pre 1939 uboat missions?

German Kriegsmarine 1935-1945.
AcidEric
New Member
Posts: 2
Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 2:08 pm

pre 1939 uboat missions?

Post by AcidEric »

Hi All

Does anyone know of any pre-war uboat missions?
I've recently read about Operation Ursular, the secret mission to the secret mission to Spanish water in 1936 on uboat.net (http://www.uboat.net/articles/index.html?article=59).
What else were the uboats up to? I know they were used later to drop German agents in Britain & America, did they do things like that before the war too? Secret missions to photograph enemy ports, ships & facilities?
Any Info would be appreciated.
Many Thanks

AE

P.S. This is for personal curiosity only I'm not researching for a book or anything lol :D
sid guttridge
on "time out"
Posts: 8055
Joined: Thu Oct 10, 2002 4:54 am

Post by sid guttridge »

Hi Acid Eric,

The book "Legion Condor" by R. J. Bender has a list of U-boat operations during the Spanish Civil War. If I rememer rightly, all the U-boats numbered U25-U36 conducted at least one mission each so that there was continuous U-boat coverage in Spanish waters over late 1936 to at least late 1938. (A couple of older U-boats also took part early on, but did not have the range to keep station off Spain for long.)

A considerable number of U-boats also took part in the occupation of Memel in March 1939.

Besides this, from the time of the remilitarisation of the Rhineland in March 1936, the Kriegsmarine was ordered to deploy a defensive arc of U-boats in the North Sea. I presume that this was repeated during each successive international crisis of the 1930s (i.e. in September 1938).

Cheers,

Sid.
AcidEric
New Member
Posts: 2
Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 2:08 pm

Post by AcidEric »

Thanks Sid

I'll have a look for thet when i go to the library later.

I only forun this site yesterday, Big Thumbs UP from me.

thanks again

AE
User avatar
wiltaz
Contributor
Posts: 219
Joined: Tue Mar 11, 2003 7:47 am
Location: Chesapeake, Va USA
Contact:

Post by wiltaz »

The long range boats and milch cows came along after the war started from what I remember. So I don't think they would have been operating off the US coast pre Sep 39.
User avatar
tigre
Patron
Posts: 6944
Joined: Sun Apr 10, 2005 5:42 pm
Location: Argentina

Re: pre 1939 uboat missions?

Post by tigre »

Hello to all :D, a little complement here.......................

Unternehmen "Ursula".

November 1936, in Kiel harbor two modern submarines of the type VIIA, which have been put into service a few months ago, were refitted and provided with weapons and supplies for a long "exercise". It was called “Ursula” after the nineteen-year-old only daughter of Kp z S. Dönitz, leader of the German Submarine Force.

The U 33 (commissioned on Jul 25, 1936 under Kplt. Otto-Heinrich Junker) and U 34 (commissioned on Sep 12, 1936 under Kplt. Ernst Sobe), built at the Krupp Germania shipyard in Kiel-Gaarden, carried eleven torpedoes and in front of the tower, a 88-mm gun (each with eighty grenades). The hardly proven boats got new commanders for this sail: Kplt Kurt Freiwald (took over U-33 on Nov 20, 1936) and Kplt Harald Grosse (took over U-34 on Nov 4, 1936); since 1931 both had gathered experience working with submarines in Spain and Finland, ie in the time when construction and possession of submarines was forbidden for Germany.

Sources: http://www.zeit.de/1991/49/piraten-vor-malaga
http://www.u-boot-archiv-cuxhaven.de/la ... l_war.html
KTB U-Bootwaffe. 1923 - 1938. Das Kriegstagebuch der U-Bootwaffe von Roland Berr.

