| 23. Unterseebootsflottille | |
|---|---|
| Active | September 1941–May 1942 September 1943–March 1945 |
| Country | Nazi Germany |
| Branch | Kriegsmarine |
| Type | U-boat flotilla |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Kptlt. Fritz Frauenheim Korvkpt. Otto von Bülow |
23rd U-boat Flotilla ("23. Unterseebootsflottille") was a unit of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.
Nazi Germany is the common English name for Germany between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and his Nazi Party (NSDAP) controlled the country through a dictatorship. Under Hitler's rule, Germany was transformed into a totalitarian state where nearly all aspects of life were controlled by the government. The official name of the state was Deutsches Reich until 1943 and Großdeutsches Reich from 1943 to 1945. Nazi Germany is also known as the Third Reich, meaning "Third Realm" or "Third Empire", the first two being the Holy Roman Empire (800–1806) and the German Empire (1871–1918). The Nazi regime ended after the Allies defeated Germany in May 1945, ending World War II in Europe.
The Kriegsmarine was the navy of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It superseded the Imperial German Navy of the German Empire (1871–1918) and the inter-war Reichsmarine (1919–1935) of the Weimar Republic. The Kriegsmarine was one of three official branches, along with the Heer (Army) and the Luftwaffe of the Wehrmacht, the German armed forces from 1933 to 1945.
World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. The vast majority of the world's countries—including all the great powers—eventually formed two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis. A state of total war emerged, directly involving more than 100 million people from more than 30 countries. The major participants threw their entire economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities behind the war effort, blurring the distinction between civilian and military resources. World War II was the deadliest conflict in human history, marked by 70 to 85 million fatalities, most of whom were civilians in the Soviet Union and China. It included massacres, the genocide of the Holocaust, strategic bombing, premeditated death from starvation and disease, and the only use of nuclear weapons in war.
The flotilla was first formed in Salamis, Greece, on 11 September 1941 under the command of Kapitänleutnant Fritz Frauenheim. It operated in the eastern Mediterranean and sank 12 ships for a total of 50,820 gross register tons (GRT). In May 1942 the flotilla was merged into 29th U-boat Flotilla , based at La Spezia, Italy. [1]
Salamis, is the largest Greek island in the Saronic Gulf, about 1 nautical mile (2 km) off-coast from Piraeus and about 16 kilometres west of central Athens. The chief city, Salamina, lies in the west-facing core of the crescent on Salamis Bay, which opens into the Saronic Gulf. On the Eastern side of the island is its main port, Paloukia, in size second in Greece only to Piraeus, the port of Athens.
Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, also known as Hellas, is a country located in Southeast Europe. Its population is approximately 10.7 million as of 2018; Athens is the nation's capital and largest city, followed by Thessaloniki.
Kapitänleutnant, short: KptLt/in lists: KL, is an officer grade of the captains' military hierarchy group of the German Bundeswehr. The rank is rated OF-2 in NATO, and equivalent to Hauptmann in the Heer and Luftwaffe. It is grade A11 or A12 in the pay rules of the Federal Ministry of Defence.
The flotilla was re-founded in September 1943 as a Training Flotilla under the command of Korvettenkapitän Otto von Bülow, based at Danzig. It trained new U-boat commanders in attack techniques (Kommandantenschiesslehrgang, "Commanders shooting training course"). The flotilla was disbanded in March 1945. [2]
Korvettenkapitän, short: KKpt / in lists: KK, is the lowest senior officer rank in the German Navy / armed forces of Germany (Bundeswehr).
Otto von Bülow was a German U-boat commander in World War II, and a captain in the Bundesmarine. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves of Nazi Germany.
