORPEDO.
RADAR IS USED TO DETECT U-BOATS
ON THE SURFACE.
[PING]
A TYPE OF SONAR, CALLED ASDIC,
SWEEPS FOR SUBMARINES BELOW.
BUT BERTELSMANN DIVES
WITHOUT BEING DETECTED
AND RETURNS TO BASE.
LUTHER'S ESCORTS FAIL
TO LOCATE ANY U-BOATS
AS EACH SCANS ITS SECTOR.
[PING]
BUT DURING ITS SWEEP,
HMS PENNYWORTH DISCOVERS
THE LIFEBOATS OF THE ELIN K,
THE SHIP SUNK BY BERTELSMANN.
LUTHER'S CONVOY LACKS
A DESIGNATED RESCUE SHIP.
STANDARD CONVOY PROCEDURE
THEN REQUIRES THE LAST
MERCHANT SHIP IN THE COLUMN
TO RECOVER THE SURVIVORS.
BUT THE SAILORS FROM THE ELIN K
HAVE BEEN LEFT BEHIND.
NOW ONE OF LUTHER'S
FEW PRECIOUS ESCORT SHIPS
IS OCCUPIED WITH RESCUE.
AS MIDNIGHT APPROACHES,
ONLY THREE ESCORTS
ARE POSITIONED TO DEFEND
THE SHIPS, GOODS AND CREWS
OF CONVOY HX.229.
MORE U-BOATS CONVERGE
AND ADOPT ATTACK POSITIONS.
U- 758, COMMANDED
BY HELMUT MANSECK,
HAS BEEN IN CONTACT WITH
THE CONVOY FOR OVER 12 HOURS.
[SPEAKING GERMAN]
HE MOVES IN ON THE UNPROTECTED
STARBOARD SIDE.
[SPEAKING GERMAN]
HE FIRES FOUR TORPEDOES
INTO THE CONVOY.
[BOOM]
TWO MERCHANT SHIPS ARE STRUCK.
Milner: ONCE THEY GET
THE BATTLE TO TUMBLE,
IT'S CHAOS FOR THE ALLIES.
[SPEAKING GERMAN]
Narrator: ALMOST SIMULTANEOUSLY,
ANOTHER U-BOAT FIRES.
[BOOM]
THE EFFECT IS DEVASTATING.
THE CARGO SHIP
S. S. HARRY LUCKENBACH IS HIT.
Milner: SUBMARINERS ARE
COMING IN FROM ALL DIRECTIONS,
SHIPS ARE GOING DOWN
HITHER AND YON.
IT'S JUST PURE CHAOS,
BUT MANAGED CHAOS
IN A WAY THAT WORKS
FOR THE GERMANS.
Narrator:
THEN SHORTLY AFTER MIDNIGHT,
KAPITÄNLEUTNANT
SIEGFRIED STRELOW
LAUNCHES HIS OWN ATTACK.
[SPEAKING GERMAN]
THE AMERICAN LIBERTY SHIP
WILLIAM EUSTIS,
CARRYING 7,000 TONS OF SUGAR,
IS STRUCK.
AGAIN, THE LAST MERCHANT SHIP
IN THE COLUMN
FAILS TO RETRIEVE
THE LIFEBOATS.
WITH THE OTHER ESCORTS
ALREADY PERFORMING RESCUES,
TO LUTHER'S DISMAY,
HE MUST NOW CHOOSE.
Grove: IN AN ATTACK LIKE THIS
WHERE SHIPS ARE GOING DOWN,
THE ESCORT COMMANDER
IS ALWAYS ON THE HORNS
OF A TERRIBLE DILEMMA.
DOES HE PICK UP SURVIVORS
OR DOES HE GO AFTER SUBMARINES?
AND IT'S VERY, VERY DIFFICULT,
PARTICULARLY IN THIS CASE
WHEN THERE WASN'T A DEDICATED
RESCUE SHIP ON THIS CONVOY.
SO THEREFORE HE IS FACED
WITH A TERRIBLE CHOICE.
Narrator: LUTHER DOES NOT
HESITATE FOR LONG.
HE, TOO, FALLS BACK
TO RESCUE SURVIVORS.