Cheers. Raúl M 8).
Attachments
The Kaleun of U 33, Kapitänleutnant Kurt Freiwald  ………..<br />http://centroeu.com/uboote/fotos2.htm
The Kaleun of U 33, Kapitänleutnant Kurt Freiwald ………..
http://centroeu.com/uboote/fotos2.htm
image034.jpg (29.42 KiB) Viewed 9895 times
The Kaleun of U 34, Kapitänleutnant Harald Grosse  ………..
The Kaleun of U 34, Kapitänleutnant Harald Grosse ………..
image036.png (284.79 KiB) Viewed 9895 times
Serás lo que debas ser o no serás nada. General José de San Martín.
User avatar
tigre
Patron
Posts: 6944
Joined: Sun Apr 10, 2005 5:42 pm
Location: Argentina

Re: pre 1939 uboat missions?

Post by tigre »

Hello to all :D; more follows.......................

Unternehmen "Ursula".

For radio communications, which could be intercepted by the British and the French, some code words were introduced: U-33 was the "Ursula" Steamer “Triton”, and U-34, was the "Ursula" Steamer “Poseidon”. Kplt Freiwald was now called supercargo Free, Kplt Grosse was supercargo Gros!. Every night the boats should send messages over a special code radio technology (Sender "Ulme"). As cover name for the targets - military and merchant ships of Republican Spain, and later the Soviet Union, were selected "Oranges" and "soybean" ...

Shortly before 20 November 1936, the command "Cast off!" resounds, and everyone must sign a statement: "I am aware that any breach of confidentiality, even in the slightest form, about the sea area and all the events of ... the exercise ... must be considered as treason and punishable by death ... about confidentiality is lifetime. Both commanders receive their orders for the" exercise " orally and to fulfill their tasks independently.

Sources: http://www.zeit.de/1991/49/piraten-vor-malaga
http://www.u-boot-archiv-cuxhaven.de/la ... l_war.html
KTB U-Bootwaffe. 1923 - 1938. Das Kriegstagebuch der U-Bootwaffe von Roland Berr.

Cheers. Raúl M 8).
Attachments
U 33 around 1936……………………
U 33 around 1936……………………
image004.png (339.72 KiB) Viewed 9871 times
Serás lo que debas ser o no serás nada. General José de San Martín.
User avatar
tigre
Patron
Posts: 6944
Joined: Sun Apr 10, 2005 5:42 pm
Location: Argentina

Re: pre 1939 uboat missions?

Post by tigre »

Hello to all :D; more follows.......................

Unternehmen "Ursula".

On Nov 22, 1936 the U 33 (Kplt Kurt Freiwald, IWO Oblt z. S. Wilhelm Zahn, LI Kplt Scheel Karl, Strm Johann Estenfeld) sailed, along with the U 34 (Kplt Harald Grosse, IWO Oblt z S Gerd Schreiber) from Germany in order to support the Spanish National troops, within the framework of the Operation “Ursula”. U 33 and U 34 went through the Channel area. It was not until the night of 27 November 28, 1936 that U 33 and U 34 went through the Strait of Gibraltar secretly. According to international agreements, the waters west, south and east of the British Strongpoint, were a zone under control of the Royal Navy. In case warships of other nations shall pass through the strait; they had to be notified in advance.

In late November, both German U-boats held on the sea space between Cartagena and Almeria. The time of the war game had come. The orders from Berlin ran over Konteradmiral Boehm to the local commanders and were not followed by him.

On December 1, 1936 opened from Germany the illegal underwater war in the Mediterranean. On this day Kplt Grosse was sailing in advanced twilight with the U 34 offshore of Cartagena, the major trading city, which was also a naval base when he carried out the first attack and he radioed: "FT 0245/1902/ attacked one Red destroyer. Detonation was later heard. Three destroyer escort at dawn and dusk " but the shot failed.............

Sources: http://www.zeit.de/1991/49/piraten-vor-malaga
http://www.u-boot-archiv-cuxhaven.de/la ... l_war.html
KTB U-Bootwaffe. 1923 - 1938. Das Kriegstagebuch der U-Bootwaffe von Roland Berr.

Cheers. Raúl M 8).
Serás lo que debas ser o no serás nada. General José de San Martín.
User avatar
tigre
Patron
Posts: 6944
Joined: Sun Apr 10, 2005 5:42 pm
Location: Argentina

Re: pre 1939 uboat missions?

