The Battle of the Atlantic. First Round 1939.

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Hello to all , here goes a brief compilation of the subject ....................

Pre-war deployment........................

On August 19, 1939 and as it had been foreseen sailed the following submersibles:

Flotilla “Wegener” (Type VIIB): U-45 (Kplt Alexander Gelhaar, IWO OLt.z.S Ernst v.Bergen-Windels, WO Lt z. S. Heinz Döring); U-46 (Kplt Herbert Sohler, IWO Oblt Erich Topp); U-47 (Kplt Günther Prien, IWO Oblt Engelbert Endrass, IIWO Lt Amelung v. Varendorff); U-48 (Kplt Herbert Schulze, IWO Lt Reinhard Suhren, IIWO Lt Otto Ites); U-52 (Kplt Wolfgang Barten, IWO Hans-Jürgen Radke, IIWO Lt Wolfgang Römer) from Kiel;

Flotilla “Hundius” (Type IXA): U-37 (Kplt Heinrich Schuch, IWO Oblt Ernst Bauer), U-38 (Kplt Heinrich Liebe, IWO Obl. Z. S. Wolfgang Lüth), U-39 (Kplt Gerhard Glattes; IWO Oblt Friedrich von Gärzke; IIWO Lt Dietrich Jahr), U-40 (Kplt Werner v. Schmidt, IWO Lt Paul-Karl Loeser), U-41 (Oblt Gustav Adolf Mugler; IWO Oblt Adolf Gerlach, WO Oblt Jürgen Sander) from Wilhelmshaven. The tactical command of the whole group was exercised by the Commander of U-Flotille Hundius (6th), KrvKpt Werner Hartmann aboard of the U-37. Of these boats, the U-39 did not come back and would be lost in action in what would be its first and last patrol.

Besides four boats of the Flotilla “Saltzwedel” (Type VIIA): U-28 (Oblt Günther Kuhnke, IWO Oblt Hans-Jürgen Zetzsche), U-29 (Kplt Otto Schuhart, IWO Lt Georg Lassen, IIWO Ludwig Forster), U-33 (Kplt Hans-Wilhelm v. Dresky, IWO Oblt Hans Heidtmann), U-34 (Kplt Wilhelm Rollmann, IWO Oblt Wilfried Prellberg) from Wilhelmshaven.

Sources: http://ktb.ubootwaffe.net/
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Cheers. Raúl M .

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Pre-war deployment........................

On August 21, 1939 the BDU (Dönitz) realized that he could not fulfill all the plans for lack of boats, the Kriegsmarine had very few submarines to sail towards the Atlantic and none of them could be sent to remote areas. So by the evening of this day the situation was as follows:

7 submersibles of the 1st Flotilla assigned to Group West.
4 submersibles of the 2nd Flotilla en route to the Atlantic.
3 submersibles of the 2nd Flotilla en route to the Baltic.
5 Submersibles of the 5th Flotilla en route to the Baltic.
5 Submersibles of the 6th Flotilla en route to the Atlantic.
5 Submersibles of the 7th Flotilla en route to the Atlantic.

On August 22, 1939 at 03:00 hours sailed from Wilhelmshaven the U-30 (Oblt Fritz-Julius Lemp, IWO Oblt Hans-Peter Hinsch, IIWO Lt Friedrich Bothe). This submersible type VIIA and belonging to the 2nd Flotilla was to operate with the U-27 on the northern access of the Irish Sea (Atlantic Operations Order No. 2).

The following submarines sailed en route to the Atlantic:

2nd U-Flotilla: U 28/29/30/33/34
6th U-Flotilla: U 37/38/39/40/41
7th U-Flotilla: U 45/46/47/48/52

On August 23, 1939 at 23:00 hours, and with the storm at the gates, sailed from Wilhelmshaven the U-27 (KpLt Johannes Franz; IWO Oblt Werner Kolb; IIWO Oblt Hermann Beckmann).

Sources: http://ktb.ubootwaffe.net/
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http://www.uboatarchive.net/BDUKTB.htm
500 WWII - GERMAN NAVY - KRIEGSMARINE PHOTO s fm ALBUM - eBay (item 140349131598 end time Oct-10-09 073732 PDT).

Cheers. Raúl M .

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Pre-war deployment........................

Maßnahme Schweden!

Effective since August 24, 1939 came into force the so called Maßnahme Schweden (Measure Sweden), it was intended to prevent Poles ships to escape to the North Sea. Here were engaged the U 31 (Kplt Johannes Habekost, IWO Oblt Heinz-Otto Schulze), U 32 (Kplt Paul Büchel, IWO Oblt Hans Jenisch) and U 35 (Kplt Werner Lott, IWO Oblt Hans-Bernhard Michalowski). These boats sailed towards the port of Memel on August 24, 1939 arriving there on August 26, 1939 and sailed again from the port of Memel on August 27, 1939 with the intention of setting minefields to accomplish the assigned mission.

