Account of sinking of German minelayer Ulm?
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Michael Potter
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Account of sinking of German minelayer Ulm?
On a tangent from Laurence's bibliography about RN destroyers: Has anyone a detailed account of the sinking of the German minelayer Ulm by HMS Marne, Martin, and Onslaught in 1942? The incident is of interest in part because it resulted from an Ultra decrypt, described in Patrick Beesley's book Very Special Intelligence.
If humanity wishes to preserve a planet similar to that on which civilization developed and to which life on Earth is adapted, [atmospheric] CO2 will need to be reduced from its current 385 ppm to at most 350 ppm.
Dr James Hansen, NASA, 2008.
Dr James Hansen, NASA, 2008.
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bengtsson
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Yes, it was based on an Ultra intelligence report. Details of the actual action do not appear in Roskill, just a factual statement of the fact the DDs were detached and ULM was sunk. Here is what I could piece together from all my books. It's rather thin, but better than nothing.
After convoy PQ 17 the dstroyers Marne, Martin, Middleton and Blankney were sent directly to Archangel loaded with amunition and new gun barrels for HMS Palomares and Pozarica the Aux. A.A. ships from convoy PQ17. They arrived on 24 July. The American Tuscaloosa and DDs Rodman, Emmons and RN Onslaught sailed from Glasgow on 13 Aug for Archangel with RAF ground crew, stores and medical equipment.
On 24 August RN Mane, Martin and Onslaught sailed with the three Americans. They carried survivors of convoy PQ17. Later that same day, the three British Destroyers were detached as a consequence of an Ultra intellegence report ordered to make a sweep south of Bear Island. Off Bear Island the nest day they intercepted the German Minelayer ULM engaged in German operation ZAR, the laying of mines off Cape Zhelina following Admiral Scheer's return from Operation Wunderland. While Marne and Martin shelled ULM, Commander Selby of Onslaught made a torpedo attack on ULM, his third torpedo struck ULm mine hold. The ULM then exploded as the mines went up. Korvettenkapit�n Biet, two officers and fiftyseven men were picked up by the RN destroyers before returning to the three American ships.
Here is more from "Arctic Destroyers". Early on the 25th Joe Selby CO of Onslaught was ordered to leave the escort of Tuscalusa and take Marne and Martin with him and carry out a sortie as far as the enemy held Norwegian Polar Coastline. Selby had been given a position to steer SE of Bear Island, then a second position due south to North Cape. Naval intelligence informed him that he should encounter light surface warships that were suspected to be in the area. Two hours after passing through the second position and with Marne and Martin station four miles out to port and starboard, a ship was sighted dead ahead of Onslaught, and challenged.
This was the German minelayer ULM, at sea with the intention of laying mines in an area north of Cape Zhelania. The Minelayer was no match for the three British destroyers. While Marne and Martin straddled ULM with thier 4.7-inch armament and the Minelayer replied with her only two guns capable of returning fire, and actually scored two hits on Marne, knocking out "Y" gun killing an ordnance artificer, Onslaught swept ahead to fire torpedos to port. Whether it was because of an inbuilt reluctance to fire the entire outfit of four torpedoes in one slavo-which was standard drill-or the inexperience of the RN Reserve navigator, Lieutant Hardman the ships torpedo control officer, only ONE torpedo was fired. It missed. Joe Selby turned Onslaught in a tight turn onto a second torpedo run to fire torpedos to starboard. ULm was now being hit repeatedly by the two "Ms". Onslaught slowed it's 4.7 in fire as the Minelayer was in a hopeless situation.
Once again Onslaught fired only one torpedo, missed and then fired a third. This third torpedo found it's mark in ULm Minehold. The ship vanished in one tremendous column of smoke and flame. Marne closed the sight and rescued the the Germans mentioned above.
Bob B,
After convoy PQ 17 the dstroyers Marne, Martin, Middleton and Blankney were sent directly to Archangel loaded with amunition and new gun barrels for HMS Palomares and Pozarica the Aux. A.A. ships from convoy PQ17. They arrived on 24 July. The American Tuscaloosa and DDs Rodman, Emmons and RN Onslaught sailed from Glasgow on 13 Aug for Archangel with RAF ground crew, stores and medical equipment.
