Oliver Lodwick Wolfard U.S. Naval Academy class of 1911. (108)

Photograph ( right ) credit is number (108). Again, cm 11 February there wu another re1cue. The story or 1hia 11 more ocaplete. CD 26 January the s. s. SAN ARCADIO, a aeven thousand tcm. Briti1h tanker with t.t.tty ottioera a.d men, put out trm Houatcm., Texaa, loaded with oil and bound for Halif'u, BoYa Sootia. FiTe day1 out, in po1iti<11 SS-lOI and 6S-flCIJ, at about 2200 LZT, they were torpedoed tir1t att md th• forward cm the 1tarboard aide. Arter tirtem minute• or ettort to am rlldio ocmtact the ahip wu in auoh c diticm. that it had to be abandcm.ed. 14-P-7, Lieut- enant J. A. JAAP O·Clllll.ailding tound nine survivor a in poaiticn M-281 and 62-5af.

Th• plan• l•nded at , took the peraQDNtl aboard and returned th• to Ber­ C.'t) muda. Aa a reault or ia aoticn Lieutenant J01eph Abraham Jaap, USI, waa awarded the Diatinguia ed Flying Croat VP-74 - 1942

Eor inea 817llJ4 ,lf

Sunk 18.8.44 SSW of Belle ile (46°46'N 03°39W)

Served with 2 U-Flottille, Wilhelmshaven/Lorient October 1940 - 18.8.44 (ab/lb)

Commanded by KK Gunter Hessler October 1940 - November 1941 KL Harald Gelhaus December 1941 - May 1943 KL Volker Simmermacher May 1943 - 18.8.44

Patrols: 13 Ships sunk: 38 (217,751grt)+ 4 damaged

1. 24.1.41 Left Kiel to operate in the North Atlantic. U 107 was S of Iceland early on 3.2.41, when she sighted southwest-bound convoy OB 279. Several other boats, ordered to intercept, did not close the convoy. In the early hours of the 3rd U 107 sank the SS Empire Citizen (br 4683t) S of Reykjavik and in the late evening the ocean board­ ing vessel SS Crispin (br 505lt) NNW ofRockall. This vessel had left the convoy and was escorted by a destroyer. On the 6th U 107 sank the SS Maplecourl (br 3388t), a straggler from convoy SC 20, SSW ofRockall. On the 19th U 107 and other boats then S of Iceland were ordered southeast to form a patrol line ahead of westbound convoy OB 287, sighted by a German aircraft NW of Cape Wrath. Inaccurate information from the aircraft caused the patrol line to be formed in the wrong place and the operation was called off late on the 21st. On the 23rd U 107 sank another ocean boarding vessel, the SS Manistee (br 5360t), S of Iceland. This vessel sank after several attacks by U 107 and may also have been hit by a torpedo from the Italian submarine Bianchi. U l 07 operated against convoy OB 288 from the 23rd but had no success. She put in to her new base at Lorient 1.3.41

