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DEUTSCHE UNTERSEEBOOTE OPERATIONEN IM ZWEITEN WELTKRIEG

DEUTSCHE UNTERSEEBOOTE OPERATIONEN IM ZWEITEN WELTKRIEG. OVERVIEW. INTRODUCTION U-BOOT OPERATIONS U-BOOT TACTICS ENIGMA “ACES OF THE DEEP” LIFE ONBOARD U-156 LEGACY QUESTIONS.

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DEUTSCHE UNTERSEEBOOTE OPERATIONEN IM ZWEITEN WELTKRIEG

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  1. DEUTSCHE UNTERSEEBOOTE OPERATIONEN IM ZWEITEN WELTKRIEG

  2. OVERVIEW INTRODUCTION U-BOOT OPERATIONS U-BOOT TACTICS ENIGMA “ACES OF THE DEEP” LIFE ONBOARD U-156 LEGACY QUESTIONS

  3. INTRODUCTION • Submarines used be Germany during WW I (1914-1918) • “Unrestricted Submarine Warfare” • Sinking of the LUSITANIA • Germany has a limited coastline – easily blockaded • During WW II (1939 – 1945) established based in conquered countries – France and Norway • Primary mission to disrupt Allied shipping and control sea lanes • German Navy (Kriegsmarine) not fanatic supporters of Nazi regime (unlike the Army and Air Force – Luftwaffe)

  4. BEFEHLSHABER der UNTERSEEBOOTE ( BdU ) Grossadmiral Karl Dönitz

  5. Grossadmiral Karl Dönitz 1891 - 1980

  6. U-BOOT SHIPYARDS • U-BOOT construction in Northern Germany • North Sea & Baltic Sea • 1153 U-boats commissioned into the Kriegsmarine during 1935-1945 • Largest builder was Blohm + Voss

  7. AG Weser, Bremen

  8. U-BOOT OPERATIONS I • German U-Boats operated WORLDWIDE • PRIMARILY in the ATLANTIC • Mediterranean • Caribbean • Black Sea • MONSON U-Boats in the Far East (Penang Malaysia, Jakarta & Sabang Indonesia) • Assisted Imperial Japanese Navy • Primary mission to disrupt merchant shipping, allied naval convoys and navy escorts

  9. U-BOOT TACTICS • Primary tactic developed by Donitz was the “Wolfpack” (Rudeltaktik) • Enough U-boats and facilities available after the fall of France in 1940 • Simple concept: gather U-boats in patrol lines to scout for convoys

  10. “WOLFPACKS” • Once a convoy was spotted the first boat was designated "shadower" and would chase the convoy and report its heading and speed to BdU • This would allow other boats to form around it and attack, more or less all at once, usually on the surface at night

  11. OPERATION “DRUMBEAT”, 1942 • Largest U-Boat offensive against America • Commenced after Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor • Germany declared war on US on Dec 11, 1941 • U.S. Navy had already been countering German U-Boats through work with Royal Navy • Operation DRUMBEAT (Paulkenschlag) • Attacks on U.S. merchant shipping on East Coast • Massive damage inflicted – over 3,000 nm away • “Die Glückliche Zeit” (The Happy Time) • Sunk 2 million tons (600 ships); 5000 killed • Only 7 U-Boats lost • Operations commenced from bases in France

  12. U-BOOT BASES IN OCCUPIED FRANCE

  13. U-BOOT BUNKERS AT LA ROCHELLE (Modern Day)

  14. “BLACK MAY” - 1943 • Turning point in May, 1943 • U.S. Navy established effective convoys • By Late 1942, shifted focus back to North Atlantic • Remained spread out across Atlantic • By Spring, 1943, Allies were able to defeat the Wolf Packs • Primary reasons for reversal: • “Hunter-Killer” Groups • Improved Detection capabilities • Aircraft Coverage • Breaking of Enigma Code • U-Boats being attacked leaving port • By end of 1943, majority of U-Boat fleet would be sunk • Most would be lost with ALL HANDS