On 24 August RN Mane, Martin and Onslaught sailed with the three Americans. They carried survivors of convoy PQ17. Later that same day, the three British Destroyers were detached as a consequence of an Ultra intellegence report ordered to make a sweep south of Bear Island. Off Bear Island the nest day they intercepted the German Minelayer ULM engaged in German operation ZAR, the laying of mines off Cape Zhelina following Admiral Scheer's return from Operation Wunderland. While Marne and Martin shelled ULM, Commander Selby of Onslaught made a torpedo attack on ULM, his third torpedo struck ULm mine hold. The ULM then exploded as the mines went up. Korvettenkapit�n Biet, two officers and fiftyseven men were picked up by the RN destroyers before returning to the three American ships.
Here is more from "Arctic Destroyers". Early on the 25th Joe Selby CO of Onslaught was ordered to leave the escort of Tuscalusa and take Marne and Martin with him and carry out a sortie as far as the enemy held Norwegian Polar Coastline. Selby had been given a position to steer SE of Bear Island, then a second position due south to North Cape. Naval intelligence informed him that he should encounter light surface warships that were suspected to be in the area. Two hours after passing through the second position and with Marne and Martin station four miles out to port and starboard, a ship was sighted dead ahead of Onslaught, and challenged.
This was the German minelayer ULM, at sea with the intention of laying mines in an area north of Cape Zhelania. The Minelayer was no match for the three British destroyers. While Marne and Martin straddled ULM with thier 4.7-inch armament and the Minelayer replied with her only two guns capable of returning fire, and actually scored two hits on Marne, knocking out "Y" gun killing an ordnance artificer, Onslaught swept ahead to fire torpedos to port. Whether it was because of an inbuilt reluctance to fire the entire outfit of four torpedoes in one slavo-which was standard drill-or the inexperience of the RN Reserve navigator, Lieutant Hardman the ships torpedo control officer, only ONE torpedo was fired. It missed. Joe Selby turned Onslaught in a tight turn onto a second torpedo run to fire torpedos to starboard. ULm was now being hit repeatedly by the two "Ms". Onslaught slowed it's 4.7 in fire as the Minelayer was in a hopeless situation.
Once again Onslaught fired only one torpedo, missed and then fired a third. This third torpedo found it's mark in ULm Minehold. The ship vanished in one tremendous column of smoke and flame. Marne closed the sight and rescued the the Germans mentioned above.
Bob B,
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Michael Potter
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- Location: San Diego
Thanks
That is much more than I knew. The Admiralty's message seems more detailed than Patrick Beesley described in his book Very Special Intelligence. Thanks very much!
If humanity wishes to preserve a planet similar to that on which civilization developed and to which life on Earth is adapted, [atmospheric] CO2 will need to be reduced from its current 385 ppm to at most 350 ppm.
Dr James Hansen, NASA, 2008.
Dr James Hansen, NASA, 2008.
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Michael Potter
- Posts: 484
- Joined: Wed Jan 19, 2005 11:19 pm
- Location: San Diego
290 mines
I'll try to repay the favor:
Erich Gr�ner, Die Deutschen Kriegschiffe 1815�1945, volume II, lists Ulm as capable of carrying 290 mines. She was powered by a 6-cylinder Diesel engine to a single shaft.
http://www.feldgrau.net/phpBB2/viewtopi ... a6a0a3edf6 has some information.
http://www.wlb-stuttgart.de/seekrieg/42-03.htm has a photo.
Erich Gr�ner, Die Deutschen Kriegschiffe 1815�1945, volume II, lists Ulm as capable of carrying 290 mines. She was powered by a 6-cylinder Diesel engine to a single shaft.
http://www.feldgrau.net/phpBB2/viewtopi ... a6a0a3edf6 has some information.
http://www.wlb-stuttgart.de/seekrieg/42-03.htm has a photo.
If humanity wishes to preserve a planet similar to that on which civilization developed and to which life on Earth is adapted, [atmospheric] CO2 will need to be reduced from its current 385 ppm to at most 350 ppm.
Dr James Hansen, NASA, 2008.
Dr James Hansen, NASA, 2008.