2. 29.3.41 Left for the Central Atlantic, heading south to operate in the Freetown area. In the morning of 8.4.41 U 107 attacked southbound convoy OG 57 SE of the Azores and sank the SS Eskdene (br 3829t) by torpedo and gunfire. Following the convoy, she sank the SS Helena Margareta (br 33 l 6t) in the evening of the 8th and the SS Harpathian (br 46711) soon after midnight, both by torpedo W of Madeira. In the evening of the 9th U 107 sank the tanker MY Duffield (br 8516t), WSW of Madeira. U 107 was WSW of the Canaries on the 21st when she sank the SS Calchas (br 10305t) and on the 30th she was SW of the Cape Verde Islands, sinking the MY lasself (br 74l7t) there in the late U 107 torpedoed and sanlc the lanlcer MY San Arradio (br 74191) N eYening. The boat moved south to the replenishment area NW of of Bennuda. On 6.2.42 she sanlc a ship E or Cape Hatteras, which Sl Paul Rocks. where she was refuelled by the Nordmarlr. on 3.5.41 was probably the SS Major Whuler (am 343 It), due in Philadel­ aad replenished with torpedoes by the Eger/and on the 10th. phia on the 9th but failed to arrive. Once havin& reached the Fredown area, U 107 began a run of Fwthcr north, U I 07 torpedoed and damaged the MY Egda mcccsses. She sank the tanker MY Marisa (nl 80291) soon after (nw 10068t) on the 21st ESE of Sable Island imdnight on the 16th SW of Freetown, the SS Pialw (br 82861) on U I 07 returned to Lorient 7.3.42 !be 18th, the SS Colonial (br 5 !081) on the 27th, the SS Papalemos (gr 3748t) on the 28th, the SS Sire (br 5664t) on the 31st, the 6. 21.4.42 Left for operations in the western Atlantic. MY Alfred Jones (br 5013t) on 1.6.41 and 1he SS Adda (br 7816l) U I07 met the returning U 123 W of the Bay of Biscay on the on the 8th. all six ships sunk by torpedo in an area WSW of 28th, to pass over a code book and to exchange infonnation. Freetown. U I07 o.rri•ed in the Hatteras area just before mid-May and later Moving westwards towards the rcplcnishmcnl area NW of St moved south down the coast of Florida nod then along the nonhern Paul Rocks, U 107 sank the SS Pandias (gr4981l) NE of the Rocks coast ofCuba On the 29th she sank the SS *~stern Head (br 25991) on the 13th. The boat was due to be refuelled by the supply ship in the Windward Passage. Lothringen on the 18th but that vessel was sunlc in early June. For lhe oext three weeks U I 07 operated in the Carribean, With no refuelling facilities available in the Central Atlantic area, between Cuba and Yucatan. On 1.6.42 she sanlc the SS Bushranger after live supply ships had been sunk in the Adantic in early June, (pa4536t) S ofGrand Cayman, on the 7th theSSCasriUa(bo 39JOI) U !07 made her way back. SSW of Punta Francis, Cuba, on the 9th the SS Suwied (am 32491) This patrol was the most successful by a U·boal in lhe Second S of the western tip of Cuba and on the 10th the SS Merrimack World Wo.r, wilh foun cen ships sunlc, with n lOlal of 86.699 gn. (am 2606t) S of the Yucatan Channel. U 107 reached Lorienl 2.7.41 U I 07 exiled rhe Caribbean around the 20th and on the 26th she sank the SS Jagersfontein (nl 10083t) ESE of Bermuda. She was 3. 6.9.41 Left to operate in the Central A~antic . refuelled by U 459 in late June NE of Bennuda. U 107 joined up with U 67, U 68 and U 103 and from 18.9.41 U I 07 rerumcd ro Lorient 11. 7.4 2 they proceeded south in line abreast. On the 21st U 107 sigbted nonhbound convoy SL 87 W of the 7. 25.7 .42 Left Lorient and returned 29.7.42 Canaries. Attacks were rrulde on the convoy over thru days and seven ships were sunk, duee of them by U 107 in the morning of 8. IS.8.42 Left for operations in the Freetown area. the 24th. the SS John Holt (br 4975t). the SS Lafian (br 48761) and U 107 joined Otis group NE of the Azores from !he 23rd, with the MY Dltcove (br 3790!), all by torpedo WNW of !he Canaries. U 214. U 406 and U 566. to proceed southwards. On lhe 26th north­ After the operation U 107 continued south in company with bound SL 119 was sighted W of Lisbon by U 214. U 107 closed the U 103 and U 125. This time U 107 bad no success in the Freetown convoy on Lhe 28th but was driven off. The operation ended on the area. On 16.10.41 lhe boats, now joined by U 66, began rhe return 29th, with three ships sunk, two by U 566 and one by U 156 of journey, again in line abreast, searching lhe area between 17° and Eisbilr gro11p, which also operated againsr the convoy. 