"Wolf Packs" by Karl Dönitz or submarines of the Third Reich. German submarine fleet during World War II

The starting point in the history of the German submarine fleet was 1850, when the two-seater Brandtaucher submarine, designed by engineer Wilhelm Bauer, was launched in the harbor of Kiel, which immediately sank when attempting to dive.

The next significant event was the launching of the submarine U-1 (U-boat) in December 1906, which became the ancestor of a whole family of submarines, which suffered the hard times of the First World War. In total, before the end of the war, the German fleet received more than 340 boats. Due to the defeat of Germany, 138 submarines remained unfinished.

Under the terms of the Treaty of Versailles, Germany was prohibited from building submarines. Everything changed in 1935 after the establishment of the Nazi regime and with the signing of the Anglo-German Naval Agreement, in which submarines ... were recognized as obsolete weapons, which lifted all bans on their production. In June, Hitler appointed Karl Doenitz commander of all submarines of the future Third Reich.

Grand Admiral and his "wolf packs"

The main objects of “hunting” of “wolf packs” are enemy transport ships that provide supplies to troops. The basic principle is to sink more ships than the enemy can build. Very soon such tactics began to bear fruit. By the end of September 1939, the Allies had lost dozens of transports with a total displacement of about 180 thousand tons, and in mid-October, the U-47 boat, quietly slipping into the Scapa Flow base, sent the battleship Royal Oak to the bottom. Anglo-American convoys were especially hard hit. Wolfpacks raged across a vast theater from the North Atlantic and Arctic to South Africa and the Gulf of Mexico.

What did the Kriegsmarine fight on?

Kriegsmarine Aces

Deathmatch

Destruction

Submarines dictate the rules in naval warfare and force everyone to meekly follow the routine.

Those stubborn people who dare to ignore the rules of the game will face a quick and painful death in the cold water, among floating debris and oil stains. Boats, regardless of flag, remain the most dangerous combat vehicles, capable of crushing any enemy.

I bring to your attention a short story about the seven most successful submarine projects of the war years.

Boats type T (Triton-class), UK
The number of submarines built is 53.
Surface displacement - 1290 tons; underwater - 1560 tons.
Crew - 59…61 people.
Working immersion depth - 90 m (riveted hull), 106 m (welded hull).
Full surface speed - 15.5 knots; in underwater - 9 knots.
A fuel reserve of 131 tons provided a surface cruising range of 8,000 miles.
Weapons:
- 11 torpedo tubes of 533 mm caliber (on boats of subseries II and III), ammunition - 17 torpedoes;
- 1 x 102 mm universal gun, 1 x 20 mm anti-aircraft "Oerlikon".

HMS Traveler

The notorious British conservatism is a thing of the past - the British were among the first to equip their boats with ASDIC sonars. Alas, despite their powerful weapons and modern detection means, the T-class high seas boats did not become the most effective among the British submarines of World War II. Nevertheless, they went through an exciting battle path and achieved a number of remarkable victories. “Tritons” were actively used in the Atlantic, in the Mediterranean Sea, destroyed Japanese communications in the Pacific Ocean, and were spotted several times in the frozen waters of the Arctic.

In August 1941, the submarines "Tygris" and "Trident" arrived in Murmansk. British submariners demonstrated a master class to their Soviet colleagues: in two trips, 4 enemy ships were sunk, incl. "Bahia Laura" and "Donau II" with thousands of soldiers of the 6th Mountain Division. Thus, the sailors prevented the third German attack on Murmansk.

Other famous T-boat trophies include the German light cruiser Karlsruhe and the Japanese heavy cruiser Ashigara. The samurai were “lucky” to get acquainted with a full 8-torpedo salvo of the Trenchent submarine - having received 4 torpedoes on board (+ another from the stern tube), the cruiser quickly capsized and sank.

After the war, the powerful and sophisticated Tritons remained in service with the Royal Navy for another quarter of a century.
It is noteworthy that three boats of this type were acquired by Israel in the late 1960s - one of them, INS Dakar (formerly HMS Totem) was lost in 1968 in the Mediterranean Sea under unclear circumstances.

Boats of the "Cruising" type XIV series, Soviet Union
The number of submarines built is 11.
Surface displacement - 1500 tons; underwater - 2100 tons.
Crew - 62…65 people.