But the measure was not very effective because the sea mines were not launched and three Polish destroyers (ORP Burza, ORP Gdynia/Grom and ORP Blyskawica) and two Polish submarines reached Great Britain, while other Polish ships arrived in Sweden.

Sources: http://ktb.ubootwaffe.net/
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http://www.uboatarchive.net/BDUKTB.htm
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Cheers. Raúl M .

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Pre-war deployment........................

Maßnahme Ulla!

The U-Flottille "Emsmann" (Type IIC) was to relieve U-Flotille "Weddigen" (Type IIB) for Operation Ulla. Effective since August 25, 1939 came into force the so called Maßnahme Ulla (Measure Ulla), it was intended to watch over the Eastern access of the English Channel and the British ports starting from Latitude 0°. Here would be engaged four submersibles on the north access of the Canal, five in the Great Fisher Bank, two up the level of Scotland and one in front of Utsire. Six submersibles were available in Wilhelmshaven. The following sailed by order of F.O. U/B West: U 13, U 15, U 17, U 21, U 23, U 12, U 16, U 20, U 24, U 56, U 58, U 59.

When the Allies declared war on Germany the following submersibles were deployed in the area of ​​operations: along the British West Coast were U 27, U 28, U 29, U 30, U 33 and U 34; along the east coast were U 13, U 15, U 16 and U 17, engaged in mine-laying operations against British ports on the south-eastern coast; in the Great Fisher Bank operated the U 12, U 56, U 58 and U 59; off the east coast of Scotland the U 9 and U 19; finally the U-20 off southern Norway.

Sources: http://ktb.ubootwaffe.net/
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http://www.uboatarchive.net/BDUKTB.htm
500 WWII - GERMAN NAVY - KRIEGSMARINE PHOTO s fm ALBUM - eBay (item 140349131598 end time Oct-10-09 073732 PDT).

Cheers. Raúl M .

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Pre-war deployment........................

On August 25, 1939 sailed from Wilhelmshaven the U 56 (Kplt Wilhelm Zahn; IWO Lt Herwig Collmann; WO Obstrm Kurt Pressel).
On August 26, 1939 sailed from Memel the U-57 El 26 de Agosto de 1939 zarpó desde Memel el U-57 (Kplt Klaus Korth; IWO Lt. Kurt Reichenbach-Klinke).

On August 29, 1939 sailed from Wilhelshaven the U 26 (Kptlt. Klaus Ewerth, IWO Oblt Ottokar Arnold Paulsen, IIWO Lt Horst Hamm) and U-53 (Kplt Heinz-Günther Heinicke, IWO Oblt Heinrich Schonder), aboard was the Commander of the 7th U-Flotille. On August 31, 1939 sailed from Wilhelmshaven the U 36 (Kplt Wilhelm Fröhlich).

Sources: http://ktb.ubootwaffe.net/
Fotoalbum-U-Boot-Atlantikboot-Feindfahrten-FrontbootTop bei eBay_de 1918-1945 (endet 14_02_10 200556 MEZ)
http://www.uboatarchive.net/BDUKTB.htm
500 WWII - GERMAN NAVY - KRIEGSMARINE PHOTO s fm ALBUM - eBay (item 140349131598 end time Oct-10-09 073732 PDT).

Cheers. Raúl M .

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The first round - War with Poland.

On September 1, 1939 began the war and the submarines of the U-Flotille "Weddingen" (1st) operating in the Baltic and "Saltzwedel" (2nd), "Lohs" (3rd), "Hundius" (6th) and "Wegener" (7th) operating in the Atlantic were given status of warships. The U 2 (Kplt Helmut Rosenbaum), U 8 (Kplt Wolf-Harro Stiebler) and U 10 (Kplt Georg-Wilhelm Schulz) despite the outbreak of the war remained in the school Flotilla but readily available.

The U 6 (Kplt Joachim Matz, IWO Lt. Klaus Bargsten) observed a Swedish destroyer at grid AO 45. The U 14 (Kplt Horst Wellner) was transferred to the U-Flotille Lohs as operative boat, that very day the submarine reached its new operation area at Grid AO 9435.

Sources: http://ktb.ubootwaffe.net/
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http://www.uboatarchive.net/BDUKTB.htm
500 WWII - GERMAN NAVY - KRIEGSMARINE PHOTO s fm ALBUM - eBay (item 140349131598 end time Oct-10-09 073732 PDT).

Cheers. Raúl M .

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The first round - War with Poland.

