CU49 - Azores Dec. 1 to 12, 1944.xls. A B C D E F G H Date Time Vessel Name Prefix Vessel Number Vessel Type Port of Call Movement

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1 CU49 - Azores Dec. 1 to 12, 1944.xls A B C D E F G H Date Time Vessel Name Prefix Vessel Number Vessel Type Port of Call Movement 3-Dec Whipple U.S.S. DD 217 Destroyer Praia da Vitoria, Terceira Island Arrival 3-Dec Elokomin U.S.S. AO 55 Oiler Praia da Vitoria, Terceira Island Arrival 3-Dec Tenacity H.M.S. ATR Rescue Tug Praia da Vitoria, Terceira Island Departure 4-Dec Whipple U.S.S. DD 217 Destroyer Praia da Vitoria, Terceira Island Departure 4-Dec Elokomin U.S.S. AO 55 Oiler Praia da Vitoria, Terceira Island Departure 5-Dec Whipple U.S.S. DD 217 Destroyer Horta, Faial Island Arrival 5-Dec Elokomin U.S.S. AO 55 Oiler Horta, Faial Island Arrival 7-Dec Tarazed U.S.S. AF 13 Stores Ship Praia da Vitoria, Terceira Island Arrival 7-Dec Earle U.S.S. DD 635 Destroyer Praia da Vitoria, Terceira Island Arrival 7-Dec Tarazed U.S.S. AF 13 Stores Ship Praia da Vitoria, Terceira Island Departure 7-Dec Earle U.S.S. DD 635 Destroyer Praia da Vitoria, Terceira Island Departure 8-Dec Whipple U.S.S. DD 217 Destroyer Horta, Faial Island Departure 8-Dec Elokomin U.S.S. AO 55 Oiler Horta, Faial Island Departure 8-Dec-1944 Hiliary A. Herbert S.S. # 1986 EC2-S-C1 Liberty Ship Santa Maria Island Departure 9-Dec Hiliary A. Herbert S.S. # 1986 EC2-S-C1 Liberty Ship Praia da Vitoria, Terceira Island Arrival 9-Dec Thomas Todd S.S. # 1492 EC2-S-C1 Liberty Ship Santa Maria Island Departure 9-Dec Lucius Fairchild S.S. # 2521 EC2-S-C1 Liberty Ship Praia da Vitoria, Terceira Island Departure 10-Dec Kiowa U.S.S. ATF 72 Fleet Ocean Tug Praia da Vitoria, Terceira Island Arrival 10-Dec Tattnal U.S.S. APD 19 High Speed Transport Ponta Delgada, Sao Miguel Island Arrival 10-Dec Roper U.S.S. APD 20 High Speed Transport Ponta Delgada, Sao Miguel Island Arrival 10-Dec Greene U.S.S. APD 36 High Speed Transport Ponta Delgada, Sao Miguel Island Arrival 10-Dec Osmond Ingram U.S.S. APD 35 High Speed Transport Ponta Delgada, Sao Miguel Island Arrival 10-Dec Barry U.S.S. APD 29 High Speed Transport Ponta Delgada, Sao Miguel Island Arrival 10-Dec-1944 Tattnal U.S.S. APD 19 High Speed Transport Ponta Delgada, Sao Miguel Island Departure 10-Dec-1944 Roper U.S.S. APD 20 High Speed Transport Ponta Delgada, Sao Miguel Island Departure 10-Dec-1944 Greene U.S.S. APD 36 High Speed Transport Ponta Delgada, Sao Miguel Island Departure 10-Dec-1944 Osmond Ingram U.S.S. APD 35 High Speed Transport Ponta Delgada, Sao Miguel Island Departure 10-Dec-1944 Barry U.S.S. APD 29 High Speed Transport Ponta Delgada, Sao Miguel Island Departure 10-Dec Thomas Todd S.S. # 1492 EC2-S-C1 Liberty Ship Praia da Vitoria, Terceira Island Arrival 10-Dec Whipple U.S.S. DD 217 Destroyer Horta, Faial Island Arrival 10-Dec Elokomin U.S.S. AO 55 Oiler Horta, Faial Island Arrival 10-Dec Greene U.S.S. APD 36 High Speed Transport Praia da Vitoria, Terceira Island Arrival 10-Dec Greene U.S.S. APD 36 High Speed Transport Praia da Vitoria, Terceira Island Departure 10-Dec-1944 Extricate U.S.S. ARS 16 Salvage Vessel Praia da Vitoria, Terceira Island At Anchor 11-Dec Tattnal U.S.S. APD 19 High Speed Transport Horta, Faial Island Arrival 11-Dec Roper U.S.S. APD 20 High Speed Transport Horta, Faial Island Arrival

