World War II Database

1.  Alan Chanter says:
16 Jul 2020 01:19:55 AM

On the 15th April 1940 a convoy of troopships, consisting of the liners Batory, Reina del Paciico and Monarch of Bermuda carrying the remainder of the 24th (Guards) Brigade (1st Irish Guards, 2nd South Wales Borderers and two companies of 1st Scots Guards) approached Andfiord to occupy the northern Norwegian harbour at Harstad. With them came an equal number of troops of the Divisional and Base Staff, lines-of-communication troops and a railway construction company.

As the ships steamed in a message was received, from a Norwegian military lookout post, that a submarine had been sighted lying In wait in the approaches. Two destroyers of the escort, HMS Fearless and HMS Brazen, streaked away ahead to sweep the area with their Asdics. Almost at once they were in contact. A single well-placed salvo of depth charges, brought U49 to the surface. Its crew abandoned ship at once before their U-boat sank to the bottom again. In the freezing water they were heard screaming frantically for rescue. This was undertaken so smartly that forty out of the forty-two members of the U-boat’s crew were saved. While thus engaged, HMS Brazen’s boat crew picked up a bundle of documents - one of which revealed the U-boat dispositions for the whole of Norway.