Still on September 1, 1939, the U 17 (KpLt Heinz v. Reiche) reached its patrol area in Grid AN 8530. The U 18 (KpLt Max-Hermann Bauer; IWO Oblt Udo Heilmann) chased a Polish submersible some 80 MN north of the Bay of Danzig. The U 21 (Kplt Fritz Frauenheim, IWO Oblt Robert Bartels) in Grid AN 8547. The U 34 sighted four tankers in Grid BE 3540. The U-40 in Grid CF 8686. U 48 in Grid BE 5936.

After six days at sea arrived in Kiel the U 31, U 32 and U 35 after operating in Baltic Sea waters.

The U 39 was given status of operative boat within the U-Flotille "Hundius".

Sources: http://ktb.ubootwaffe.net/
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http://www.uboatarchive.net/BDUKTB.htm
500 WWII - GERMAN NAVY - KRIEGSMARINE PHOTO s fm ALBUM - eBay (item 140349131598 end time Oct-10-09 073732 PDT).

Cheers. Raúl M .

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The first round - War with Poland.

September 2, 1939.

The passenger liner Athenia sailed from Liverpol. The U 5 (Kplt Günter Kutschmann, IWO Lt Georg Staats) at Grid AO 4578. The U 13 (Kplt Karl Daublebsky von Eichhain) and U 16 (Kplt Johannes Weingärtner) sailed from Wilhelmshaven. The U 14 reached a new patrol area at ​​Grid AO 9195. The U 15 (Kplt Heinz Buchholz) at Grid AN 8435. The U 18 spotted a Polish submarine sailing due northeast in Grid AO 9271. The U 19 (Kplt Hans Meckel, IWO Lt Wilhelm Müller-Arnecke) reached Grid AN 4192 where it should intercept a Polish destroyer without finding the target. The U 24 (Kplt Udo Behrens) sailed from Wilhelmshaven to launch sea mines.

On this day the U 27 reached her patrol area in the North Atlantic as was ordered. The U 26 at Grid AF 7456 at 16:00 hours spotted the U 53. The U 36 at Grid AN 6260. The U 41 reached her patrol area at Grid CF 8760. The U 30 in her oredered patrol area at Grid AM 03. The U 47 sighted two French submersibles at Grid BF 4868. The U 57 arrived at the port of Memel after 8 days at sea. The U 31 and U 35 moved from Kiel to Wilhelmshaven.

Sources: http://ktb.ubootwaffe.net/
Fotoalbum-U-Boot-Atlantikboot-Feindfahrten-FrontbootTop bei eBay_de 1918-1945 (endet 14_02_10 200556 MEZ)
http://www.uboatarchive.net/BDUKTB.htm
500 WWII - GERMAN NAVY - KRIEGSMARINE PHOTO s fm ALBUM - eBay (item 140349131598 end time Oct-10-09 073732 PDT).

Cheers. Raúl M .

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The first round - War with Great Britain and France!

September 3, 1939.

On September 3, 1939 at 13:30 hours Admiral Dönitz received the following order issued by the Kriegsmarine HQ: Start immediately the war against England. At 14:00 hours the OKM issued: actions of the submarine force as per operations order. At 15:00 hours Dönitz radioed: open hostilities without waiting enemy attacks.

After the declaration of war against the allies Germany had the following subs on patrol around the UK: in front of the west coast of England the U 27, U 28, U 29, U 30, U 33 and U 34,; in front of the east coast the U 13, U 15, U 16 and U 17.

In the area of the Great Fisher Bank the U 12, U 56, U 58 and U 59. The U 9 (Kplt Ludwig Mathes; IWO Oblt Karl-Ernst Schroeter; IIWO Lt Max-Martin Schulte) operated offshore the east coast of Scotland and the U 19 and U 20 along southern Norway. The U 56 together with the U 58 and U 59 set a reconnaissance line from the Great Fisher Bank to the southwest of Norway.

Sources: http://ktb.ubootwaffe.net/
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http://www.uboatarchive.net/BDUKTB.htm
500 WWII - GERMAN NAVY - KRIEGSMARINE PHOTO s fm ALBUM - eBay (item 140349131598 end time Oct-10-09 073732 PDT).

Cheers. Raúl M .

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The first round - War with Great Britain and France!

September 3, 1939.

On this day at 19:00 hours the U 30 spotted the British passenger ship Athenia (13,518 ton) sailing in zigzag and dimming. At 19:40 hours the German submersible launched two torpedoes (as per Ubootwaffe KTB), one of which struck the ship and caused it to sink in position 56 ° 44'N - 14 ° 05'W south of Rockall, 112 passengers were killed (many Americans) and 1290 were saved.

Among the important actions on this day, the U 14 probably carried out the first action against an enemy warship, when at 20:22 hours attacked the Polish submarine ORP Sep; considering the traces of wrecks observed in the water, Kplt Wellner radioed the sinking, however the Polish submersible escaped unharmed. Meanwhile the U 18 attacked unsuccessfully the Polish Submersible ORP Zbik, launching a torpedo that just missed the mark.