THE REMAINING SHIPS
OF CONVOY HX.229 CARRY ON,
COMPLETELY UNPROTECTED.
[SPEAKING GERMAN]
CREWS HOPE THAT
THE U-BOAT ATTACKS HAVE ENDED,
BUT IN FACT THE CARNAGE
HAS ONLY JUST BEGUN.
♪
IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS
OF MARCH 17, 1943,
ALLIED CONVOY HX.229 REGROUPS
AFTER A SERIES OF ASSAULTS
BY NAZI U-BOATS.
FOUR MERCHANT SHIPS
HAVE ALREADY BEEN SUNK.
WHILE THE DESTROYERS
AND CORVETTES
THAT MAKE UP THE ESCORT
SCRAMBLE TO RESCUE SURVIVORS...
THE REMAINING MERCHANT SHIPS
ARE LEFT ENTIRELY UNDEFENDED.
HOWEVER, AS THE MINUTES PASS,
NO ATTACK COMES.
HMS VOLUNTEER
IS THE FIRST ESCORT
TO RETAKE ITS POSITION
ON THE PERIMETER OF THE CONVOY.
SOON AFTERWARDS
HMS BEVERLEY AND MANSFIELD
ALSO RESUME DEFENSIVE POSITIONS.
BUT THE REPRIEVE PROVES
SHORT-LIVED.
ABOARD U-600, KAPITÄNLEUTNANT
BERNHARD ZURMUHLEN...
[SPEAKING GERMAN]
HAS FOLLOWED SILENTLY
FOR FOUR HOURS,
MONITORING THE ASSAULT.
HAVING COMPLETED HIS U-BOAT
TRAINING IN SEPTEMBER OF 1941,
ZURMUHLEN WOULD COMMISSION
AND SERVE AS THE ONLY COMMANDER
OF U-600.
[SPEAKING GERMAN]
HE MANEUVERS HIS U-BOAT
AHEAD OF THE CONVOY...
[SPEAKING GERMAN]
THEN FIRES A SALVO
OF FIVE TORPEDOES.
[SPEAKING GERMAN]
[EXPLOSIONS]
THREE SHIPS ARE STRUCK,
INCLUDING THE SOUTHERN PRINCESS,
A TANKER CARRYING
10,000 TONS OF FUEL OIL.
Grove: THE U-BOATS
CONSISTENTLY OVER TIME
NIBBLE AWAY AT THE CONVOY,
LIKE U-600,
WHICH SINKS A TANKER,
AND VERY SATISFACTORILY
FOR THE SUBMARINE,
NOT SO MUCH FOR THE CONVOY,
IT HAS A TYPICAL
TANKER EXPLOSION.
♪
Narrator:
LUTHER ORDERS TWO ESCORTS
TO CARRY OUT SWEEPS
ALONG THE STARBOARD SIDE.
HIS OWN SHIP, HMS VOLUNTEER,
PROWLS THE PORT SIDE.
♪
TWO SUBMARINES ARE DETECTED
ON THE SURFACE AND DRIVEN AWAY.
Grove: LUTHER, HE DOES
THE BEST HE CAN.
HE CHASES SUBMARINES AWAY,
BUT HE JUST HASN'T GOT
THE ASSETS
FOR THE DANGER
INTO WHICH HE'S SAILING.
[PING]
Sailor: ECHO BEARING 3-2-0.
DRAWING RIGHT.
Narrator: ALTHOUGH ESCORTS
DETECT U-BOATS WITH THEIR ASDIC,
THEY HUNT WITHOUT SUCCESS.
BUT ZURMUHLEN'S ATTACK
IS THE LAST OF THE NIGHT.
♪
WHEN DAWN COMES, THE SUN RISES
ON A DECIMATED CONVOY.
447 OF 590 SAILORS
HAVE BEEN RESCUED
THANKS TO THE QUICK RESPONSE
BY LUTHER'S MEN.
THE RAUBGRAF U-BOATS
SUCCESSFULLY SINK
EIGHT MERCHANT SHIPS
FROM HX.229.
ABOUT A HUNDRED MILES AHEAD,
SLOW CONVOY 122 HAS ALSO BEEN
ATTACKED OVERNIGHT.
