| Type IXD2 German Submarine U-848 attacked and sunk by United States Navy Consolidated PB4Y Privateers of squadron VB-107 and 2 United States Army Air Force (USAAF) North American B-25 Mitchells. U-848, a Type IXD2 U-Boat, was commissioned on February 20, 1943, under the command of Korvettenkapitan Wilhelm Rollman (August 5, 1907 – November 5, 1943). Rollman was a U-Boat ace who sank over 100,000 tons while the commander of U-34. Ordered to the Far East to join the “Monsoon” wolfpack operating from Japanese bases in Indonesia for war patrols in the Indian Ocean, U-848 sank the unescorted steamship Baron Semple, a British freighter, near Ascesion Island in the South Atlantic on November 2, 1943. Master Philip Jarvis Carnie (April 18, 1897 – November 2, 1943) and 61 crewmembers were killed. Word of the sinking did not reach VB-107 before they attacked U-848. VB-107 was ordered to Ascension Island in September 1943; they conducted antisubmarine patrols in conjunction with United States Army Air Force North American B-25C Mitchells of the 1st Composite Squadron. Lieutenant Charles A. Baldwin (May 13, 1918 – April 17, 2001) in United States Navy PB4Y-1 Privateer “107-B-12” was 5 hours into their patrol on November 5, 1943, when they spotted U-848 on the surface. In 2 attack runs they were able to disable the U-Boat’s ability to submerge and directed subsequent aircraft to the target. Lieutenant William R. Ford (October 20, 1915 – October 11, 2007) flying “107-B-4” nicknamed “Macahyba Maiden,” joined Lieutenant Baldwin; while he attacked in a strafing run, Ford dropped depth charges 50 feet from U-848 in 2 separate runs. Both planes reported heavy antiaircraft fire. Ford called for more help and returned to Ascension Island. This is a photograph from the 2nd attack run. 3 Mark 47 depth charges spaced 60 feet (18 meters) fused to explode at 25 feet (7.5 meters) at an unreported speed from 25 feet altitude. Anti-aircraft fire hit the port fin as Baldwin pulled out of the attack. Note the 2 Nazi German crewman in the conning tower; 1 wears a Stalhelm (“steel helmet”). There are 20 millimeter Flak 38 anti-aircraft guns and 105 millimeter SK C/32 wet deck-mounted naval gun. Both of the men in this view were killed when United States Navy PB4Y-1 Privateer “107-B-4” flown by Lieutenant Samuel K. Taylor (June 11, 1917 – February 21, 2009) destroyed the U-Boat with 2 depth charges on his 2nd attack of the day. Taylor and his crew saw 20 or 30 survivors in the water. “107-B-4” dropped a life raft and an Army Consolidated OA-10 Catalina dropped 3. Taylor attempted to divert HMS Fort Cumberland to the survivors’ location, but the ship never arrived. A month later, on December 3, 1943, USS Marblehead (CL-12) rescued Oberbootsmann (literally Upper Boatswain, but comparable to Senior Petty Officer) Hans Schade (1913 – December 5, 1943); he was in a United States Army life raft for 28 days. He entered the military hospital at Recife, Brazil on December 4. He was interviewed and confirmed the sinking of Baron Semple when he wasn’t delirious and died the next day. Schade was the only 1 found of 63 crewmembers of U-848. He was buried with full military honors at Recife in the Santo Amara Cemetery. Taylor and Baldwin received Distinguished Flying Crosses personally from Eleanor Roosevelt at Natal, Brazil on March 16, 1944. | |
| Image Filename | wwii1989.jpg |
| Image Size | 428.04 KB |
| Image Dimensions | 2828 x 2232 |
| Photographer | Charles A. Baldwin |
| Photographer Title | United States Navy |
| Caption Author | Written or Adapted by Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | November 5, 1943 |
| Location | |
| City | |
| State or Province | Ascension Island |
| Country | Atlantic Ocean |
| Archive | Naval History and Heritage Command |
| Record Number | 80-G-208284 |
| Status | Caption ©2026 MFA Productions LLC Please Do Not Duplicate or Distribute Without Permission; Image in the Public Domain |
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