2 CU49 - Azores Dec. 1 to 12, 1944.xls A B C D E F G H 11-Dec-1944 Greene U.S.S. APD 36 High Speed Transport Horta, Faial Island Anchor Off 11-Dec-1944 Osmond Ingram U.S.S. APD 35 High Speed Transport Horta, Faial Island Anchor Off 11-Dec-1944 Barry U.S.S. APD 29 High Speed Transport Horta, Faial Island Anchor Off 11-Dec Tattnal U.S.S. APD 19 High Speed Transport Horta, Faial Island Departure 11-Dec Roper U.S.S. APD 20 High Speed Transport Horta, Faial Island Departure 11-Dec Greene U.S.S. APD 36 High Speed Transport Horta, Faial Island Departure 11-Dec Osmond Ingram U.S.S. APD 35 High Speed Transport Horta, Faial Island Departure 11-Dec Barry U.S.S. APD 29 High Speed Transport Horta, Faial Island Departure 11-Dec-1944 Kingston Agate H.M.S. FY 212 ASW Trawler GRT Horta, Faial Island Departure 12-Dec-1944 Tug U.S. Army LT 786 Large Tug 149' Horta, Faial Island Departure 12-Dec-1944 In Tow U.S. Army BD 494 Barge Derrick 110' Horta, Faial Island Departure 12-Dec-1944 Cape Comorin H.M.S. FY 143 ASW Trawler GRT Horta, Faial Island Departure 12-Dec-1944 Saon H.M.S. FY 159 ASW Trawler GRT Horta, Faial Island Departure Note the attached history of U-85 and the sinking of same by the U.S.S. Roper. Also, Winfield F. Delong commanded the U.S.S. Roper from October 1, 1943 to January 5, He later commanded the U.S.S. Earl K. Olsen in this convoy. Note the attached history of U-172 and the part the U.S.S. Osmond Ingram had in her sinking. Note the CU49 - U-boat Loss Register file for H.M.S. Kingston Agate's part in the action involving U-570.

3 CU49 - Azores Dec. 1 to 12, 1944.xls A B C D E F G H Very special thanks to: Kenneth Wynn for the career histories of the two u-boats. U-BOAT OPERATIONS OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR VOLUME 1 ISBN mck

4 u 85 Type VII B Built by Flenderwerft, Lubeck Keel laid Launched Commissioned Feldpost Nr M Sunk E of Roanoake Island (35 55 'N W) Served with 3 U-Flottille, Kiel/La Pallice June (ab/fb) Commanded by OL Eberhard Greger June Patrols: 4 Ships sunk: 3 (15,060 grt) Left Trondheim for operations in the North Atlantic. U 85 was one of fourteen boats which assembled SW of Iceland to form Markgraf group. The presence of the group was known and some convoys were re-routed to avoid it. On the Markgraf boats were ordered to form a new patrol line further west, which caused more convoys to be re-routed. It was decided on the 6th to spread the boats over a larger area SE of Greenland, across possible convoy routes. Some convoys were routed clear but the course of SC 42 could not be changed because of very bad weather. The convoy was sighted by U 85 on the 9th close to Cape Farewell. The boat made an unsuccessful attack but its report brought five Markgraf boats up during the night of the 9/IOth. The operation continued until the 14th, by which time sixteen ships had been sunk. U 85 sank the SS Thistleglen (br 4748t) NE of Cape Farewell during the morning of the 10th. On this day she was damaged in depth-charge attacks by the destroyer HMCS Skeena and the corvette HMCS Albemi. U 85 put in to her new base at St Nazaire Left St Nazaire and arrived Loiient Left for the western North Atlantic. On the 20th the outward-bound U 84 sighted northbound convoy SL 189 WSW of Fastnet. Other outward-bound boats were directed to the convoy and two ships were sunk and another damaged. U 85 came up but was driven off on the 23rd, the day the operation was called off. The boats moved westwards again and from the 28th formed Schlagetot group 300 to 400 miles S of Greenland. On U 374 sighted the eastbound convoy SC 52 off the east coast of Newfoundland. The Schlagetot boats were redeployed against it as Raubritter group. Five of the boats made contact. U 85 was not amongst them and took no part in the sinking of four ships from the convoy. The operation ended when contact was lost during the night of the 4/5th.