  15. SPIES & SABOTEURS • Saboteur Landings in 1942 & 1944 • German Military Intelligence (Abwehr) directed by Hitler to conduct sabotage operations inside American borders • Abwehr sabotage school located in Berlin • Teams delivered by U-Boats • Operational failure • Arrested by FBI • 6 of 10 captured saboeurs executed • Intended targets included power plants, infrastructure, industry, canals, etc. Admiral Wilhelm Canaris 1887 - 1945

  16. ENIGMA I

  17. ULTRA INTELLIGENCE • Enigma was a portable cipher machine • Used to encrypt and decrypt secret messages • Enigma utilized very sophisticated cryptanalysis techniques by changing the substitution alphabet • Allied codebreakers were able to decrypt a large number of messages that had been enciphered on the machine • The intelligence gained through this source — codenamed “ULTRA” — was a significant aid to the Allied war effort • By 1945, almost all German Enigma traffic (Wehrmacht, Kriegsmarine, Luftwaffe, Abwehr, SD, etc.) could be decrypted within a day or two

  18. “ACES OF THE DEEP” • The Aces of the Deep were the ten U-Boat commanders during World War II who sunk the most enemy merchant ships during their naval services • Ranked according to the total tonnage of the ships they sunk • The term is related to flying ace, a World War I name for a pilot who shot down five or more enemy planes • The currently accepted list is as follows: • 1 Otto Kretschmer • 2 Wolfgang Lüth • 3 Erich Topp • 4 Heinrich Liebe • 5 Victor Schütze • 6 Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock • 7 Karl-Friedrich Merten • 8 Herbert Schultze • 9 Günther Prien • 10 Georg Lassen

  19. Otto Kretschmer 1912 - 1998 Fregattenkapitän (Crew 30) Successes40 ships sunk for a total of 208.954 GRT3 auxiliary warships sunk for a total of 46.440 GRT1 warship sunk for a total of 1.375 tons5 ships damaged for a total of 37.965 GRT1 ship taken as prize for a total of 2.136 GRT2 ships a total loss for a total of 15.513 GRT

  20. Wolfgang Lüth 1913 - 1945 Kapitän zur See (Crew 33) Successes46 ships sunk for a total of 225.204 GRT1 warship sunk for a total of 552 tons2 ships damaged for a total of 17.343 GRT

  21. Erich Topp 1914 - 2005 Fregattenkapitän (Crew 34) Successes34 ships sunk for a total of 197.233 GRT1 auxiliary warship sunk for a total of 227 GRT1 warship sunk for a total of 1.190 tons4 ships damaged for a total of 32.317 GRT

  22. Günther Prien 1908 – 1941 Korvettenkapitän (Crew 33) Successes30 ships sunk for a total of 162.769 GRT1 warship sunk for a total of 29.150 tons8 ships damaged for a total of 62.751 GRT

  23. Joachim Schepke 1912 - 1941 Kapitänleutnant (Crew 30) Successes36 ships sunk for a total of 153.677 GRT4 ships damaged for a total of 17.229 GRT1 ship a total loss for a total of 2.205 GRT

  24. U - 156 Kapitänleutnant Werner Harten

  25. LACONIA INCIDENT • On 12 September, 1942 U-156 sank the Allied liner LANCONIA west of Africa • 136-man crew, some 80 civilians, military material and personnel (268 men) • Approx. 1800 Italian prisoners of war onboard • In the next days U-156 rescued some 400 survivors - 200 on board and the other 200 in lifeboats • On Sept 15, at 1130 hours U-506 under Kptlt Erich Würdemann arrived at the scene and continued to rescue the survivors • U.S. B-24 spotted and attacked U-156, forcing her to submerge

  26. LACONIA ORDER • Resulting rescue attempt infuriated German High Command • Prompted one of the most controversial order Dönitz ever issued • Known as the Laconia order: • No U-boats were to take part in any rescue operations • Leave any survivors in the sea • Up until that time U-boats had on very many occasions helped the survivors of their victims with supplies, water, directions to nearest land

  27. MARK VII DEPTH CHARGES

  28. LIFE ONBOARD

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