ONE OF THE FIRST STÜRMER GRUPPE
U-BOATS MAKES CONTACT,
AND FOUR MORE SHIPS ARE LOST.
Grove: THE FIRST ATTACK
BY THE U-BOATS OF THE FIRST PACK
SINKS 12 ALLIED SHIPS,
QUITE A GOOD RATIO.
Narrator:
IT'S A ONE-SIDED FIGHT.
JUST TWO U-BOATS ARE DAMAGED
IN THE BATTLE.
A STREAM OF SIGNALS ARRIVES
AT U-BOAT HEADQUARTERS,
CLAIMING ALMOST 90,000 TONS OF
MERCHANT SHIPPING HAS BEEN SUNK.
EVENTUALLY DÖNITZ REALIZES
THAT HIS U-BOATS HAVE LOCATED
NOT ONE, BUT TWO ALLIED CONVOYS.
Jentzsch: IN THIS CASE, THEY HAD
A BAD OPERATIONAL PLANNING
IN SENDING THE CONVOYS
ON THE SAME ROUTE
SO THAT THEY HAD TO PASS
ALL THROUGH THE CONTESTED AREA
WITH THE GERMAN SUBMARINES.
AND IT WAS A MISTAKE
THEY REASSESSED LATER ON,
AND THEY DIDN'T DO IT
THE SECOND TIME.
Narrator: DÖNITZ SENDS A MESSAGE
TO THE U-BOATS
TO CONTINUE TO PRESS THE ATTACK.
Grove: BECAUSE OF THIS HX CONVOY
IN PARTICULAR
SUFFERING THE GREATEST LOSSES
OF ANY CONVOY OF THE WAR,
THERE ARE RUMBLINGS IN LONDON
THAT PERHAPS CONVOY
ISN'T PROTECTING MERCHANT SHIPS.
SO PERHAPS AN ALTERNATIVE
WOULD HAVE TO BE FOUND.
BUT THE TROUBLE IS
THERE ISN'T ONE.
Narrator:
DURING THE DAY THAT FOLLOWS,
THE CRISIS ONLY WORSENS
FOR THE ALLIES.
PREVIOUSLY WELL BEHIND,
HX.229 IS CATCHING UP
WITH SLOW-MOVING
ALLIED CONVOY SC.122.
NAZI U-BOATS HAVE TRAPPED
NEARLY A HUNDRED SPARSELY
DEFENDED MERCHANT SHIPS...
IN JUST OVER 100 SQUARE MILES.
MOST OF THE EARLY
RAUBGRAF BOATS,
LOW ON FUEL AND TORPEDOES,
DROP OUT OF THE BATTLE.
BUT STÜRMER AND DRÄNGER BOATS
BEGIN TO ASSERT THEIR PRESENCE.
HX.229 IS STILL WELL BEYOND
RANGE OF MOST AIRCRAFT.
IF IT HAD NOT BEEN DIVERTED
SO FAR TO THE SOUTH,
AIR SUPPORT
MIGHT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE.
BUT AS OF MARCH 17th,
THE CONVOY IS STILL
FAR OUT IN THE AIR GAP.
Grove:
BASICALLY THE ADMIRALTY SAYS
TO THE ESCORT GROUP
AND THE CONVOY COMMODORE,
BASH YOUR WAY THROUGH UNTIL
WE CAN GET AIR SUPPORT TO YOU.
Narrator:
WITH MORE U-BOATS CONVERGING,
LIEUTENANT COMMANDER LUTHER'S
ESCORTS
WILL HAVE TO FIGHT
FOR THEMSELVES.
38 U-BOATS FROM
THE STÜRMER AND DRÄNGER GRUPPES
SURROUND THE TWO CONVOYS.
RISKING THE DAYLIGHT
OF MARCH 17th,
THEY CONTINUE TO PICK OFF
MERCHANT SHIPS ONE BY ONE.
♪
[EXPLOSIONS]
Grove: THE SIZE OF THIS BATTLE
IS QUITE EXTRAORDINARY.
I MEAN, WELL OVER 100 ASSETS
INVOLVED ON BOTH SIDES-
ESCORTS, MERCHANT SHIPS,
U-BOATS.