Full surface speed - 22.5 knots; in underwater - 10 knots.
Surface cruising range 16,500 miles (9 knots)
Submerged cruising range - 175 miles (3 knots)
Weapons:

- 2 x 100 mm universal guns, 2 x 45 mm anti-aircraft semi-automatic guns;
- up to 20 minutes of barrage.

...On December 3, 1941, German hunters UJ-1708, UJ-1416 and UJ-1403 bombed a Soviet boat that tried to attack a convoy near Bustad Sund.

Hans, can you hear this creature?
- Nain. After a series of explosions, the Russians lay low - I detected three impacts on the ground...
-Can you determine where they are now?
- Donnerwetter! They are blown away. They probably decided to surface and surrender.

The German sailors were wrong. From the depths of the sea, a MONSTER rose to the surface - the cruising submarine K-3 series XIV, unleashing a barrage of artillery fire on the enemy. With the fifth salvo, Soviet sailors managed to sink U-1708. The second hunter, having received two direct hits, began to smoke and turned to the side - his 20 mm anti-aircraft guns could not compete with the “hundreds” of the secular submarine cruiser. Scattering the Germans like puppies, K-3 quickly disappeared over the horizon at 20 knots.

The Soviet Katyusha was a phenomenal boat for its time. Welded hull, powerful artillery and mine-torpedo weapons, powerful diesel engines (2 x 4200 hp!), high surface speed of 22-23 knots. Huge autonomy in terms of fuel reserves. Remote control of ballast tank valves. A radio station capable of transmitting signals from the Baltic to the Far East. An exceptional level of comfort: shower cabins, refrigerated tanks, two seawater desalinators, an electric galley... Two boats (K-3 and K-22) were equipped with Lend-Lease ASDIC sonars.

But, oddly enough, neither the high characteristics nor the most powerful weapons made the Katyusha effective - in addition to the dark K-21 attack on the Tirpitz, during the war years the XIV series boats accounted for only 5 successful torpedo attacks and 27 thousand brigades. reg. tons of sunk tonnage. Most of the victories were achieved with the help of mines. Moreover, its own losses amounted to five cruising boats.

K-21, Severomorsk, today

It's a pity. These boats were designed for more.

“Baby”, Soviet Union
Series VI and VI bis - 50 built.
Series XII - 46 built.
Series XV - 57 built (4 took part in combat operations).

Performance characteristics of boats type M series XII:
Surface displacement - 206 tons; underwater - 258 tons.
Autonomy - 10 days.
Working immersion depth - 50 m, maximum - 60 m.
Full surface speed - 14 knots; in underwater - 8 knots.
Cruising range on the surface is 3,380 miles (8.6 knots).
Submerged cruising range is 108 miles (3 knots).
Weapons:
- 2 torpedo tubes of 533 mm caliber, ammunition - 2 torpedoes;
- 1 x 45 mm anti-aircraft semi-automatic.

Baby!

In the pursuit of compactness, many had to be sacrificed - service on the Malyutka turned into a grueling and dangerous undertaking. Difficult living conditions, strong roughness - the waves mercilessly tossed the 200-ton “float”, risking breaking it into pieces. Shallow diving depth and weak weapons. But the main concern of the sailors was the reliability of the submarine - one shaft, one diesel engine, one electric motor - the tiny “Malyutka” left no chance for the careless crew, the slightest malfunction on board threatened death for the submarine.

The little ones quickly evolved - the performance characteristics of each new series were several times different from the previous project: the contours were improved, the electrical equipment and detection equipment were updated, the dive time was reduced, and the autonomy increased. The “babies” of the XV series no longer resembled their predecessors of the VI and XII series: one-and-a-half-hull design - the ballast tanks were moved outside the durable hull; The power plant received a standard two-shaft layout with two diesel engines and underwater electric motors. The number of torpedo tubes increased to four. Alas, Series XV appeared too late - the “Little Ones” of Series VI and XII bore the brunt of the war.

Despite their modest size and only 2 torpedoes on board, the tiny fish were simply distinguished by their terrifying “gluttony”: in just the years of World War II, Soviet M-type submarines sank 61 enemy ships with a total tonnage of 135.5 thousand gross tons, destroyed 10 warships, and also damaged 8 transports.

The little ones, originally intended only for operations in the coastal zone, have learned to fight effectively in open sea areas. They, along with larger boats, cut enemy communications, patrolled at the exits of enemy bases and fjords, deftly overcame anti-submarine barriers and blew up transports right at the piers inside protected enemy harbors. It’s simply amazing how the Red Navy were able to fight on these flimsy ships! But they fought. And we won!

