Sketchmap of U-boat attack on S.S. “Caribou”
Map:
Douglas How (1988) “Night of the Caribou”, Lancelot Press, Hantsport, NS.
This sketchmap shows the attack made by the German submarine U-69 on the ferry S.S. Caribou in the early morning of October 14, 1942. The U-boat attacked the ferry on its starboard side from 600 metres away. U-69 then turned away from the sinking ferry and crash dived to escape from the Navy escort ship. H.M.C.S. Grandmere spotted U-69 on the surface at a distance of 320 metres, just after the torpedo explosion. The minesweeper raced towards the submarine, trying to ram and sink it. However, the sub managed to escape by diving below the surface. Grandmere dropped depth charges near where the submarine had submerged but they missed the target. After the first depth charge attack, Grandmere swung to starboard and dropped more depth charges. The sketch also shows that Grandmere was initially following S.S. Caribou by about 1400 metres at the time of the attack.
This sketchmap was made by the captain of H.M.C.S. Grandmere, Lieutenant James Cuthbert of the Royal Canadian Navy. It comes from Douglas How’s 1988 book “Night of the Caribou”.