The Soviet naval Baltic Sea campaign in 1945 was launched by the Soviet Navy to harass enemy shipping and naval military assets of Nazi Germany on the Eastern Front during World War II. Both submarines and surface units of the Soviet Navy were employed. The campaign scored successes during Operation Hannibal.
When Finland joined sides with the Allies in September 1944, the Soviet Navy could successfully avoid the German mine barrages at the entry of Gulf of Finland and quickly resumed submarine operations during the second part of the year. At the beginning of 1945 the Soviet Navy dispatched once again submarines alongside motor torpedo boats for coastal attacks but avoided the use destroyers and major warship.[1] Twenty Soviet submarines were engaged into the offensive, performing more patrols compared to 1944 and displaying an increased aggressive behavior: cooperations with reconnaissance aircraft was sometimes performed.[2]
Submarine Engagements
On the night between 6 and 7 January, Soviet submarine S-4 was lost, likely rammed and sunk by German torpedo boat T-3 in Danzig Bay. It would be the only Soviet submarine loss of this campaign.[3][4]
On 12 January, Soviet submarine K-51 shelled and sunk the neutral Swedish fishing boat Ib (15 tons).[5]
On 16 January, Soviet submarine ShCh-307 torpedoed and sunk Henrietta Schulze (1923 GRT) south-west of Libau.[6]
On 28 January, Soviet submarine K-51 torpedoed and sunk Danish merchant Viborg (2028 GRT) south of Bornholm.[5]
On 4 February, Soviet submarine ShCh-318 torpedoed and sunk German tanker Hiddensee (643 GRT) south-west of Libau.[8]
On 10 February, Soviet submarine S-13 under command of captain Alexander Marinesko accomplished another significant success, torpedoing and sinking the large German liner General von Steuben (14660 GRT), like Gustloff also employed as transport ship for Operation Hannibal. The ship went down with up 3600 human losses, mostly wounded military personnel.[7]
On 23 February, Soviet submarine ShCh-309 torpedoed and sunk German merchant Gottingen (6267 GRT) south-west of Libau.[9]
On 17 March, Soviet submarine K-53 torpedoed and sunk German merchant Margarethe Cords (1912 GRT) off the Stolpebank.[10]
On 23 March, Soviet submarine L-21 torpedoed and sunk the German patrol vessel V-2022 E.Colzmann off Kolberg.[11]
On 24 March, Soviet submarine L-21 torpedoed and sunk the German tug Erni (105 GRT) off Kolberg.[11]
Goya in Akers shipyard in Oslo, shortly before completion
On 10 April, Soviet submarine ShCh-310 torpedoed and sunk the German merchant Ilmenau (1201 GRT) west of Liepāja.[12]
On 11 April, Soviet submarine K-56 shelled and sunk the neutral Swedish fishing vessel Ramona (57 GRT) south of Utklippan.[13]
On 17 April, Soviet submarine L-3 torpedoed and sunk the German troop transport Goya (5230 GRT) employed for Operation Hannibal. The ship went down with up 7000 human losses, including both military personnel and refugees.[14]
Motor torpedo boats engagements
On 18 February, German merchant Tolina(1923 GRT) was sunk either by Soviet motor torpedo boat TK-158 or aircraft. [15]
On 18 March, during a clash between Soviet motor torpedo boats and German S-boots, the Soviet unit TK-66 was lost.[16][15]
On 27 March, a subsequent clash between Soviet motor torpedo boats (D-3 class) and German S-boots caused the further loss of Soviet units TK-166 and TK-196 and other units damaged.[16][15]
On the night of 15/16 April, German destroyer Z-34 was attacked and torpedoed by Soviet motor torpedo boats in the bay of Danzig:[17] the attack was performed by TK-131 and TK-141.
The ship received temporary repairs and with the surrender of Germany was transferred to the United States Navy that deemed the ship unworth of further repair and scuttled her. [18][19]
On 25 April, German merchant Emili Sauber (2475 GTR) was torpedoed and sunk by Soviet motor torpedo boat TK-133.[12]
On 26 April, German landing craft F-248 was torpedoed by Soviet motor torpedo boats TK-131 and TK-135 or sunk by aircraft.[15]
On 6 May, German landing craft PiLB-43/I was torpedoed and sunk by Soviet motor torpedo boat.