Boats of the “Medium” type, series IX-bis, Soviet Union
The number of submarines built is 41.
Surface displacement - 840 tons; underwater - 1070 tons.
Crew - 36…46 people.
Working immersion depth - 80 m, maximum - 100 m.
Full surface speed - 19.5 knots; submerged - 8.8 knots.
Surface cruising range 8,000 miles (10 knots).
Submerged cruising range 148 miles (3 knots).

“Six torpedo tubes and the same number of spare torpedoes on racks convenient for reloading. Two cannons with large ammunition, machine guns, explosive equipment... In a word, there is something to fight with. And 20 knots surface speed! It allows you to overtake almost any convoy and attack it again. The technique is good...”
- opinion of the commander of the S-56, Hero of the Soviet Union G.I. Shchedrin

The problems with the combat use of "Medium" type boats, in general, were similar to the K-type cruising boats - locked in mine-infested shallow water, they were never able to realize their high combat qualities. Things were much better in the Northern Fleet - during the war, the S-56 boat under the command of G.I. Shchedrina made the transition through the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, moving from Vladivostok to Polyarny, subsequently becoming the most productive boat of the USSR Navy.

An equally fantastic story is connected with the S-101 “bomb catcher” - during the war years, the Germans and Allies dropped over 1000 depth charges on the boat, but each time the S-101 returned safely to Polyarny.

Finally, it was on the S-13 that Alexander Marinesko achieved his famous victories.

S-56 torpedo compartment

“Cruel alterations in which the ship found itself, bombings and explosions, depths far exceeding the official limit. The boat protected us from everything..."

Gato type boats, USA
The number of submarines built is 77.
Surface displacement - 1525 tons; underwater - 2420 tons.
Crew - 60 people.
Working immersion depth - 90 m.
Full surface speed - 21 knots; submerged - 9 knots.
Cruising range on the surface is 11,000 miles (10 knots).
Submerged cruising range 96 miles (2 knots).
Weapons:
- 10 torpedo tubes of 533 mm caliber, ammunition - 24 torpedoes;
- 1 x 76 mm universal gun, 1 x 40 mm Bofors anti-aircraft gun, 1 x 20 mm Oerlikon;
- one of the boats, USS Barb, was equipped with a multiple launch rocket system for shelling the coast.

Ocean-going submarine cruisers of the Getou class appeared at the height of the war in the Pacific Ocean and became one of the most effective tools of the US Navy. They tightly blocked all strategic straits and approaches to the atolls, cut all supply lines, leaving Japanese garrisons without reinforcements, and Japanese industry without raw materials and oil. In battles with the Gatow, the Imperial Navy lost two heavy aircraft carriers, lost four cruisers and a damn dozen destroyers.

High speed, lethal torpedo weapons, the most modern radio equipment for detecting the enemy - radar, direction finder, sonar. The cruising range allows for combat patrols off the coast of Japan when operating from a base in Hawaii. Increased comfort on board. But the main thing is the excellent training of the crews and the weakness of Japanese anti-submarine weapons. As a result, the "Getow" mercilessly destroyed everything - it was they who brought victory in the Pacific Ocean from the blue depths of the sea.

...One of the main achievements of the Getow boats, which changed the whole world, is considered to be the event of September 2, 1944. On that day, the Finback submarine detected a distress signal from a falling plane and, after many hours of searching, found a frightened and already desperate pilot in the ocean . The one who was saved was one George Herbert Bush.

The cabin of the submarine "Flasher", memorial in Groton.

Electric robots type XXI, Germany

By April 1945, the Germans managed to launch 118 submarines of the XXI series. However, only two of them were able to achieve operational readiness and go to sea in the last days of the war.

Surface displacement - 1620 tons; underwater - 1820 tons.
Crew - 57 people.
Working depth of immersion is 135 m, maximum depth is 200+ meters.
Full speed in the surface position is 15.6 knots, in the submerged position - 17 knots.
Cruising range on the surface is 15,500 miles (10 knots).
Submerged cruising range 340 miles (5 knots).
Weapons:
- 6 torpedo tubes of 533 mm caliber, ammunition - 17 torpedoes;
- 2 Flak anti-aircraft guns of 20 mm caliber.