Post by tigre »

Hello to all :D; more follows.......................

Unternehmen "Ursula".

On Dec 02, 1936 the U 33 chased a Republican convoy, but cannot attack because of the presence of many escort destroyers. On Dec 05, 1936 the U 34 performs another unsuccessful attack against a Republican destroyer. On Dec 08, 1936 a third attack of U 34 against a Spanish destroyer brought no success. On Dec 11, 1936 the U 34 broke her mission off the Spanish coast and began the sail back to Germany.

On Dec 12, 1936 the U 34 received the order to run off the coast of MALAGA and lay in wait there. Shortly thereafter she met the Republican submarine C-3, which sailed surfaced to the port, and attacks her. At 14.19 hours the torpedo hit the Spanish submarine that sunk immediately, leaving only three survivors. The German torpedo did not explode but opened a huge breach in the pressure hull. The smoke and the explosion taken place thereafter was due to the water in contact with the batteries.

Sources: http://www.zeit.de/1991/49/piraten-vor-malaga
http://www.u-boot-archiv-cuxhaven.de/la ... l_war.html
KTB U-Bootwaffe. 1923 - 1938. Das Kriegstagebuch der U-Bootwaffe von Roland Berr.

Cheers. Raúl M 8).
Attachments
Spanish submarine C 3..........................<br />http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archivo:C3y_canguro.jpg
Spanish submarine C 3..........................
http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archivo:C3y_canguro.jpg
image004.jpg (29.63 KiB) Viewed 9841 times
Serás lo que debas ser o no serás nada. General José de San Martín.
User avatar
tigre
Patron
Posts: 6944
Joined: Sun Apr 10, 2005 5:42 pm
Location: Argentina

Re: pre 1939 uboat missions?

Post by tigre »

Hello to all :D; the end.......................

Unternehmen "Ursula".

On December 13, 1936, the two German U- boats passed the Strait of Gibraltar freely and unseen on their return sail. The next day, the Times reported in detail about the incident in front of Malaga ("Spanish Submarine sunk"). The nationality of the attacker was, as always "unknown". And it stayed that way. Because the pirate piece was continued at the return of the two U- boats.

In advance the commanders Freiwald and Grosse had been instructed to remain unseen during the return even by own warships and merchant ships, aviation and sight from the land. The boats shall avoid the steamer routes and pass the English Channel at night.

On December 20, 1936 the U 33 and U 34 ended their Spanish adventure, and Freiwald and Grosse gave back the boats to the previously appointed commanders (Indienststellungskommandanten).

On December 14, 1936 Konteradmiral Boehm wrote the final report on the "Unternehmen Ursula", at sea on board the battleship Deutschland. He was full of praise for the two commanders; despite the failures in the operation areas, they "exploited every opportunity to attack". They also were aware about "the high political responsibility". The "voyage" of the boats has truly brought a "valuable experience" and will strengthen confidence "in this young Branch".

Sources: http://www.zeit.de/1991/49/piraten-vor-malaga
http://www.u-boot-archiv-cuxhaven.de/la ... l_war.html
KTB U-Bootwaffe. 1923 - 1938. Das Kriegstagebuch der U-Bootwaffe von Roland Berr.
Grey wolves of the Sea.

It's all folks. Cheers. Raúl M 8).
Attachments
The U 33 and U 34 moored at the Bridge-Blücher ...................
The U 33 and U 34 moored at the Bridge-Blücher ...................
image004.jpg (55.37 KiB) Viewed 9811 times
Serás lo que debas ser o no serás nada. General José de San Martín.
User avatar
tigre
Patron
Posts: 6944
Joined: Sun Apr 10, 2005 5:42 pm
Location: Argentina

Re: pre 1939 uboat missions?

Post by tigre »

Hello to all :D; a complement to this topic ........................

German U Boats n Spanish waters in 1937-1939.

