Beginning of the end for the German U-Boat war in the Atlantic?
ATLANTIC OCEAN:
U-630 sunk in the North Atlantic NE of Newfoundland, in position 52.31N, 44.50W, by depth charges from destroyer HMS Vidette. 47 dead (all hands lost).
U-531 sunk in the North Atlantic NE of Newfoundland, in position 52.48N, 45.18W, by depth charges from destroyer HMS Vidette. 54 dead (all hands lost).
U-438 sunk in the North Atlantic NE of Newfoundland, in approximate position 52.00N, 45.10W, by depth charges from sloop HMS Pelican. 48 dead (all hands lost).
U-192 sunk in the North Atlantic SE of Cape Farewell in position 53.06N, 45.02W by depth charges from corvette HMS Loosestrife. 55 dead (all hands lost).
U-125 rammed and sunk east of Newfoundland, in position 52.30N, 45.20W, by destroyer HMS Oribi and gunfire by corvette HMS Snowflake. 54 dead (all hands lost).
“U.S.A.: Submarine USS Batfish launched. (Dave Shirlaw)”
I toured the Batfish in the late 60’s when she was berthed at the New Orleans Naval Station. Cub scout thing.
The most vivid memory of that day was throwing rocks off the gangway into the thick Mississippi River mud and hearing a satisfying “PLOP” when they hit and disappeared.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Batfish_%28SS-310%29
You kinda wonder why Doenitz didn’t say to himself, “Hmm, suddenly the enemy is finding all of my subs, out of an area comparable to a continent. What could be causing this remarkable new ability?”
Naval Enigma was read uninterruptedly from here until the end of the war, eventually within 24 hours.
Even if the increased rate were attributable to other causes, losing the boats, in itself, is a sufficient risk to SIGSEC to beef up Enigma, especially when the Kriegsmarine was already the only branch to handle Enigma with the caution it warranted.