U-2540 "Wilhelm Bauer" permanently moored in Bremerhaven, present day

The Germans were the first to guess: everything that shipbuilders in other countries are proud of - large ammunition, powerful artillery, high surface speed of 20+ knots - is of little importance. The key parameters that determine the combat effectiveness of a submarine are its speed and cruising range when submerged.

Unlike its peers, “Electrobot” was focused on being constantly under water: a maximally streamlined body without heavy artillery, fences and platforms - all for the sake of minimizing underwater resistance. Snorkel, six groups of batteries (3 times more than on conventional boats!), powerful electric. Full speed engines, quiet and economical electric. "sneak" engines.

The stern of U-2511, sunk at a depth of 68 meters

The Allies were not prepared to face such a threat - as post-war tests showed, the “Electrobots” were several times superior in mutual hydroacoustic detection range to the American and British destroyers guarding the convoys.

Type VII boats, Germany
The number of submarines built is 703.
Surface displacement - 769 tons; underwater - 871 tons.
Crew - 45 people.
Working immersion depth - 100 m, maximum - 220 meters
Full surface speed - 17.7 knots; submerged - 7.6 knots.
Cruising range on the surface is 8,500 miles (10 knots).
Submerged cruising range 80 miles (4 knots).
Weapons:
- 5 torpedo tubes of 533 mm caliber, ammunition - 14 torpedoes;
- 1 x 88 mm universal gun (until 1942), eight options for superstructures with 20 and 37 mm anti-aircraft guns.

* the given performance characteristics correspond to boats of the VIIC subseries

The most effective warships ever to roam the world's oceans.
A relatively simple, cheap, mass-produced, but at the same time well-armed and deadly weapon for total underwater terror.

703 submarines. 10 MILLION tons of sunk tonnage! Battleships, cruisers, aircraft carriers, destroyers, corvettes and enemy submarines, oil tankers, transports with aircraft, tanks, cars, rubber, ore, machine tools, ammunition, uniforms and food... The damage from the actions of German submariners exceeded all reasonable limits - if only Without the inexhaustible industrial potential of the United States, capable of compensating for any losses of the allies, German U-bots had every chance to “strangle” Great Britain and change the course of world history.

U-995. Graceful underwater killer

The situation was simple: at the beginning of the war, when for every German boat there was one Allied anti-submarine ship, the “sevens” felt like invulnerable masters of the Atlantic. It was then that the legendary aces appeared, sinking 40 enemy ships. The Germans already held victory in their hands when the Allies suddenly deployed 10 anti-submarine ships and 10 aircraft for each active Kriegsmarine boat!

Beginning in the spring of 1943, the Yankees and British began to methodically overwhelm the Kriegsmarine with anti-submarine equipment and soon achieved an excellent loss ratio of 1:1. They fought like that until the end of the war. The Germans ran out of ships faster than their opponents.

The whole history of the German “seven” is a formidable warning from the past: what threat does a submarine pose and how high are the costs of creating an effective system to counter the underwater threat.

A funny American poster of those years. "Hit the weak points! Come serve in the submarine fleet - we account for 77% of the sunk tonnage!" Comments, as they say, are unnecessary

The article uses materials from the book “Soviet Submarine Shipbuilding”, V. I. Dmitriev, Voenizdat, 1990.

Only by 1944 did the Allies manage to reduce the losses inflicted on their fleet by German submariners

The submarine U-47 returns to port on October 14, 1939 after a successful attack on the British battleship Royal Oak. Photo: U.S. Naval Historical Center

Target - Britain

England was directly dependent on supplies of food and raw materials from the New World, especially the USA, which was its main “supplier” in both world wars. In addition, the blockade would cut off Britain from the reinforcements that were mobilized in the colonies, as well as prevent British landings on the continent. However, the successes of the German surface raiders were short-lived. Their enemy was not only the superior forces of the United Kingdom fleet, but also British aviation, against which the mighty ships were almost powerless. Regular air strikes on French bases forced Germany in 1941–42 to evacuate its battleships to northern ports, where they almost ingloriously died during the raids or stood in repair until the end of the war.

The main force that the Third Reich relied on in the battle at sea were submarines, less vulnerable to aircraft and capable of sneaking up on even a very strong enemy. And most importantly, building a submarine was several times cheaper, the submarine required less fuel, it was serviced by a small crew - despite the fact that it could be no less effective than the most powerful raider.