25°W. They had no success. U 107, U 21 4 and U 406 wiled W of Lisbon. In the morning of U 107, U 66 and U 103 were directed against southbound 3.9.42 U 107 sanlc iwo ships off the Ponugese coast, S of Lisbon, convoy OS I 0, sighted by U 96 on the 31st N of the Azores. Air the SS Hollinside (br 4172t) and the SS Penrrue (br 43931). reconnaissance reponcd the convoy again on 2.11.41 but only brief The three waiting boats were joined by U 87. U 333 and U 590 contact was made by one boat and when lost it was never regained. and on the 9th they began a southerly sweep towards the Cape U 107 and U 103 were briefly with St/Jrre~cur group W of Verde Islands, as Otis group. Spain, where a patrol line was planned for the 5th to operaie against The boats patrolled in an area SW of the Canaries from the 12th CJGibraltar. U 333 rendezvoused with U 107 on the 7th. On U 107 was a 'cap­ U 107 joined Surliuber group, which was directed to attack tain under instruction' and he was put aboard U 333 to take com­ convoy HO 76, which left Gibraltar for the UK on the 14th. The mand and take her back to base. convoy moved south along the Moroccan coast and was not found On or about the 11th U 107 was refuelled by U 459 SW of by reconnaissance aircraft until the 16th. U 107, U 108 and U 131 Freetown for mum to base. sighted HG 76 on lhe 17th. Shadowing, U 107 was driven off in She reached Lorient 18.U.42 the evening of the 18th by the corvette HMS Pentsttmon. The boat again began shadowing and from the 20th she brought 9. 30.1.43 Left for operations in the North Atlantic. up live other boats. Contact was maintained until the 22nd. ~c U 107 joined Harth.en. group W of the Bay of Biscay, fonncd to ships were sunk. the destroyer HMS Stanley and the escort-earner intercept and auack MKS and KMS convoys. After a few days the HMS Audacity. Pive boats were lost. U 107 had no success. group was dissolved, when no ships were seen. She returned to Lorient 26.12.41 U I07 moved south to a position off the coast of Ponugal. The Gennan Naval Staff feated an Allied invasion of Ponugal and from S. 7.1.42 Left 10 operate in the western Nonh Atlantic. 11.2.43 U 107 and other boats were on alert. However, on the 12th The first wave of live boats of Operation Paukenschlag was in a southbound convoy was sighted 200 miles W of Cape Finistenc position off the US coast in early January and the lirst attacks on and the boats wailing W of Portugal were ordered to intercept. The shipping were made on the J 3lh. convoy had a strong air escon. which kept the boats submerged and u 107, U 1()6 and U 103 arriVcd in lhe area E or Chesapeake unable to attack. The operation ended on the 14th in failure and Bay before the first wave began their return journey, ensuring U 442 and U 620 bad been sunlc by aircrafl. continuity of the U-boat threat to coastal shippin&- On the 31st With fears of an Allied invasion of Portugal now passed, the U 107 (continued) the 25th it was ordered southeastwards to attack combined convoy boats, including U I 07, fonnedRobbe group NE of the Azores.From MKS 31/SL 140. It was sighted by Gem1an aircraft on the 26th and the 17th to the 20th the group searched the area but found no ships. Weddigen moved to intercept The convoy turned north and when On the 21st Robbe boats with sufficient fuel were ordered to be in located again by aircraft it was cast of the group. Accordingly, the position just W of Gibraltar by the 28th. En route to the area on the boats went to the northeast, submerged in daylight and at high speed 22nd, U 107 sank the MY Rox/>oro14g/1 Castle (br 7801t) E of on the surface during the night. Constantly harassed by Tcrceira, Azores. aircraft and surface vessels, their progress was slow. U 262 of the In their new position off Gibraltar the boals were subject to so group was overrun by the convoy just before dawn on Ille 28th. She much anention by Allied aircraft that they were ordered on 5.3.43 surfaced and fired three torpedoes but without success. Soon after LO move further west. On the 5th U 107 closed convoy KMS 10 but this U I 07 made an unsuccessful attack against a destroyer of the was driven off by a Catalina. On the 12th southbound OS 44 was escort. She was located by tbe corveue HMS Dahlu1 and suffered sighted by Gemllln aircraft north ofRobbe group. U I 07 closed the some damage in a depth-charge attack. convoy during the night of the 12/13th and sank four ships, W The operation was called off on the 28th and the seven Weddigen of Vigo, the SS Marcella (br 4592t), the SS Clan Alpine (br 5442t), boats which did not return to base moved nonhwest to a new the SS Oporto (br 2352t) and the SS Sembilangan (nl 4990!). patrol line on longitude 25°W. U l 07 was in this group. U I 07 returned to the area W of Lisbon and after a few days she When Weddigen was dissolved on the 8th U I 07 and U 618 were headed for base, reaching Lorient 25.3.43 directed to join Coronel group, which had been fo nned off the North Channel on 5.12.43 and then moved westwards. U 107 joined the 10. 