9151
August 13th, 1943
Off the coast of Senegal - In the bathtub of the U-468, Oberleutnant zur See Klemens Schamong is a little nervous, and he is not the only one. It's just dawn, and his ship is still on the surface. The cause? Faulty batteries have caused the release of chlorine inside the submarine, impairing its ability to dive.
However, the damage, which is currently being repaired, does not seem likely to compromise its mission.
The officer informs the BdU by a short coded message, and while the work is going well, the submarine, with all hatches open to ventilate its corridors, a dozen slightly intoxicated sailors taking the air of the open sea on the bridge, continues its way at low speed. Its commander must think that he is definitely jinxed.
Commissioned in August 1942, the U-468 was indeed a poor performer: in three trips and 135 days at sea, it had sunk only one enemy freighter. It must be said that last year, hard hit while patrolling its zone of action, it had to turn back to repair the serious damage caused by enemy aircraft (American, British or French, who cares!), that the servants of its 20 mm AA gun brilliantly repelled. At La Palice, the repairs took time, time to modify the building's "winter garden" and to replace the 20 mm gun with a 37 mm one. It was put to sea again this year on July 7th, and is now disabled, while the convoy reported by the intelligence services should appear shortly, probably with a small escort, but perhaps a guardian angel.
Also, at the side of their commander, the lookouts are wearing out their eyes scanning the horizon. But what one of them suddenly points out is not the smoke of a cargo ship, but a dot in the air, which is rapidly growing: bad luck, always bad luck!
Warned by the interception of its message of the presence of an enemy unit near its waters, Dakar took off two aircraft. The first to take off is a recent PB4Y-1 coded S28-12, followed thirty minutes later by one of the first B-24 H produced by Ford, an aircraft (serial 41-28576) that had already flown a lot.
Knowing where to look, the PB4Y-1 soon obtains a radar contact, then a visual acquisition.
Captain Gall, probably fearing that the submarine - of which he is unaware of the condition - would escape them by diving, decides to act without waiting for his teammate.
On the U-boot, Schamong congratulates himself for having obtained the assembly of the Flak 36, whose servants rush, crossing the patients who return to the bowels of the submarine, which is not without some jostling. However, with the help of experience, the piece is put into place with celerity, the chain of magazines is organized, and while the device begins its attack, the gunners are ready. Not only ready, but sharp (or lucky). Seeing one of the engines of his attacker catch fire, the Oberleutnant feels a certain satisfaction.
Briefly: the aircraft continues its course, visibly takes more hits (the head turret is mute), flies over its target... and drops its charges before disintegrating in the waves. For this action, Captain Gall will be posthumously decorated.
Several explosions shake the sea on the back of U-468. A column of water gushes out not far from the hull and shakes it, throwing two of the gunners into the sea. In the bathtub, Schamong, surprised, cracks his scalp on the sighting device, then each one regains his senses and looks at his neighbour: we're still here, has this damn jinx disappeared?
While outside, we try to recover the bathers splashing around in the eddies, inside, the damage is being assessed. And the news is not good: the batteries are starting to act up again, the door of one of the rear tubes is probably slightly broken, letting in a trickle of water. More seriously, the port propeller shaft might be warped. Whether on the surface or underwater, navigation will be problematic.
Bad luck. It's always a bummer.
It is then that a lookout, resuming her post, signals the arrival of a second intruder. Again, bad luck!
At the controls of his aircraft, Lieutenant Bergeron witnessed the destruction of the PB4Y-1.
He positioned himself with his back to the sun before pronouncing his attack. At a distance of about 800 m, the nose gunner opened fire, aiming at the kiosk, then changed his mind and waited until the distance had closed before resuming his fire in short bursts until his target disappears under him.
On the bridge of U-468, there is great confusion. The anti-aircraft defense piece, whose personnel had dispersed, is mute and a hail of bullets falls on the sailors present, causing several victims. Then, "like in the exercise", the attacker drops his cargo. A double explosion lifts the hull, which breaks in two and quickly sinks.
Only Oberleutnant Schamong, his engineer officer and three sailors escape, being thrown into the sea. The rest of the crew (about 50 men) disappears with the two sections.
Lieutenant Bergeron, making a large semicircle, returns to fly over the scene at low altitude. Two iridescent spots and various debris mark the scene of the tragedy: one corresponds to the disappearance of the S28-12 and the other, much larger, to that of the submarine.
Seeing survivors floating in the middle of the slowly widening oil slick, the B-24 drops two inflatable boats, signals the position of the wreck and turns back. A few hours later, a corvette that was escorting the convoy, having quickly paced ahead of its herd, picks up the five survivors, who are interned in Algeria.
After returning to Germany at the end of the war, Klemens Schamong always stayed away from the other submariners, not joining any association and not participating in any meeting until his death.