OVER 50 U-BOATS WERE ACTUALLY
DEPLOYED BY DÖNITZ IN THIS,
OF WHICH 40 MADE CONTACT.
THIS IS ABSOLUTELY EXTRAORDINARY
SCALE OF BATTLE.
♪
Narrator: BUT AS THE DAY
GOES ON, THE WEATHER IMPROVES,
ALLOWING THE ALLIED CORVETTES
AND DESTROYERS
TO GO ON THE OFFENSE:
TO LOCATE AND ATTACK U-BOATS.
THEIR MOST EFFECTIVE WEAPONS
ARE DEPTH CHARGES-
UNDERWATER BOMBS DESIGNED
ESPECIALLY TO SINK SUBMARINES.
THEY CAN BE SET TO EXPLODE
AT DIFFERENT DEPTHS
TO CREATE A SANDWICH EFFECT
OF EXPLOSIONS
ABOVE AND BELOW THE U-BOAT.
Milner: WHAT DESTROYS THE SUB
IS THE OVERPRESSURE.
SO YOU'RE NOT BLOWING IT UP
IN THE SENSE THAT YOU
STRIKE IT WITH A SHELL
AND THE SHELL PENETRATES IT
AND DETONATES IT.
YOU JUST NEED TO SQUEEZE IT.
♪
Narrator: ON HIS FIRST PATROL,
KAPITÄNLEUTNANT KURT LANGE
COMMANDS U-530.
HE HAS JUST LOCATED HX.229
AND TRANSMITS A SIGHTING REPORT.
[SPEAKING GERMAN]
WHEN HE SUBMERGES
TO AVOID BEING SPOTTED...
[PING]
THE DESTROYER HMS BEVERLEY...
Sailor: NEW CONTACT.
Narrator: PICKS HIM UP
ON HER ASDIC AND CHARGES.
U- 530 CRASH DIVES
TO EVADE AN ATTACK.
[PING]
[PING]
[PING]
BEVERLEY'S SONAR CONTINUES
TO PING OFF THE U-BOAT.
[PING]
♪
GUIDED INTO POSITION
BY THE CONTACTS,
HMS BEVERLEY DROPS
ITS DEPTH CHARGES OVERBOARD.
[EXPLOSIONS]
Jentzsch: IT'S QUITE HARD
FOR THE COMMANDING OFFICER
TO KEEP HIS CREW CALM
AND EVERYBODY IS ONLY
SUPPOSED TO WAIT AND TO HOPE,
BECAUSE THEY CAN'T DO ANYTHING.
[WATER SPRAYING]
Narrator: OUTER STRUCTURES
ARE DAMAGED IN THE BLASTS
AND BEGIN TO FILL WITH WATER.
THE ADDED WEIGHT
DRAGS THE U-BOAT DOWN.
THE BOAT SINKS
TO NEARLY 800 FEET.
[CREAKING]
Jentzsch:
EVERYBODY IS UNDER STRESS.
YOU HAVE A LOT OF ADRENALINE
IN YOURSELF
AND YOU CAN'T GET RID OF
YOUR ADRENALINE, YOU CAN'T MOVE.
Narrator: WATER SWIRLING IN
AROUND THEIR FEET,
BOAT CREAKING UNDER PRESSURE,
KAPITÄNLEUTNANT LANGE
AND HIS CREW
HEAR THE DESTROYER
DIRECTLY OVERHEAD.
[PING]
Jentzsch: HE HAD TO REALIZE
THAT NOW HE IS IN THE POSITION
OF THE PREY,
AND HE IS DEPENDING ON LUCK
BECAUSE HE CAN'T DO ANYTHING
AGAINST THE ESCORTS.
[CREAKING]
Milner:
THE THING ABOUT SUBMARINES
IS THERE ARE NOT
A LOT A WOUNDED.
IF THE SUB GOES DOWN,
EVERYBODY GOES WITH IT.
NOBODY'S WALKING HOME.
[CREAKING]
Narrator: MARCH 17, 1943.
NAZI U-BOATS HAVE SUNK MORE
THAN A DOZEN MERCHANT SHIPS,
BUT U-530 IS BEING HUNTED
BY AN ALLIED ESCORT.
