The story
German submarine wolfpack Blücher consisted of U-214, U-333, U-406, U-566, U-590, U-594, and U-653 attacked Allied convoy SL-118 565 miles west of Portugal; at 1852 hours, a spread of torpedoes fired by U-214 sank Dutch merchant ship Balingkar (2 were killed, 91 survived), sank British merchant ship Hatarana (all 108 aboard survived), and damaged British armed merchant cruiser Cheshire (all aboard survived); U-653 was detected by a British Liberator aircraft of No. 120 Squadron RAF, and was forced to return to Brest, France after sustaining heavy damage.
There's more to discover
You have arrived at just one small part of Back to Normandy — a personal project dedicated to preserving stories, images, music and memories of the Second World War.
Every record is a doorway to a larger story. Explore Back to Normandy to discover more, or visit Fred Vogels' personal website to learn about the person and the projects behind it.