Tuesday news

By tk
Tuesday, July 08, 2003

*Picking up a live sand dollar on Hilton Head Island could cost beachcombers $1,000 in fines
-Hilton Head Island Packet Online, 7-8-03

*The Blue Angels, headquartered at Pensacola Naval Air Station, are the headliners of the big Pensacola Beach Airshow that begins at 11:43 a.m. Saturday, July 12
-Dauphin Island Mullet Wrapper, 7-6-03

Dear Carolyn,

I can find no reference to any ship named Sarnec, but suspect your Grandfather may have served in a British Tanker of 12,049 tons called SARANAC, she was torpedoed and sunk by
a German U-Boat U-51 commanded by Dietrich Knorr on the 25th. of June 1940.

This submarine was launched on the 11th. of June in 1938, commissioned on the 6th. of  August that year. In all, she sank 6 ships totalling 31,020 tons and SARANAC was included in that total.

U-51 was herself destroyed on the 20th. of August 1940 in the Bay of Biscay by a torpedo from the British Submarine HMS Cachalot. The entire crew of U-51 numbering 43 all perished that day.

I hope this information may be of some help to you, I am exploring several other sites and await their response to my questions, and will be in touch again.

Regards,
Mackenzie. Gregory.

P 1.

U-767 Lost and found.

This Type V11e boat was laid down on the 5th. of April 1941, but it took until the 11th. of September 1943 for her to commission under the command of Ober Leutnant Zur See Walter Dankleff. She made but one patrol with very limited success, one ship of 1,370 tons sunk, the British Frigate Mourne, on the 15th. of June 1944.

Only three days later U-767 was detected by three ships from the British Support Group 14, HM ships Fame, Inconstant, and Havelock. Fame attacked with her Hedge Hog, reporting two or three hits at a depth of 95 feet, the Hedge Hog, an ahead throwing weapon, firing off 24 under water projectiles which only explode on achieving a hit on their submarine target.

Over the next hour, the three ships carried out three deliberate depth charge attacks which drove the U Boat to the sea floor at a depth of 250 feet, she was now doomed, one of 121 submarines and U-Boats to be sunk in the English Channel since the 18th. century.

From a crew of 50, but one survived, a stoker, Walter Schmietenknop escaped from a torpedo tube to surface in the midst of the depth charge explosions, and was picked up by Fame.

Forward to July 2002, and the Starfish Enterprise Wreck Diving Team.
The expedition leader, Leigh Bishop had information from the Channel Isles wreck hunters John Overton and Paul Haslam, and the French wreck researcher Alain Launay about the possible location of U-767. This was shared with the wreck discoverer Steve Wright, also Skipper of Loyal Watcher, it was decided to spend time specifically looking for the sunken   U-767. After considerable searching, a wreck, which had all the hallmarks of a submarine was found, close to Ovendon's given position.

The wreck of U-767.

Not sure if im in the right spot or not but am looking for someone that was on the HMAS Canberra.

Doing family research and my fathers brother was on it when she went down and was looking for someone who might have known him.

Thanks for your time,
Lisa

Hello Lisa,

I was in HMAS Canberra as a Sub Lieutenant at the time of her sinking, and was actually the Officer of the Watch on her bridge when the Battle of Savo Island commenced. I would be pleased to try and help, let me have the details of your uncle.

Regards,
Mackenzie Gregory.