Minelaying operations
All the three Soviet minelaying submarines left to the Baltic Sea Fleet were employed for their intended purpose like the previous campaign.
On 26 January, Soviet submarine L-3 laid a first field off Ventspils:[14] the only success scored was the sinking of German merchant Henry Lutgens (1141 GRT) on 29 January. A second field was laid on 2 February off Libau: the only success scored was the German icebreaker Pollux (4191 GRT) heavily damaged and beached on 2 February. A third field was laid on 23 March, scoring the following hits:
On the same day, German auxiliary minesweeper M-3138 sunk.
On 30 March, German merchant Jersbek (2804 GRT) sunk. Possible victory.
Between 8 and 13 March, Soviet submarine L-21 laid mines off Hela peninsula.[11] The field scored victories over German warships:
On 10 April, the German destroyer Z-43 is mined and damaged. The ship received emergency repairs and resumed operations.
On 30 March, Soviet submarine Lembit laid a field of mines off Wladyslawowo: the only known loss of this field occurred on 25 April with the sinking of German patrol vessel Vs-343[20]
Outcome
Fuel shortage restricted the number of German escort available for protecting ships and convoy and explain the Soviet success and the loss of a single Soviet submarine in action: while the campaign is not evaluated as a decisive victory (13 transports sunk, for 63000 GRT), submarine obtained some notable sinking.[21] The sinking of Wilhelm Gustloff, General von Steuben and Goya was a demonstration of the deadly potential of submarine warfare.[22] It is important to stress how despite being often erroneously described as noncombatant units, the ships actually possessed defensive anti-aircraft weapons and also carried military personnel (in addition to refugees).[23]
S-13 was an S-class submarine of the Soviet Navy. Her keel was laid down by Krasnoye Sormovo in Gorky on 19 October 1938. She was launched on 25 April 1939 and commissioned on 31 July 1941 in the Baltic Fleet, under the command of Captain Pyotr Malanchenko. The submarine is best known for the 1945 sinking of Wilhelm Gustloff, a German military transport ship/converted cruise ship. With a career total of 44,701 GRT sunk or damaged, she is the highest-scoring Soviet submarine in history.
German submarine U-31 was a Type VIIA U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. She was laid down on 1 March 1936 as yard number 912, launched on 25 September and commissioned on 28 December 1936.
German submarine U-255 was a Type VIIC U-boat that served in Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 21 December 1940 at the Bremer Vulkan yard at Bremen-Vegesack, launched on 8 October 1941 and commissioned on 29 November 1941 under the command of Kapitänleutnant Reinhart Reche.
German submarine U-511 was a Type IXC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 21 February 1941 at the Deutsche Werft yard in Hamburg as yard number 307, launched on 22 September 1941 and commissioned on 8 December 1941 under the command of Kapitänleutnant Friedrich Steinhoff.
German submarine U-30 was a Type VIIA U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine that served during World War II. She was ordered in April 1935 in violation of the Treaty of Versailles, which prevented the construction and commissioning of any U-boats for the German navy, and as part of the German naval rearmament program known as Plan Z. She sank the liner SS Athenia (1922) on 3 September 1939, under the command of Fritz-Julius Lemp. She was retired from front-line service in September 1940 after undertaking eight war patrols, having sunk 17 vessels and damaging two others. U-30 then served in a training role until the end of the war when she was scuttled. She was later raised and broken up for scrap in 1948.
The American Holland-class submarines, also AG class or A class, were Holland 602 type submarines used by the Imperial Russian and Soviet Navies in the early 20th century. The small submarines participated in the World War I Baltic Sea and Black Sea theatres and a handful of them also saw action during World War II.
The Black Sea Campaigns were the operations of the Axis and Soviet naval forces in the Black Sea and its coastal regions during World War II between 1941 and 1944, including in support of the land forces.