Jentzsch: IT'S PROBABLY LIKE
GOING FROM POSITIVE ADRENALINE,
LIKE YOU ARE HUNTING YOUR PREY
IN THE WOODS,
AND ALL OF A SUDDEN
A BEAR OR A WOLF
WOULD STAND IN FRONT OF YOU,
AND THEN YOU HAVE TO RUN AWAY.
Narrator:
BUT IT'S U-530'S LUCKY DAY.
HMS BEVERLEY LOSES CONTACT
WITH THE U-BOAT.
[CREAKING]
♪
[SPEAKING GERMAN]
Narrator:
WHEN THE SEAS FALL SILENT,
THE CREW JUMPS INTO ACTION.
CAREFULLY MANAGING
THEIR REMAINING BATTERY POWER,
THEY ASCEND
IN 30-FOOT INTERVALS.
Jentzsch: HE HAS TO CONSERVE
HIS BATTERY FUEL
BECAUSE HE NEEDS IT
FOR PROPULSION.
OTHERWISE THE SUBMARINE
WOULD SINK DEEPER AND DEEPER.
♪
Narrator:
AFTER THE TWO-HOUR ATTACK,
LANGE'S CRIPPLED U-BOAT
BREAKS THE SURFACE.
THEIR ORDEAL IS OVER.
[LAUGHTER]
[SPEAKING GERMAN]
THEY ARE FORTUNATE TO BE ALIVE.
ADDITIONAL ALLIED ATTACKS
THROUGHOUT THE DAY
OF MARCH 17th...
Sailor: LET'S GO,
LET'S GO, LET'S GO!
Narrator:
FORCE 12 GERMAN U-BOATS
TO LOSE CONTACT WITH THE CONVOY.
Milner: WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO
AS THE ESCORT COMMANDER...
Sailor: SAILORS, CLEAR!
Milner: IS TO BREAK CONTACT.
IT'S A BONUS
IF YOU CAN ATTACK IT.
IT'S EVEN BETTER
IF YOU CAN SINK IT.
♪
Narrator: GRADUALLY, THE SCALES
TIP IN THE ALLIES' FAVOR.
ALTHOUGH U-BOATS CONTINUE
TO PICK AWAY,
THE TWO CONVOYS APPROACH
THE EDGE OF THE AIR GAP.
[AIRCRAFT APPROACHING]
ALLIED AIRCRAFT CAN REACH
THE CONVOYS FROM EUROPE.
THE WOLFPACKS ARE NOW ALSO
BEING HUNTED FROM THE SKY.
LONG-RANGE AIR PATROLS-
LIBERATORS, SUNDERLANDS
AND FORTRESSES-
PROVIDE COVER FOR THE CONVOY,
RELIEVING PRESSURE
OFF THE EXHAUSTED ESCORTS.
Grove: LIKE THE CAVALRY
COMING OVER THE HILL,
THE ARRIVAL
OF COASTAL COMMAND AIRCRAFT
ALTERS THE SITUATION
VERY SIGNIFICANTLY.
AIRCRAFT CAN FORCE
SUBMARINES DOWN.
ONCE SUBMARINES ARE SUBMERGED,
THEIR MOBILITY
IS GREATLY REDUCED.
Narrator: A 206 SQUADRON
FLYING FORTRESS
FLIES INTO A SQUALL
ASTERN OF THE CONVOY
HOPING TO CATCH
A U-BOAT UNAWARE.
[SPEAKING GERMAN]
Narrator: U-384 DOESN'T HAVE
A CHANCE TO DIVE
BEFORE FOUR DEPTH CHARGES
ARE DROPPED.
EXPLOSIONS ARE SPOTTED
ON EITHER SIDE OF THE U-BOAT.
U- 384 SINKS TO THE OCEAN FLOOR,
TAKING WITH IT THE CREW OF 47.
THE NAZIS' LETHAL WEAPON
HAS BECOME THEIR IRON COFFIN.
[THUD]
Grove: NOW THE CONVOY
IS UNDER THE AIR UMBRELLA,
WHICH CAN BE QUITE AGGRESSIVE,
SO THE SENSIBLE THING TO DO
IS TO WITHDRAW THE U-BOATS
SO THAT THEY CAN GO
BACK INTO THE GAPS
AND FIND ANOTHER CONVOY
WITHOUT AIR COVER.