"Wolf Packs" by Admiral Dönitz

This forced Britain to urgently remove its aircraft carriers from the Atlantic and restrict the movement of battleships and other large warships, which were now carefully guarded by destroyers and other escort ships. The successes had an effect on Hitler: he changed his initially negative opinion about submarines, and on his orders their mass construction began. Over the next 5 years, the German fleet included 1,108 submarines.

True, taking into account the losses and the need to repair submarines damaged during the campaign, Germany at a time could put forward a limited number of submarines ready for a campaign - only by the middle of the war their number exceeded a hundred.

Karl Dönitz began his submarine career during World War I as chief mate on the U-39.

In 1935, when Germany decided to recreate the submarine fleet, Dönitz was simultaneously appointed commander of the 1st U-boat Flotilla and received the strange title of “U-boat Führer.” This was a very successful appointment: the submarine fleet was essentially his brainchild, he created it from scratch and turned it into the most powerful fist of the Third Reich. Dönitz personally met each boat returning to base, attended the graduations of the submariner school, and created special sanatoriums for them. For all this, he enjoyed great respect from his subordinates, who nicknamed him “Papa Karl” (Vater Karl).

In 1935-38, the “underwater Fuhrer” developed new tactics for hunting enemy ships. Until this moment, submarines from all countries of the world operated alone. Dönitz, having served as commander of a destroyer flotilla that attacks the enemy in a group, decided to use group tactics in submarine warfare. First he proposes the "veil" method. A group of boats was walking, turning around in the sea in a chain. The boat that discovered the enemy sent a report and attacked him, and the other boats rushed to her aid.

The next idea was the "circle" tactic, where the boats were positioned around a specific area of ​​the ocean. As soon as an enemy convoy or warship entered it, the boat, having noticed the enemy entering the circle, began to lead the target, maintaining contact with the others, and they began to approach the doomed targets from all sides.

But the most famous was the “wolf pack” method, directly developed for attacks on large transport caravans. The name fully corresponded to its essence - this is how wolves hunt their prey. After the convoy was discovered, a group of submarines was concentrated parallel to its course. Having carried out the first attack, she then overtook the convoy and turned into position for a new strike.

The best of the best

The German submarine was attacked by Allied aircraft. Photo: U.S. Army Center of Military History

Like any war, this one also had its aces. Gunther Prien became the first famous underwater corsair throughout Germany. He has thirty ships with a total displacement of 164,953 tons, including the aforementioned battleship). For this he became the first German officer to receive oak leaves for the Knight's Cross. The Reich Ministry of Propaganda promptly created a cult of him - and Prien began to receive whole bags of letters from enthusiastic fans. Perhaps he could have become the most successful German submariner, but on March 8, 1941, his boat was lost during an attack on a convoy.

After this, the list of German deep-sea aces was headed by Otto Kretschmer, who sank forty-four ships with a total displacement of 266,629 tons. He was followed by Wolfgang L?th - 43 ships with a total displacement of 225,712 tons, Erich Topp - 34 ships with a total displacement of 193,684 tons and the well-known Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock - 25 ships with a total of with a displacement of 183,253 tons, which, together with its U-96, became a character in the feature film "U-Boot" ("Submarine"). By the way, he did not die during the air raid. After the war, Lehmann-Willenbrock served as a captain in the merchant marine and distinguished himself in the rescue of the sinking Brazilian cargo ship Commandante Lira in 1959, and also became the commander of the first German ship with a nuclear reactor. His boat, after the unfortunate sinking right at the base, was raised, went on trips (but with a different crew), and after the war was turned into a technical museum.

Thus, the German submarine fleet turned out to be the most successful, although it did not have such impressive support from surface forces and naval aviation as the British one. Her Majesty's submariners accounted for only 70 combat and 368 German merchant ships with a total tonnage of 826,300 tons. Their American allies sank 1,178 ships with a total tonnage of 4.9 million tons in the Pacific theater of war. Fortune was not kind to the two hundred and sixty-seven Soviet submarines, which during the war torpedoed only 157 enemy warships and transports with a total displacement of 462,300 tons.