5 After westbound convoy ONS 29 avoided the group theraubritter boats moved eastwards and formed a new patrol line SE of Cape Farewell from the 8th. When westbound ONS 33 was reported on the 12th U 85, U 106, U 133, U 571 and U 577 were deployed but the convoy was not found. These boats began their return journey on the 15th. They operated unsuccessfully against westbound convoy ONS 11 on the 16th. U 85, U 133, U 571andU577 formed a patrol line, Stortebecker, on the 19th to await southbound OG 77 but the convoy did not materialise before the group was ordered to continue back to base. U 85 returned to Lorient Left for operations in the western Atlantic. U 85 was to patrol between Newfoundland and Nova Scotia. On the 21st she possibly damaged a ship in the central North Atlantic.,In the early hours of U 85 and U 654 attacked southwestbound convoy ONS 61 E of Cape Race and U 654 sank the French corvette Alysse. U 85 had no success but in the evening of the 9th she sank an independent, the SS Empire Fusilier (br 5408t), a little further south. U 85 put in to St Nazaire S Left for the Newfoundland Banlc. Soon after arrival U 85 went south to operate off Hatteras. On the MY Chr. Knudsen (nw 4904t) left New York for Cape Town and was probably sunk by U 85 near the coast on the 10th. Just after midnight on the 13th the destroyer USS Roper (Lt-Cdr H W Howe) made a radar contact E of Roanoake Island, North Carolina. It was U 85, in shallow water. The boat attempted to escape, turning first to port and then to starboard, but Roper refused to be shaken off. U 85 fired a torpedo at the destroyer, which missed. The boat was then caught on the surface by Roper's searchlight and was hit with machine-gun fire, which cut down U 85's gun crew. The Roper began shelling. The boat was hit and as it began to sink many men were in the sea. Fearing another U-boat might be nearby, Roper's captain went through the struggling survivors and dropped eleven depth-charges where the boat had gone down. Twenty-nine bodies were later recovered, two being left in the sea because of fearful wounds from machine-gun fire. After an identification and medical examination the bodies were laid to rest in the National Cemetery at Hampton, Virginia.. There were no survivors. The other sixteen men of the crew, l11cluding the commander, went down with the boat. U 85 was the first U-boat sunk by a US warship in the Second World War.