After the end of Operation Ursula, the Germans U boats regularly patrolled Spanish waters during the conflict. Two submersibles followed in the wake of the U 33 and U 34, there were U 28 and U 35 (both type VIIA). On December 6, 1936 kplt. Hans-Rudolf Rösing assumed command of the U 35 in order to run a patrol towards the Spanish coast, but this was not finally carried out and instead the submersibles visited Ponta Delgada in the Azores. As usual, before sailing, both submersibles conducted practice maneuvers in the Bay of Lübeck.

January 11, 1937. The U 28 (Kplt. Wilhelm Ambrosius, IWO Oblt z. S. Fritz-Julius Lemp) and U 35 (Kplt. Hans-Rudolf Rösing, IWO Oblt z. S. Otto Kretschmer) sailed from Wilhelmshaven towards the Azores (Ponta Delgada), returning to their port of origin on February 3, 1937 after 23 days at sea.

sources: KTB U-Bootwaffe. 1923 - 1938. Das Kriegstagebuch der U-Bootwaffe von Roland Berr. http://ktb.ubootwaffe.net/
Fotoalbum-U-Boot-U-9-Kriegsmarine-Flotille-Weddigen-Wehrmacht. eBay Auction.
U-Boot Flottille Saltzwedel U35 in Spanien Ponta Delgada. Fotobethge. eBay Auction

Cheers. Raúl M 8).
Attachments
The U 35 and behind the U 28 at Ponta Delgada's harbor...........................
The U 35 and behind the U 28 at Ponta Delgada's harbor...........................
image002.jpg (31.7 KiB) Viewed 9723 times
The U 28 and U 35 in Ponta Delgada............................
The U 28 and U 35 in Ponta Delgada............................
image004.jpg (24.35 KiB) Viewed 9723 times
View of the stern of both Type VIIA - Ponta Delgada January 22, 1937 ..................
View of the stern of both Type VIIA - Ponta Delgada January 22, 1937 ..................
image006.jpg (24.62 KiB) Viewed 9723 times
Serás lo que debas ser o no serás nada. General José de San Martín.
User avatar
tigre
Patron
Posts: 6944
Joined: Sun Apr 10, 2005 5:42 pm
Location: Argentina

Re: pre 1939 uboat missions?

Post by tigre »

Hello to all :D; something more........................

German U Boats in Spanish waters in 1937-1939.

On April 8, 1937 four submergibles sailed in order to carry out some patrols in Spanish waters; U 25 (Korvettenkapitän Eberhard God, IWO Oblt z. S. Fritz Frauenheim) from Kiel. The boat reached Bay of Arousa on April 13, 1937. Later she went to Cadiz where sailed back to Germany on May 17, 1937, reaching Wilhelmshaven on May 21, 1937.

While other three sailed from Wilhelmshaven, U 27 (Korvettenkapitän Hans Ibbeken, IWO Oblt z. S. Günter Kuhnke), U 34 (Kapitänleutnant Ernst Sobe, IWO Oblt z. S. Gerd Schreiber) and U 35 (Kapitänleutnant Hermann Michahelles, IWO Oblt z. S. Otto Kretschmer). U 27 reached Bay of Arousa on April 13, 1937 and carried out some exercises of immersion together with U 25 in the Bay of Biscay and then patrolled the waters off La Coruña. On May 13, 1937 she sailed back from La Raminel. U 34 patrolled the Bay of Arousa with U 35, which arrived there on April 13, 1937 and sailed back on May 13, 1937. These submersibles returned to Wilhelmshaven on May 17, 1937.

Sources: KTB U-Bootwaffe. 1923 - 1938. Das Kriegstagebuch der U-Bootwaffe von Roland Berr. http://ktb.ubootwaffe.net/
Fotoalbum-U-Boot-U-9-Kriegsmarine-Flotille-Weddigen-Wehrmacht. eBay Auction.
U-Boot U 35 Feindfahrt 1937-38 Spanische Küste AROSA. eBay Auction.