24.4.43 Left Lorient for the Newfoundland area. group around the 12th, somewhere SE of Cape Farewell. Outward-bound, U 107 sank the MY Port ViCJor (br 1241 \ t) On the 15th Coronel group was expanded and then split into early on 1.5.43 WSW of Ireland. three sections, I, 2, and J. U I07 was in Coronel 3, which was sent U I 07 joined Amsel l group on the 4th E of Newfoundland, in a south to find westbound convoy ONS 25. On the 20th Coronel 3 patrol line ahead of southwest-bound convoy ONS 5. During the began a move, as Borlmm group, to an area W of Cape Onegal to night of the 4/5th the first boats of Amsel. J and 2 and Fink groups intercept combined convoy MKS 33/SL 142. When the convoy was located the convoy. Attacks were made and the convoy dispersed not found the Borkum boats were ordered to operate against the into several smaller, escorted groups. In the late afternoon of the carrier groups of USS Card and Core, in an effon to cover the 5th fog came down and almost all contact was lost. After it was returning blockade-runner Osorno. This ship reached the Gironde regained brielly in the early morning of the 6th the operation was Estuary safely on the 26th but after striking a wreck she had to be abandoned. Twelve ships were sunk and six boats were lost. beached to save her valuable cargo. U 107 left Borkwn group in From the 8lh Amsel 1 and 2 groups refonned as Elbe group E of late December and returned to Lorient 8.1.44 Newfoundland, to await two eastbound convoys. Oo the 8th the group was ordered southeast to intercept HX 237. The convoy was 14. 30.4.44 Lcfi Lorient and rcrumed 2.S.44 100 far ahead so the Elbe boats headed southeastwards at high speed to cut off the slower SC 129. On the 10th Rhein and Elbe groups 15. 10.S.44 Left to operate in Canadian waters. combined to fonn Elbe I and 2 groups. Whilst Lhey were forming On the 19th U I 07 claimed a torpedo hit on a destroyer near their patrol line on the lJ th they passed the convoy. However, con· Halifax but this appears unlilcely. tact was made on the 12th but the eleven boats shadowing were On 13.6.44 U 107 damaged by gunfire the fishing vessel Lark driven off. Some boats wei:e damaged and U 186 was sunk. When (am 231f) at the Baccaro Bank, 50 miles from Cape Roseway, che escort-carrier HMS Biter arrived to join the escort the after two torpedoes failed. The boats's 3.7 cm cannon jammed after operation ended. Only two ships were sunk. Two boats were lost. 15 rounds. The American crew abandoned the Lark but they later U 107 left !he group and returned to Lorieot 26.S.43 reboarded and sailed her home 300 miles to Boston. U I 07 was ordered back to Lorient but instructed to conserve 11 . 28.7.43 Left for a minelaying operation off the US east coasL enough fuel 10 reach Bergen, if so ordered. This was an option only . Outward-bound on the 31st, U I 07 was attacked in the Bay of to be used if the Atlantic ports fell quickly to the advancing Allies. Biscay by a Halifax of502Squadron (F/O A J Davey) but, presum­ U 107, the first schnorkel-equipped boat to reach US waters, ably, suffered no damage.The aircraft was fired on by the boat rerumed without success. She reached Lorient 23.7.44 before she submerged. Early on 28.8.43, near Savannah, U I 07 fi red three torpedoes at 16. 16-8.44 Left Lorient for La Pallice. the SS Albert Gallatin (am 7176t), only one of which hit but failed On tbe 18th, on a clear, calm day, a Sunderland of 201 Squadron to detonate. An escorting blimp, T 34, radioed for assistance. An (F/Lt E H Baveystock) had just arrived in its operational area W of Army 825 arrived and sighted U 107 moving nonh on the surface. La Rochelle. Bavcystock was below and the 2nd pilot was flying The pilot dropped four depth bombs, all of which m.isscd. TI1e blimp the aircraft, with the 3rd pilot beside him. The front gunner and 3rd homed io some naval vessels but searches on the 29th and 30th pilot simultaneously sighted !he wake of U 107's periscope about found nothing. The Albert Gallatin was eventually sunk by the two miles ahead. Japanese submarine I 26 on 2. l .44 in the Indian Ocean. When !he alann sounded Baveystock rushed up and displaced U 107 laid twelve TMB mines off Charleston on 4.9.43. They the 3rd pilot from the 2nd pilot's seat. By this time the aircraft had were undiscovered until 20.9.43. when British minesweeper J-967 passed over the wake. Baveystock left his seat and altered !he set­ exploded one during a sweep. The US Navy cleared the rest. U I 07 ting of his depth-charges from 60 feet intervals LO 50 feet and then probably damaged the navy oiler SS Rapidan (am 8246t) with a went forward again to direct the attack from the 2nd pilot's seat. torpedo on the J Ith E of Charle.,ton. The Sunderland circled, the wake was spotted again and the depth­ She returned to Loricnt 3.10.43 charges wei:e run out under the wings. Six depth-charges were dropped, straddling the boat at an angle, 12. t O.ll.43 Left Lorient and arrived St Nazaire 12.11.43 causing a tremendous explosion and churning the water into foam over a large area It is quite probable that U 107 was blown in half 13. 16.11.43 Left St Nazaire to operate W of Spain and Portugal. because after twenty minutes bubbles were seen breaki ng the From the 23rd U I 07 was with Weddigen group, in an east-west sucface in two different spots. patrol line W ofCape Finisterre. between 18° and 22•w. On the 23rd There were no survivors, 59 dead. the group moved southwestwards and then in the evening of mck June 22, 2016 • • PILE1 UNITED STATES ATLANTIC FLEET PATROL BOMBING SQUADRON ONE HUNDRED TwENTY·SIX a&.111AL1