"Flying Dutchmen"

In 1983, German director Wolfgang Petersen made the film “Das U-Boot” based on the novel of the same name by Lothar-Günter Buchheim. A significant portion of the budget covered the cost of recreating historically accurate details. Photo: Bavaria Film

On January 16, 1935, Deutsche Werft received an order for the construction of the first six submarines of this series. Subsequently, its main parameters - 500 tons of displacement, cruising range of 6250 miles, diving depth of 100 meters - were improved several times. The basis of the boat was a durable hull divided into six compartments, welded from steel sheets, the thickness of which on the first model was 18-22 mm, and on the VII-C modification (the most massive submarine in history, 674 units were produced) it already reached 28 mm in the central part and up to 22 mm at the extremities. Thus, the VII-C hull was designed for depths of up to 125-150 meters, but could dive to 250, which was unattainable for Allied submarines, which dived only to 100-150 meters. In addition, such a durable body could withstand hits from 20 and 37 mm shells. The cruising range of this model has increased to 8250 miles.

For diving, five ballast tanks were filled with water: bow, stern and two side light (outer) hulls and one located inside the durable one. A well-trained crew could “dive” underwater in just 25 seconds! At the same time, the side tanks could take an additional supply of fuel, and then the cruising range increased to 9,700 miles, and on the latest modifications - up to 12,400. But in addition to this, the boats could be refueled on the voyage from special tanker submarines (IXD series).

The heart of the boats - two six-cylinder diesel engines - together produced 2800 hp. and accelerated the ship on the surface to 17–18 knots. Underwater, the submarine ran on Siemens electric motors (2x375 hp) with a maximum speed of 7.6 knots. Of course, this was not enough to get away from destroyers, but it was quite enough to hunt slow-moving and clumsy transports. The main weapons of the “sevens” were five 533-mm torpedo tubes (four bow and one stern), which “fired” from a depth of up to 22 meters. The most frequently used “projectiles” were the G7a (steam-gas) and G7e (electric) torpedoes. The latter was significantly inferior in range (5 kilometers versus 12.5), but they did not leave a characteristic mark on the water, and their maximum speed was approximately the same - up to 30 knots.

To attack targets inside convoys, the Germans invented a special FAT maneuvering device, with which the torpedo made a “snake” or attacked with a turn of up to 130 degrees. The same torpedoes were used to fight off the destroyers that were pressing on the tail - fired from the stern apparatus, it came towards them “head to head”, and then turned sharply and hit the side.

In addition to traditional contact torpedoes, torpedoes could also be equipped with magnetic fuses - to detonate them as they passed under the bottom of the ship. And from the end of 1943, the T4 acoustic homing torpedo, which could be fired without aiming, came into service. True, in this case, the submarine itself had to stop the screws or quickly go to depth so that the torpedo did not return.

The boats were armed with both bow 88-mm and stern 45-mm guns, and later a very useful 20-mm anti-aircraft gun, which protected them from the most terrible enemy - British Air Force patrol aircraft. Several "sevens" received FuMO30 radars, which detected air targets at a distance of up to 15 km and surface targets up to 8 km.

They drowned in the depths of the sea...

Wolfgang Petersen's film “Das U-Boot” shows how the life of submariners who sailed on Series VII submarines was arranged. Photo: Bavaria Film

The first thing that submariners who had just gone to sea encountered was terrible cramped conditions. The crews of series VII submarines especially suffered from this, which, being already cramped in design, were, in addition, stuffed to capacity with everything necessary for long-distance voyages. The crew's sleeping places and all free corners were used to store boxes of provisions, so the crew had to rest and eat wherever they could. To take additional tons of fuel, it was pumped into tanks intended for fresh water (drinking and hygienic), thus sharply reducing its ration.

For the same reason, German submariners never rescued their victims desperately floundering in the middle of the ocean. After all, there was simply nowhere to place them - except perhaps to shove them into the vacant torpedo tube. Hence the reputation of inhuman monsters that stuck with submariners.

The feeling of mercy was dulled by constant fear for one’s own life. During the campaign we had to constantly be wary of minefields or enemy aircraft. But the most terrible thing was the enemy destroyers and anti-submarine ships, or rather, their depth charges, the close explosion of which could destroy the hull of the boat. In this case, one could only hope for a quick death. It was much more terrible to receive heavy injuries and fall irrevocably into the abyss, listening in horror to how the compressed hull of the boat was cracking, ready to break inside with streams of water under pressure of several tens of atmospheres. Or worse, to lie aground forever and slowly suffocate, realizing at the same time that there will be no help...