Saludos. Raúl M 8).
Attachments
The U 25 in Spanish lands, the characteristic colors of the handelsflagge (merchant flag) black, white and red are seen ......................... .
The U 25 in Spanish lands, the characteristic colors of the handelsflagge (merchant flag) black, white and red are seen ......................... .
image006.jpg (12.3 KiB) Viewed 9657 times
Michahelles and Kretschmer aboard of U 35 sailing to Spain.............<br />http://typevii.tumblr.com/page/3
Michahelles and Kretschmer aboard of U 35 sailing to Spain.............
http://typevii.tumblr.com/page/3
image008.jpg (25.92 KiB) Viewed 9657 times
U 35 in Spanish harbour......................................
U 35 in Spanish harbour......................................
image010.jpg (31.93 KiB) Viewed 9657 times
Serás lo que debas ser o no serás nada. General José de San Martín.
User avatar
tigre
Patron
Posts: 6944
Joined: Sun Apr 10, 2005 5:42 pm
Location: Argentina

Re: pre 1939 uboat missions?

Post by tigre »

Hello to all :D; something more........................

German U Boats in Spanish waters in 1937-1939.

On May 6, 1937 sailed from Wilhelmshaven, Germany, the U 36 (kplt Klaus Ewerth; IWO Oblt z S Harald Jürst) on her first patrol into Spanish waters during the civil war in that country. The submersible conducted training tasks and maritime surveillance off the coast of Alicante. The boat returned to her port of origin on June 15, 1937 after 40 days at sea.

Sources: KTB U-Bootwaffe. 1923 - 1938. Das Kriegstagebuch der U-Bootwaffe von Roland Berr. http://ktb.ubootwaffe.net/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bunde ... t_U_36.jpg.

Cheers. Raúl M 8).
Attachments
image008.jpg
image008.jpg (30.17 KiB) Viewed 9583 times
Serás lo que debas ser o no serás nada. General José de San Martín.
User avatar
tigre
Patron
Posts: 6944
Joined: Sun Apr 10, 2005 5:42 pm
Location: Argentina

Re: pre 1939 uboat missions?

Post by tigre »

Hello to all :D; something more........................

German U Boats in Spanish waters in 1937-1939.

Immediately after the bombing of the pocket battleship Deutschland carried out by Republican airplanes at the end of May 1937 four submarines of the 2nd U-Flotilla have been sent in Spanish waters to take part in the international naval patrol. They were properly marked with the black, white and red neutrality characters (the handelsflagge). Their control area was the Spanish Atlantic coast.

One of these boats, U 35 in the morning sighted a convoy in front of Santander, which was accompanied by two Republican destroyers. As the destroyer detected the submarine and turned to opposite course, U-35 dived at 05:10 hours and tried two attacks, however, she did not get a firing solution. At 8:10 hours U 35 surfaced again. A failed act of piracy!

On Jun 01, 1937 sailed from Wilhelmshaven the U 28; U 33; U 34 and U 35.

Sources: KTB U-Bootwaffe. 1923 - 1938. Das Kriegstagebuch der U-Bootwaffe von Roland Berr. http://ktb.ubootwaffe.net/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bunde ... t_U_36.jpg.
http://www.zeit.de/1991/49/piraten-vor-malaga/seite-8
Fotoalbum 175 Bilder U-Boot U 33, U 40 TOP !!! bei eBay_de 1918-1945 (endet 09_05_09 162928 MESZ).

Cheers. Raúl M 8).
Attachments
U 33 sailing towards Spanish waters..................
U 33 sailing towards Spanish waters..................
image021.jpg (22.38 KiB) Viewed 8762 times
Serás lo que debas ser o no serás nada. General José de San Martín.
User avatar
tigre
Patron
Posts: 6944
Joined: Sun Apr 10, 2005 5:42 pm
Location: Argentina

Re: pre 1939 uboat missions?

Post by tigre »

Hello to all :D; something more........................

German U Boats in Spanish waters in 1937-1939.

"War Commands" in peace.

Meanwhile - on 15 June 1937 - a new incident had excited the minds in Germany: Before the Algerian coast, 25 nautical miles north of Oran, the German light cruiser Leipzig was attacked with four torpedoes, but all of them ran past the vessel. Possibly, the German warship had been mistaken by a Spanish loyal cruiser.