Narrator: DÖNITZ FINALLY
CALLS OFF THE ATTACK.
HX.229 AND SC.122 HAVE ENDURED
A THREE-DAY ASSAULT,
SUFFERING A RECORD AMOUNT
OF DESTRUCTION.
[SHOUTING IN GERMAN]
Narrator:
BETWEEN THE TWO CONVOYS,
22 SHIPS TOTALING
MORE THAN 146,000 TONS
HAS BEEN DESTROYED.
ON THE REMAINING VESSELS,
11 CARRIED MORE THAN 1,100
SURVIVORS BETWEEN THEM.
DURING THE U-BOAT ATTACKS
OF MARCH 1943,
DÖNITZ'S WOLFPACK STRATEGY
WORKS PERFECTLY.
THE SUCCESSFUL OPERATIONS
PROVIDE REASON
TO BELIEVE GERMANY
IS ON THE BRINK
OF WINNING THE WAR
FOR THE ATLANTIC.
Milner: FOR THE FIRST
THREE WEEKS IN MARCH OF 1943,
100% OF THE CONVOYS
CROSSING THE NORTH ATLANTIC
WERE INTERCEPTED.
OVER 50% OF THEM WERE
ACTUALLY ATTACKED BY U-BOATS.
Narrator:
BUT AT THE END OF MARCH,
CIRCUMSTANCES SHIFT AGAIN.
Milner: THE RESOURCES
ARE, ARE ON THE HORIZON,
AND SO IS BETTER WEATHER.
AND IT ALL CHANGES
ALMOST IN A HEARTBEAT
AT THE END OF MARCH.
Narrator: LONGER SPRING DAYS,
BETTER TECHNOLOGY
AND MORE AIRPLANES
ALLOW THE ALLIES
TO CLOSE THE AIR GAP.
Milner: WHEN AIR POWER
BECOMES REALLY OPPRESSIVE
IN THE SPRING OF '43,
WHEN THE NORTH ATLANTIC
AIR GAP DISAPPEARS
BECAUSE OF SMALL
AIRCRAFT CARRIERS,
FOUR-ENGINE AIRCRAFT,
ALL RADAR-EQUIPPED,
THERE'S NO PLACE LEFT
FOR DÖNITZ TO GO.
HE HAS TO QUIT AT THE END OF MAY
'CAUSE HE HAS LITERALLY
NOTHING LEFT.
THE GERMANS GO
FROM NEAR VICTORY,
WHATEVER THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN,
TO CATASTROPHIC DEFEAT
IN ABOUT EIGHT WEEKS.
Jentzsch: THE BATTLE AGAINST
CONVOYS SC.122 AND HX.229
IS A MINOR BATTLE IN THE CONTEXT
OF THE WHOLE WAR,
BUT IT MARKS THE SHIFT
OF THE BATTLE OF THE ATLANTIC.
Narrator: BUT INCREASED
AIR COVER IS NOT THE ONLY REASON
GERMAN U-BOATS
MEET TOUGHER TIMES.
Grove: THE KEY TO THE WOLFPACK
TACTICS WAS RADIO CONTROL,
CENTRALIZED RADIO CONTROL,
FROM, FROM BDU.
THE PROBLEM WAS IT GAVE AWAY
THE POSITION OF THE SUBMARINES.
AND SO IT CONTAINED THE SEEDS
OF ITS OWN DESTRUCTION.
Narrator: THE ALLIES REGAIN
THEIR INTELLIGENCE EDGE,
THE WEATHER IMPROVES
AND THE AIR GAP DISAPPEARS.
THE NAZIS HAVE
NOWHERE LEFT TO HIDE.
IN MAY, ADMIRAL DÖNITZ
ORDERS HIS U-BOATS
OUT OF THE NORTH
ATLANTIC.
THE WOLFPACKS WOULD
NEVER AGAIN COME
AS CLOSE TO CUTTING
OFF THE ALLIES
AS THEY DID DURING THE LONG,
DARK NIGHTS OF MARCH 1943.
♪