Lieutenant Commander .lilliam H. UUNSON , U.S, Navy. Born: 21 March 1915 - Post Chester, N. Y. \ Cornell University - Ithaca, N. Y. - 1932-1936 - Receiving A.B.Degr ee - Columbia School of Law - 1936-1937 . August 1937 entered U. S. Navy as S2/c, V- 5, USNR at Floyd Bennett Field, Brooklyn, N. Y. NAS , Pensacola for .flight training from 1937 until receiving wings in November 1938 . January 1939 reported to VP-15 - Patrol 'Ning FI VE , Norfolk, Va. (PB2Y-2 Airplanes). Squadron designation changed to VP- 53 , Received commission as Ensign, A-V( N), USNR, in August 1939 . Squadron flew on Fleet Problem XX and neutrality f rom Norfolk, Key ./est and Haiti. Also engaged in midshipmen training at Annapolis, :Md., during sunmer of 1939.

P2Y-2 1 s were exchanged for PBY-l ' s, 2' s, and 3 1 s, June 1940 transferred to VP-31, Patrol Wing THPEE , Coco Solo, Canal Zone. Flew neutrality patrols from Coco Solo, San Juan, Trinidad

and Guantanamo. Received commission as Ensign, USN , in September 1941. May 1941 transferred to duty ss Asst. U, S, Naval Observer,

Singapore, Straits Settlements. Vlas temporarily unofficially attached to R. A. F. General Reconnaissance Squadron 205, Seletar, Singapore, Inspection trip to Rangoon, Burma, • • P'IL•1 UNITED STATES ATLANTIC FL.EET PATROL BOMBING SQUADRON ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-SIX HIUALt

November 1941 transferred to duty as Asst, Naval Observer,

Wellington, New Zeland. Temporary additional duty under U, S, Naval Observers, Suva, Figi from January 1942 until May 1942. Trips to Tonga, Samoa t>Jld Hew Caledonia, for i nspection purposes. Temporarily attached to #5 General Re connassance Squadron, Royal New Zealand Air Force, Suva, Fi8i, flying British Short Singapore Aircraft, Appointed Lieut. (jg), USN, in June 1942. Returned to- New- Zealand in ?ray 1942 . Tempora11r additional duty with Rear Admiral Richard Byrd, U,S.l avy (Ret. ) . Appointed

Lieutenant USN , in June 1942.

August 1942 returned to U, S, duty in Transition Training Squadron Atlantic; Ordered to VP-93 in November 1942, reporting on 2 December 1942. Appoi nted Lieut. Comdr . , USN, in April 1944.

Relieved Lieut. Comdr. B. \1, DUNLOP as Commanding Officer on 7 August 1944. File Number : .79199. '.'life: Evelyn Spamer MUNSON .