TS-37
Takoradi to Sierra Leone (South Atlantic)30 Apr 1943 - 1 May 1943
The Convoy | 18 ships |
First sighting | On 30 Apr 1943 by U-515 |
Escorts | One Corvette and 3 armed trawlers. |
U-boats | U-515 (Henke). |
The battle | The convoy leaves Takoradi on the 18th and during the following days the corvette picks up a lot of radio signals from U-boats operating in the vicinity. She does however not send a distress signal but keeps radio silence. A request for urgent reinforcement is signalled by the Aldis-lamp to a passing Hudson patrol aircraft. But the pilot makes only a routine rapport on his return and so the call for help is lost. This proves to be fatal when U-515, commanded by one of the most experienced U-boat officers, makes contact in the late afternoon of the 30th and attacks at dusk. In three approaches she sinks 4 ships before midnight and another 3 in the morning. After the second attack the escort is reinforced by three destroyers coming from Freetown. U-515 breaks off the fight. |
Article compiled by Tom Linclau
Ships hit from convoy TS-37
Date | U-boat | Commander | Name of ship | Tons | Nat. | Map | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
30 Apr 1943 | U-515 | Werner Henke | ![]() | Corabella | 5,682 | ![]() | br | A |
30 Apr 1943 | U-515 | Werner Henke | ![]() | Bandar Shahpour | 5,236 | ![]() | br | B |
30 Apr 1943 | U-515 | Werner Henke | ![]() | Kota Tjandi | 7,295 | ![]() | nl | C |
30 Apr 1943 | U-515 | Werner Henke | Nagina | 6,551 | ![]() | br | D | |
1 May 1943 | U-515 | Werner Henke | ![]() | City of Singapore | 6,555 | ![]() | br | E |
1 May 1943 | U-515 | Werner Henke | ![]() | Clan Macpherson | 6,940 | ![]() | br | F |
1 May 1943 | U-515 | Werner Henke | Mokambo | 4,996 | ![]() | be | G | |
43,255 | ||||||||
7 ships sunk (43,255 tons). Legend |
4 convoys on route TS were hit by U-boats in the war. Read more about them.