6 u 172 Type IX C Built by AG Weser, Bremen Keel laid Launched Commissioned Feldpost Nr M Sunk NNW of the Cape Verde Islands (26 19 'N W) Served with 4 U-Flottille, Stettin November April 1942 (ab) 1 O U-Flottille, Lorient April (fb) Commanded by KL Carl Emmermann November October 1943 OL Hermann Hoffmann November Patrols: 6 Ships sunk: 26 ( 152, 779 grt) Left Kiel, in transit for western France.. U 172 put in to her new base at Lorient Left to operate in the Caribbean. En route, U 172 sank the tanker MY Athelknight (br 8940t) on the 27th, by torpedo and gunfire in the central North Atlantic. The boat arrived off the Greater Antilles in early June. On the 3rd U 172 sank the SS Illinois (am 5447t) NE of Puerto Rico and on the 5th the SS Delfina (am 3480t) N of the island. The boat passed through the Mona Passage and in the early morning of the 8th she torpedoed and sank the MY Sicilien (am 1654t) off Isla Beata, Dominican Republic. U 172 moved to the western Caribbean. On the 14th she sank the SS Lebore (am 8289t) ENE of Isla de San Andres and in the evening of the 15th the SS Bennestvet (nw 2438t) E of Colorada, Costa Rica. On the 18th U 172 sank the tanker MY Motorex (am 1958t) by gunfire NW of Bocas del Toro, Panama and on the 23rd the sailing vesselresolute (co 35t) by gunfire SW ofroncador Cay. Survivors from the Resolute claimed that they were machinegunned in the sea. In early July U 172 began her homeward journey and during the afternoon of the 9th she sank the SS Santa Rita (am 8379t) by torpedo and gunfire 800 miles SE of Bermuda. An officer from this ship was taken aboard for interrogation. U 172 returned to Lorient Left for operations in the South Atlantic, in company with U 68, U 156 and U 504, as Eisbiir group. From the 26th, W of Spain, the group operated briefly against northbound SL 119, during which time U 156 sank a straggler. The four boats swept south in formation to the Cape Verde Islands and from they proceeded independently. The Equator was crossed in mid-september and U 68, U 172 and U 504 rendezvoused with U 459 on the 24th 600 miles S of St Helena for refuelling. The three boats were joined by U 159 and they all continued south, arriving in their operational area off Cape Town from In the morning of the 7th U 172 sank two ships, the SS Chicasaw City (am 6196t) and the MY Firethorn (pa 4700t) and in the early hours of the 8th the SS Pantelis (gr 3845t). All three were sunk in the same area, just SW of Cape Town. On the 8th the boat was damaged in an attack by South African naval vessels. In the morning of the 10th U 172 encountered the outward-bound troopship SS Orcades 270 miles NW of Cape Town. After being hit by two torpedoes the Orcades stopped and lowered her boats, one of which capsized in the rough sea, with the loss of 38 lives.there had been 1300 people on board.including women and children. The captain and 52 volunteers made temporary repairs and the Orcades headed back to Cape Town. 1\vo and a half hours aftec the first attack U 172 hit the liner again with three more t01pedoes she sank in three minutes. The Orcades O>r

7 ship sunk in the area of the Cape. The total loss of life was 40, be~ng 2 crew killed in the engine room by a torpedo explosion and 38 lost in the capsized lifeboat. U 172 began her return journey in late October. In the evening of the 31st she sank the MV Aldington Court (br 4891t) 1400 miles WNW of Cape Town and further northwest in the evening of she sank the SS Llandillo (br 4966t). Survivors were allowed on to the boat's casing whilst their lifeboats were baled out. U 172 operated off the coast of Brazil from mid-november and on the 23rd she torpedoed and sank the SS Benlomond (br 6630t) NW of Parnafba. There was only one known survivor from this vessel, a steward who was picked up after 130 days on a raft. U 172 moved to patrol off St Paul Rocks and on the 28th she sank the SS Alaskan (am 5364t) by torpedo and gunfire NE of the Rocks. The boat was refuelled in the same area by U 461 in early December for return to base. Whilst refuelling was in progress, U 461 received reports of a westbound convoy passing further to the north. U 172 sighted a westbound convoy on the 12th and claimed two torpedo hits but there are no reports of any ships sunk. U 172 returned to Lorient Left to operate in the western Atlantic. U 172 went to join other boats in an assembly area W of the Azores. They were originally intended for operations off the US east coast but were now ordered to form a patrol line, Unverzagt, SW of the Azores, to intercept eastbound convoy UGS 6. On the way U 172 sank the SS City of Pretoria (br 8049t) in the morning of and the MV Thorstrand (nw 3041t) in the evening of the 6th, both WNW of the Azores. UGS 6 left New York on the 5th