This term has other meanings, see 5th Kriegsmarine Flotilla. 5th Kriegsmarine destroyer flotilla 5. Torpedoboots Flottille Years of existence 1938 1945 Country Third Reich Included in the Kriegsmarine Type ... Wikipedia

This term has other meanings, see 6th Kriegsmarine Flotilla. 6th Kriegsmarine destroyer flotilla 6. Torpedoboots Flottille Years of existence 1938 1944 Country Third Reich Included in the Kriegsmarine Type ... Wikipedia

1. Torpedoboots Flottille Years of existence October 1939 August 1941 Country Third Reich Part of the Kriegsmarine Type Navy ... Wikipedia

13th Kriegsmarine U-boat Flotilla 13. Unterseebootflottille. Years of existence June 1943 May 1945 Country Third Reich Part of the Kriegsmarine ... Wikipedia

2. Torpedoboots Flottille Years of existence October 1939 May 1945 Country Third Reich Part of the Kriegsmarine Type Navy ... Wikipedia

This term has other meanings, see 10th Kriegsmarine Flotilla. 10th Kriegsmarine destroyer flotilla 10. Torpedoboots Flottille Years of existence 1944 1945 Country Third Reich Included in the Kriegsmarine Type ... Wikipedia

11. Unterseebootflottille. Years of existence May 15, 1942 May 1945 Country Third Reich Part of ... Wikipedia

This term has other meanings, see 3rd flotilla. 3rd Kriegsmarine destroyer flotilla 3. Torpedoboots Flottille Years of existence 1941 1945 Country Third Reich Included in the Kriegsmarine Type ... Wikipedia

This term has other meanings, see 4th flotilla. 4th Kriegsmarine destroyer flotilla 4. Torpedoboots Flottille Years of existence 1943 1944 Country Third Reich Included in the Kriegsmarine Type ... Wikipedia

This term has other meanings, see 7th Kriegsmarine Flotilla. 7th Kriegsmarine destroyer flotilla 7. Torpedoboots Flottille Years of existence 1940 Country Third Reich Included in the Kriegsmarine Type ... Wikipedia

Books

• Kriegsmarine. Appearance
• Kriegsmarine. Appearance, V. B. Ulyanov. Materials for historians, collectors, film studios and those simply interested in the military symbols of states that participated in the Second World War. The book covers the main insignia and awards...

The role of submarines was highly appreciated by the Germans during the First World War. Despite the imperfection of the technical base, the design solutions of that time were the basis for the latest developments.

The main promoter of submarines in the Third Reich was Admiral Karl Dönitz, an experienced submariner who distinguished himself in the battles of the First World War. Since 1935, with his direct participation, the German submarine fleet began its rebirth, soon turning into the striking fist of the Kriegsmarine.

By the beginning of World War II, the Reich's submarine fleet consisted of only 57 units, which were divided into three displacement classes - large, medium and shuttle. However, Dönitz was not embarrassed by the quantity: he knew very well the capabilities of German shipyards, capable of increasing productivity at any time.

After Europe capitulated to Germany, England, in fact, remained the only force opposing the Reich. However, its capabilities largely depended on supplies of food, raw materials and weapons from the New World. Berlin understood perfectly well that if the sea routes were blocked, England would find itself not only without material and technical resources, but also without the reinforcements that had been mobilized in the British colonies.

However, the successes of the Reich's surface fleet in releasing Britain turned out to be temporary. In addition to the superior forces of the Royal Navy, the German ships were also opposed by British aviation, against which they were powerless.

From now on, the German military leadership will rely on submarines, which are less vulnerable to aircraft and capable of approaching the enemy undetected. But the main thing is that the construction of submarines cost the Reich budget an order of magnitude cheaper than the production of most surface vessels, while fewer people were required to service the submarine.

"Wolf Packs" of the Third Reich

Dönitz became the founder of a new tactical scheme according to which the German submarine fleet of World War II operated. This is the so-called concept of group attacks (Rudeltaktik), nicknamed by the British “wolfpack” (Wolfpack), in which submarines carried out a series of coordinated attacks on a previously planned target.

According to Dönitz's plan, groups of 6-10 submarines were to line up in a wide front along the route of the intended enemy convoy. As soon as one of the boats detected enemy ships, it began pursuit, while sending the coordinates and course of its movement to the headquarters of the submarine forces.

The attack by the combined forces of the “flock” was carried out at night from a surface position, when the silhouette of the submarines was practically indistinguishable. Considering that the speed of the submarines (15 knots) was higher than the pace at which the convoy was moving (7-9 knots), they had plenty of opportunities for tactical maneuver.