The case was clear for the German navy, therefore Konteradmiral von Fischel, the local naval commander at that time, was to carry out a new secret submarine action in three target areas in the Mediterranean, where German submarines were not allowed to operate, before Cartagena and on the Algerian coast, where the "red" submarines have to be sunk. Before the breakthrough the Strait of Gibraltar the asigned U-boats (U 28, U 33 and U 34) had to repaint the numeric and neutrality characters.

This operation was called Unternehmen Jagdausflug and was carried out without sucess.

Sources: KTB U-Bootwaffe. 1923 - 1938. Das Kriegstagebuch der U-Bootwaffe von Roland Berr. http://ktb.ubootwaffe.net/
http://www.zeit.de/1991/49/piraten-vor-malaga/seite-8
http://www.die-marine.de/_deutsch/sonstiges/ww2.html.

Cheers. Raúl M 8).
Attachments
Here a poor photo of U 28 with the Torpedo boat &quot;Jaguar&quot; in Spain................
Here a poor photo of U 28 with the Torpedo boat "Jaguar" in Spain................
image028.jpg (37.83 KiB) Viewed 8654 times
Serás lo que debas ser o no serás nada. General José de San Martín.
User avatar
tigre
Patron
Posts: 6944
Joined: Sun Apr 10, 2005 5:42 pm
Location: Argentina

Re: pre 1939 uboat missions?

Post by tigre »

Hello to all :D; a little amendment to this topic ........................

German U Boats in Ponta Delgada 1937.
On January 11, 1937. The U 28 (Kplt. Wilhelm Ambrosius, IWO Oblt z. S. Fritz-Julius Lemp) and U 35 (Kplt. Hans-Rudolf Rösing, IWO Oblt z. S. Otto Kretschmer) sailed from Wilhelmshaven towards the Azores (Ponta Delgada), returning to their port of origin on February 3, 1937 after 23 days at sea.
by tigre » Fri Jun 20, 2014 6:02 am. Actually it was not that way......

On about 06 December 1936, Rösing was given temporary command of U 35 for a planned patrol in Spanish waters starting in January 1937; this patrol was canceled. Instead, a trip to Ponta Delgada in the Azores was undertaken, with U 28 (under temporary command of Hans-Günther Looff), which left Wilhelmshaven on 11 January 1937 and returned on 3 February 1937. Besides Oblt. z. S. Dietrich von der Ropp was temporarily on board of U 35 at the request of Kaleun Hans-Rudolf Rösing for the patrol to Ponta Delgada (Azores). After this patrol, he reported back to U 11 (Rösing was the Kaleun of U 11 at that time so he brought his WO with him).

Rösing recalled: This was to be the first time that the boats had been into the Atlantic. I took over from Michahelles, as Dönitz was of the opinion that Michahelles had not enough experience therefore one of the "old horses" was put in. At that time there was a civil war in Spain and our two submarines were initially to be sent to the Spanish waters, but we were sent to the Azores instead. We made the first experiences in really heavy weather. We had a Force 11 to 12 and then we found out what excellent seagoing ships these submarines were. And when it was too wet we could go down and relax.

Of course, as usual, I was seasick. I used to be seasick for the first two days in the cruise. But later on I was okay. Normally I never did anything about it, in the war of course I took medicine.

Sources: KTB U-Bootwaffe. 1923 - 1938. Das Kriegstagebuch der U-Bootwaffe von Roland Berr. http://ktb.ubootwaffe.net/
Fotoalbum-U-Boot-U-9-Kriegsmarine-Flotille-Weddigen-Wehrmacht. eBay Auction.
http://www.u-35.com/crew/roesing.htm
http://www.u-35.com/crew/vonderropp.htm

A little query: What happened with Ambrosius and Michahelles? Did they went aboard during that patrol or not? TIA. Cheers. Raúl M 8).
Attachments
Kplt. Looff.......................
Kplt. Looff.......................
image010.jpg (16.33 KiB) Viewed 8569 times
Serás lo que debas ser o no serás nada. General José de San Martín.
Post Reply