Précis of Attack by HMS BRITOMART
Date: 21.7.42
Time: 1120
Position: 67° 00’ N, 41° 39’ E.
Depth of water: 26 fathoms
Weather conditions: Wind N, Force 3, Visibility half a mile.
NARRATIVE
BRITOMART was stationed five cables on the port beam of HMS SEAGULL,
steering 170° at 12 knots. The ships were carrying out an A/S patrol
and at 1102 BRITOMART obtained a contact at a range of 2,800 yards.
This was classified as ‘submarine’ and action taken accordingly. The
target appeared to move left and at 500 yards hydrophone effect was
heard on the bearing. Contact was lost at 200 yards and a six charge
pattern with medium settings was fired by recorder at 1130.Contact
was regained at 1158, after a defect in the batteries had been dealt
with, and it was decided to run over the contact with the echo
sounding machine switched on. It was discovered, however, that it
had been damaged by the pattern just fired. Contact was regained
astern and two more attacks were made. At 13330 contact was lost and
a search organised.
One
hour later an echo with slight doppler was obtained and classified
as ‘submarine’. A single charge was fired. The search was resumed
and various echoes were disregarded as ‘non-sub’ until 1525 when a
six charge pattern was fired on a good contact. The search was
abandoned at 1620 by which time the visibility had become reduced to
a few yards. As far as is known no attacks were carried out by
SEAGULL. Details of the attacks carried out by BRITOMART are as
follows:
|
No. of attack |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
|
Time |
1130 |
1237 |
1307 |
1445 |
1525 |
|
Inclination |
None |
Opening |
Opening |
Opening |
Closing |
|
Range at which contact was lost |
200 yards |
260 yards |
Held till attack |
200 yards |
300 yards |
|
No. of depth charges fired |
6 |
6 |
6 |
1 |
6 |
|
Depth settings |
150, 250 & 350 ft |
150, 250 & 350 ft |
150, 250 & 350 ft |
150 ft |
150, 250 & 350 ft |
SURFACE EVIDENCE
None
ASDIC EVIDENCE
Asdic conditions were described as good but there appears to have
been a number of non-subs in the vicinity. Hydrophone effect was
heard in the first attack only but the target was reported to have
some movement in each attack. SEAGULL however did not apparently
pick up any contacts that she considered worth attacking.
CO’S
OPINION
Every indication of a U-boat. No evidence of destruction or damage
but observation was difficult owing to deteriorating visibility.
SUBMARINE TRACKING ROOM’S
OPINION
There is no relevant tracking evidence.
DECISION OF U-BOAT ASSESSMENT COMMITTEE
Insufficient evidence of the presence of a U-boat.
8th
October 1942.