Over the entire period of the war, about 250 “wolf packs” were formed, and the composition and number of ships in them constantly changed. For example, in March 1943, British convoys HX-229 and SC-122 were attacked by a “flock” of 43 submarines.

The German submarine fleet received great advantages from the use of “cash cows” - supply submarines of the XIV series, thanks to which the autonomy of the strike group during the voyage increased significantly.

"Convoy Battle"

Of the 57 German submarines, only 26 were suitable for operations in the Atlantic, however, even this number was enough to sink 41 enemy ships with a total weight of 153,879 tons in September 1939. The first victims of the “wolf pack” were British ships - the liner Athenia and the aircraft carrier Coreys. Another aircraft carrier, the Ark Royal, escaped a sad fate, as torpedoes with magnetic fuses launched by the German submarine U-39 detonated ahead of time.

Later, U-47, under the command of Lieutenant Commander Gunther Prien, penetrated the roadstead of the British military base at Scapa Flow and sank the battleship Royal Oak. These events forced the British government to remove aircraft carriers from the Atlantic and restrict the movement of other large military vessels.

The successes of the German submarine fleet forced Hitler, who until that time was skeptical about submarine warfare, to change his mind. The Fuhrer gave the go-ahead for the mass construction of submarines. Over the next 5 years, the Kriegsmarine added another 1,108 submarines.

1943 was the apogee of the German submarine fleet. During this period, 116 “wolf packs” roamed the depths of the sea at a time. The greatest “convoy battle” took place in March 1943, when German submarines inflicted heavy damage on four Allied convoys: 38 ships with a total tonnage of 226,432 GRT were sunk.

Chronic drinkers

On shore, German submariners earned a reputation as chronic drinkers. Indeed, returning from a raid every two or three months, they got completely drunk. However, this was probably the only measure that made it possible to relieve the monstrous stress that accumulated while under water.

Among these drunkards there were real aces. For example, the above-mentioned Gunter Prien, who has 30 ships with a total displacement of 164,953 tons. He became the first German officer to receive the title of Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves. However, the hero of the Reich was not destined to become the most successful German submariner: on March 7, 1941, his boat sank during an attack on an allied convoy.

As a result, the list of German submarine aces was headed by Otto Kretschmer, who destroyed 44 ships with a total displacement of 266,629 tons. He was followed by Wolfgang Lüth with 43 ships of 225,712 tons and Erich Topp, who sank 34 ships of 193,684 tons.

Standing apart in this series is the name of Captain Max-Martin Teichert, who on his boat U-456 in April 1942 staged a real hunt for the British cruiser Edinburgh, which was transporting 10 tons of Soviet gold from Murmansk as payment for Lend-Lease deliveries. Teichert, who died a year later, never found out what cargo he had sunk.

The end of success

Over the entire period of the war, German submariners sank 2,603 ​​Allied warships and transport vessels with a total displacement of 13.5 million tons. Including 2 battleships, 6 aircraft carriers, 5 cruisers, 52 destroyers and more than 70 warships of other classes. Over 100 thousand military and merchant sailors of the allied fleet became victims of these attacks.

The West group of submarines should be recognized as the most effective. Its submarines attacked 10 convoys, sinking 33 ships with a total tonnage of 191,414 GRT. This "wolf pack" lost only one submarine - U-110. True, the loss turned out to be very painful: it was here that the British found encryption materials for the Enigma naval code.

Even at the end of the war, realizing the inevitability of defeat, German shipyards continued to produce submarines. However, more and more submarines did not return from their missions. For comparison. If 59 submarines were lost in 1940–1941, then in 1943–1944 their number had already reached 513! During all the years of the war, the Allied forces sunk 789 German submarines, in which 32,000 sailors died.

Since May 1943, the effectiveness of Allied anti-aircraft defenses has increased markedly, and therefore Karl Dönitz was forced to withdraw submarines from the North Atlantic. Attempts to return the “wolf packs” to their original positions were unsuccessful. Dönitz decided to wait for the new XXI series submarines to be put into operation, but their release was delayed.

By this time, the Allies had concentrated about 3,000 thousand combat and auxiliary ships and about 1,400 aircraft in the Atlantic. Even before the Normandy landings, they inflicted a crushing blow on the German submarine fleet, from which it never recovered.