The sketch below shows the normal routes to Quebec and New York and the spot where the Athenia was torpedoed. What do you think? Anyone have information on why the route that follow the captain.........Was it fear of submarines, following orders?. TIA. Cheers. Raúl M .

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The first round - War with Great Britain and France!

September 4, 1939.

The first sinking of U 38, U 47 and U 48.

On September 4, 1939 Admiral Karl Dönitz told his colleagues: this war is very serious and should be aware that it will be very long, maybe seven years and at the end we should be grateful if we at least have a tie! ... the U 47 stopped and searched the Greek merchant Maliankos in Grid BF 7318 and finding no violations of the imposed rules let the ship to proceed the navigation. While the U 48 stopped and searched the Swedish tanker Abadan in Grid BE 6730 and finding no violations of the rules the ship continued the navigation.

September 5, 1939.

On September 5, 1939 all German submersibles operating in the North Atlantic were ordered not to attack any passenger ship, even sailing within a convoy............ the U 38 stopped and searched the French merchant Pluvoise in Grid CG 5470 and let her continue with the navigation as orders (it had not been authorized yet to take ships of this nationality as prey).

On this day the U 47 sank her first prey, it was the British merchant Bosnia (2407 Ton) carrying a cargo of sulfur. The vessel was detained with cannon fire and then was sunk with a torpedo in position 45 ° 29'N - 09 ° 45'W), this was the first ally merchant ship sunk in WWII.

Sources: http://ktb.ubootwaffe.net
Revista LIFE 02 Oct 1939.

Cheers. Raúl M .

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The first round - War with Great Britain and France!

September 5, 1939.

The first sinking of U 38, U 47 and U 48.

While the U 48 attacked and sank the British steamer Royal Sceptre (4853 Ton) which was also stopped with artillery fire and after being abandoned by her crew she was sunk by a torpedo in position 46 ° 23'N - 14 ° 59 'W. Then the U 48 stopped with artillery fire the British steamer Browning, but let her proceed carrying aboard the crew of the Royal Sceptre.

The U 32 sailed as stated in Operations Order No. 5, but an intelligence report said, for the first time, there were mines in the Strait of Dover , therefore the U 32 was to proceed around the north of Great Britain instead of across the Channel.

Sources: http://ktb.ubootwaffe.net
Revista LIFE 02 Oct 1939.

Cheers. Raúl M .

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The first round - War with Great Britain and France!

The first sinking of U 38, U 47 and U 48.

On September 6, 1939 and taking into account that the situation with France was not yet clear, the BdU ordered that the merchant vessels hoisting that national flag, should not to be stopped and actions against such vessels should only be defensive. The submersibles operating in the North Atlantic were directed not to patrol the area of the sinking of the "Athenia".

The U 38 sank the British steamer Manaar (7242 Ton) carrying a cargo of goods and agricultural machines. The ship had an artillery duel with the German submersible in which seven crew members perished aboard the merchant, then she was sunk with a torpedo in position 38 ° 28'N - 10 ° 50'W. The U 47 sank the British merchant "Rio Claro" (4086 tons).

Sources: http://ktb.ubootwaffe.net
Revista LIFE 02 Oct 1939.

Cheers. Raúl M .

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The first round - War with Great Britain and France!

On September 7, 1939 as per radio message transmitted at 19:02 hours the BdU issued the order directed to the U-Flotilles "Hundius" and "Wegener" stating they had to return their home ports.

The U 33 sank the British merchant ship Olivegrove (4060 tons) loaded with 4500 tons of sugar; the German submersible required help by radio to the U.S. ship "Washington" and spent nine hours near the lifeboats until they were rescued by the neutral merchant. While the U 34 sank the British merchant ship Pukkastan (5809 tons) loaded with corn. The U 47 sank the transport of mineral Gartavon (1777 tons) loaded with 1600 tons of iron and 500 tons of asphalt.

Sources: http://ktb.ubootwaffe.net
Revista LIFE 02 Oct 1939.

Cheers. Raúl M .

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The first round - War with Great Britain and France!

On September 8, 1939 the U-52 reported that a torpedo G7a with magnetic detonator exploded prematurely during an attack again a merchant vessel in Grid BE 5218. It was the first reported case to BdU.

According to a radio message transmitted at 14:45 hours, the returning submersibles should sail along the following routes:

Between Iceland and the Faroes: North U-45, center U-46 and south U-48, U-52.

Between the Faroes and the Shetlands: North U-47, U-37, center U-38, U-41 and south U-39, U-40.

Between the Shetlands and Norway: North U-37, U-38, U-39, U-41, center U-40, U-45, U-46 and South U-47, U-48, U-52.

Sources: http://ktb.ubootwaffe.net
Revista LIFE 02 Oct 1939.

Cheers. Raúl M .