German U-848 submarine (type IXD2, construction started January 6, 1942, commissioned March 20, 1943, 12 Krigsmarine flotilla (Bordeaux, France), commander – Corvette-Captain Wilhelm Rollman) at the time of the second attack of depth charges (3 pieces of MK -47) by B-24 Liberator bomber (107th US Navy Squadron). Photographer – US Navy Lieutenant Charles A. Baldwin – Commander (First Pilot). Place of attack – South Atlantic, time of attack – 11.15.
On the U-848 submarine photo on the submarine’s conning tower 5 people are visible.
In total, 5 aircraft participated in the destruction of the boat – 3 of the Liberator (Consolidated B-24 Liberator) and 2 of the Mitchell (North American B-25 Mitchell). A total of 44 depth bombs were dropped – 32 of the MK 47 and 12 of the MK 43. According to a report by the US Navy, U-848 led heavy anti-aircraft fire throughout all of the air attacks.
Finally, the submarine was sunk after the seventh attack at about 17-00 by another B-24 from the 107th Squadron. In total, it took about 7 hours to destroy U-848.
It is officially believed that the entire crew of U-848 (63 people) died, but the report of the last aircraft participating in the seventh attack, which saw her going under water, indicated that 25-30 people in three rescue boats were visible at the drowning site. In addition, on 3 December 1943, the USS Marblehead ship (USS Marblehead) found a rescue boat at sea with the only surviving member of the crew of the U-848, boatswain Hans Schade, who was in critical condition, who died on December 4, 1943 (buried on December 6, 1943 in Brazil).
Location: Atlantic
Photo date: November 5, 1943
Photo author: Charles A. Baldwin