and the convoy was sighted by U 130 of Unverzagt in the evening of the 12th, W of the Azores. She began to shadow but was located and sunk during the night. Contact was not regained with UGS 6 until the 14th. Unverzagt and Wohlgemut groups formed a patrol line, through which UGS 6 passed on the 14th. The Tammler group, then off the Canaries, was ordered to make the 1500 mile journey to intercept the convoy before it was too close to Gibraltar. Although there were generally at least six boats in contact and in spite of there being no aircraft and the conditions good, the operation was a failure, with only four ships sunk. Late on the 13th U 172 sank the SS Keystone (am 5565t) W of the Azores and late on the 16th the SS Benjamin Harrison (am 719lt) E of the Azores. The remote screen kept the boats well away from UGS 6, carrying out depth-charge attacks more than ten miles from the convoy. The operation ended on the 19th W of Spain, in the face of increasing air support from Gibraltar. U 172 moved south with other boats from the UGS 6 operation and they formed a new patrol line, Seeriiuber, S of the Canaries, to meet southbound convoy RS 3, expected on the 26th. It was sighted on the 28th and in a two-day operation three ships were sunk, one by U 172, the MV Silverbeech (br 5319t) off the Moroccan coast on the 29th. During attacks on the convoy the boat was damaged. On or about U 172 was refuelled for return to base, probably by another boat. On the 6th she fought off an attacking Sunderland S of the Canaries. U 172 returned to Lorient Left for operations in the South Atlantic. U 172 was refuelled by U 530 SW of the Canaries some time after mid-june. She sank the SS Vernon City (br 4748t) SSE of St Paul Rocks on the 28th and then went on to the coast of Brazil. On U 172 sank the SS African Star(am 6507t) 250 miles SW of Rio and on the 15th the SS Harmonic (br 4558t) 620 miles E of Rio. U 172's commander waited until the Harmonic 's crew had abandoned ship before sinking her. He gave them a course to steer for land. On the 24th U 172 sank the SS Fort Chilcotin (br 7133t) 420 miles ESE of Bahia. On U 604 was so badly damaged in an aircraft attack 150 miles SE of Pemambuco that she could not make the journey back

8 to base. A plan was made for U 185 to meet her 500 miles E of Pemambuco on the 8th to take offu 604's crew and then scuttle the boat. Air activity in the area was such that a new rendezvous was arranged, 400 miles to the northeast. U 172 was ordered to meet U 604 and U 185 at the new position and did so on the 11th. The two boats were transferring fuel and stores from U 604 when a USN Liberator (Lt-Cdr Prueher) arrived. U 172 dived but the other two boats remained surf aced and opened fire on the aircraft, which made two unsuccessful bombing attacks. On the third run the Liberator was shot down by U 185 and all the crew were lost. U 185 embarked U 604's crew and the boat was scuttled. U 172 met U 185 two days later and embarked 23 of U 604's crew. U 172 was refuelled by U 847 on the 27th 800 miles SW of the Azores. She returned to Lorient Left for operations in the Central Atlantic. Outward-bound, U 172 was to rendezvous with U 219 for refuelling. They met on miles NNW of the Cape Verde Islands. Refuelling was taldng place when the boats were sighted by an Avenger of VC-19 (Lt E C Gaylord) from the escortcarrier USS Bogue, which was only' 40 miles to the south. The carrier had been searching for U 219. The boats submerged as Gaylord dropped depth-charges. U 219 escaped but U 172 was damaged. Three other aircraft arrived and more depth-charges were dropped. The destroyers USS George E Badger (Lt EM Higgins) and Dupont (Cdr JG Marshall) attacked with hedgehog bombs and depth-charges, sending the boat deep. The hunt continued on the 13th and in the evening U 172 was reported on the surf ace a few miles away, going north. The George E Badger closed and opened fire. Before diving the boat fired an acoustic torpedo, which missed. A sound contact was made and the George E Badger and Dupont made depth-charge attacks before leaving the scene. An aircraft sighted a moving oil slick and the destroyers USS George E Badger, Clemson (Lt-Cdr E W Yancey) and the Osmond Ingram (Lt-Cdr R F Miller) went to investigate. Depth-charge attacks were made and U 172 was forced to the surface, badly damaged. The Osmond Ingram closed and in an exchange of gunfire lost one man killed and had another six wounded. When the other two destroyers opened fire the boat was set on fire and the crew abandoned ship. U 172 exploded after it sank beneath the surf ace. The commander and 45 members of the crew were picked up. 14 men were lost. The action was in the vicinity of convoy GUS 23 and the destroyers were part of the screen.