Off the coast of Senegal - In the bathtub of the U-468, Oberleutnant zur See Klemens Schamong is a little nervous, and he is not the only one. It's just dawn, and his ship is still on the surface. The cause? Faulty batteries have caused the release of chlorine inside the submarine, impairing its ability to dive.
However, the damage, which is currently being repaired, does not seem likely to compromise its mission.
The officer informs the BdU by a short coded message, and while the work is going well, the submarine, with all hatches open to ventilate its corridors, a dozen slightly intoxicated sailors taking the air of the open sea on the bridge, continues its way at low speed. Its commander must think that he is definitely jinxed.
Commissioned in August 1942, the U-468 was indeed a poor performer: in three trips and 135 days at sea, it had sunk only one enemy freighter. It must be said that last year, hard hit while patrolling its zone of action, it had to turn back to repair the serious damage caused by enemy aircraft (American, British or French, who cares!), that the servants of its 20 mm AA gun brilliantly repelled. At La Palice, the repairs took time, time to modify the building's "winter garden" and to replace the 20 mm gun with a 37 mm one. It was put to sea again this year on July 7th, and is now disabled, while the convoy reported by the intelligence services should appear shortly, probably with a small escort, but perhaps a guardian angel.
Also, at the side of their commander, the lookouts are wearing out their eyes scanning the horizon. But what one of them suddenly points out is not the smoke of a cargo ship, but a dot in the air, which is rapidly growing: bad luck, always bad luck!
Warned by the interception of its message of the presence of an enemy unit near its waters, Dakar took off two aircraft. The first to take off is a recent PB4Y-1 coded S28-12, followed thirty minutes later by one of the first B-24 H produced by Ford, an aircraft (serial 41-28576) that had already flown a lot.
Knowing where to look, the PB4Y-1 soon obtains a radar contact, then a visual acquisition.
Captain Gall, probably fearing that the submarine - of which he is unaware of the condition - would escape them by diving, decides to act without waiting for his teammate.
On the U-boot, Schamong congratulates himself for having obtained the assembly of the Flak 36, whose servants rush, crossing the patients who return to the bowels of the submarine, which is not without some jostling. However, with the help of experience, the piece is put into place with celerity, the chain of magazines is organized, and while the device begins its attack, the gunners are ready. Not only ready, but sharp (or lucky). Seeing one of the engines of his attacker catch fire, the Oberleutnant feels a certain satisfaction.
Briefly: the aircraft continues its course, visibly takes more hits (the head turret is mute), flies over its target... and drops its charges before disintegrating in the waves. For this action, Captain Gall will be posthumously decorated.
Several explosions shake the sea on the back of U-468. A column of water gushes out not far from the hull and shakes it, throwing two of the gunners into the sea. In the bathtub, Schamong, surprised, cracks his scalp on the sighting device, then each one regains his senses and looks at his neighbour: we're still here, has this damn jinx disappeared?
While outside, we try to recover the bathers splashing around in the eddies, inside, the damage is being assessed. And the news is not good: the batteries are starting to act up again, the door of one of the rear tubes is probably slightly broken, letting in a trickle of water. More seriously, the port propeller shaft might be warped. Whether on the surface or underwater, navigation will be problematic.
Bad luck. It's always a bummer.
It is then that a lookout, resuming her post, signals the arrival of a second intruder. Again, bad luck!
At the controls of his aircraft, Lieutenant Bergeron witnessed the destruction of the PB4Y-1.
He positioned himself with his back to the sun before pronouncing his attack. At a distance of about 800 m, the nose gunner opened fire, aiming at the kiosk, then changed his mind and waited until the distance had closed before resuming his fire in short bursts until his target disappears under him.
On the bridge of U-468, there is great confusion. The anti-aircraft defense piece, whose personnel had dispersed, is mute and a hail of bullets falls on the sailors present, causing several victims. Then, "like in the exercise", the attacker drops his cargo. A double explosion lifts the hull, which breaks in two and quickly sinks.
Only Oberleutnant Schamong, his engineer officer and three sailors escape, being thrown into the sea. The rest of the crew (about 50 men) disappears with the two sections.
Lieutenant Bergeron, making a large semicircle, returns to fly over the scene at low altitude. Two iridescent spots and various debris mark the scene of the tragedy: one corresponds to the disappearance of the S28-12 and the other, much larger, to that of the submarine.
Seeing survivors floating in the middle of the slowly widening oil slick, the B-24 drops two inflatable boats, signals the position of the wreck and turns back. A few hours later, a corvette that was escorting the convoy, having quickly paced ahead of its herd, picks up the five survivors, who are interned in Algeria.
After returning to Germany at the end of the war, Klemens Schamong always stayed away from the other submariners, not joining any association and not participating in any meeting until his death.