SM UB-47 was a Type UB II submarine or U-boat for the German Imperial Navy during World War I. UB-47 was sold to the Austro-Hungarian Navy during the war. In Austro-Hungarian service the B was dropped from her name and she was known as SM U-47 or U-XLVII as a member of the Austro-Hungarian U-43 class.
SM UB-2 was a German Type UB I submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy during World War I. She sank eleven ships during her career and was broken up in Germany in 1920.
S-7 was an S-class submarine of the Soviet Navy. Her keel was laid down by Krasnoye Sormovo in Gorkiy on 14 December 1936. She was launched on 5 April 1937 and commissioned on 30 June 1940 in the Baltic Fleet. During World War II, the submarine was under the command of Captain Sergei Prokofievich Lisin and took part in the Soviet submarine Baltic Sea campaign in 1942. S-7 scored victories, but was sunk in action.
Soviet submarine K-3 was a K-class submarine of the Soviet Navy during World War II.
Submarine warfare in the Black Sea in World War II during 1941 primarily involved engagements between submarines of the Soviet Black Sea Fleet attacking Axis merchantmen defended by Romanian and Bulgarian warships. These engagements were a part of the naval Black Sea campaigns between Axis and Soviet naval forces.
The Soviet Navy launched the Soviet submarine Baltic Sea campaign in 1942 to harass the strategic iron-ore traffic from neutral Sweden to Nazi Germany during World War II. The Soviet Union and the German Reich fought each other on the Eastern Front (1941-1945) during the war. The Allies also launched other operations - especially involving the Royal Navy - against the traffic.
The Gulf of Finland U-boat campaign lasted in the Gulf of Finland during the World War II against the Soviet Union between summer 1944 and spring 1945. During the campaign Finland switched sides and joined the Allies.
The Soviet submarine Baltic Sea campaign in 1943 was launched by the Soviet Navy to harass the strategic iron ore traffic from neutral Sweden to Nazi Germany on the Eastern Front during the WWII. Other operations were launched by Allies, especially by the Royal Navy. The offensive was a repetition of the previous campaign in 1942 but resulted in a failed outcome.
Submarine warfare in the Black Sea in World War II during 1942 involved engagements between primarily submarines of the Soviet Black Sea Fleet attacking Axis merchantmen defended by Romanian and German naval warships. These engagements were a part of the Black Sea campaigns between Axis and Soviet naval forces.
Submarine warfare in the Black Sea in World War II during 1943 involved engagements between submarines of the Soviet Black Sea Fleet attacking Axis merchantmen defended by Romanian and German naval warships, as well as and German U-boats attacking Soviet merchants on the eastern Black Sea. These engagements were a part of the Black Sea campaigns between Axis and Soviet naval forces.
Submarine warfare in the Black Sea in World War II during 1944 involved engagements between submarines of the Soviet Black Sea Fleet attacking Axis merchantmen, defended by Romanian and German naval warships, as well as German U-boats and Romanian submarines attacking Soviet merchants on the eastern Black Sea. Before the conclusion of the campaign, Romania joined the Allies after King Michael's Coup. These engagements were a part of the naval Black Sea campaigns.
The Soviet submarine Baltic Sea campaign in 1941 was launched by the Soviet Navy at the early stage of Operation Barbarossa. The offensive was hampered by the quick German ground advance and the retreat of Soviet naval vessels from the main Baltic harbors.
The Soviet submarine Baltic Sea campaign in 1944 was launched by the Soviet Navy to harass enemy shipping and naval military assets of the Nazi Germany on the Eastern Front during World War II.
References
↑ Evan Mawdsley (2015). Thunder in the East: The Nazi-Soviet War 1941-1945.
↑ Richard Compton-Hall,Richard Compton-Hall (2004). Submarines at War 1939-45. pp.125–126.
↑ David T. Zabecki (1999). World War II in Europe: An Encyclopedia. p.471.
↑ James P. Delgado,Clive Cussler (2011). Silent Killers: Submarines and Underwater Warfare. p.178.
↑ JSpencer C. Tucker (2011). World War II at Sea: An Encyclopedia, Volume 1. p.800.
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