Submarine warfare in the Black Sea campaigns (1943)

Last updated
Submarine warfare in the Black Sea in World War II
Part of the Black Sea Campaigns of the Eastern Front of World War II
Shch-209&Komintern.jpg
Shch-209 alongside the Soviet cruiser Komintern
Date1943
Location
Western and Eastern Black Sea
Result

Inconclusive

  • Limited Soviet success
Belligerents
Flag of Bulgaria.svg  Bulgaria
Flag of Germany (1935-1945).svg  Germany
Flag of Romania.svg  Romania
Flag of Italy (1861-1946) crowned.svg  Italy
Flag of the Soviet Union (1936-1955).svg  Soviet Union
Strength
6 German U-boats
5 Italian midget-submarines
Anti-submarine forces
29 submarines
Anti-submarine forces
Casualties and losses
4 German merchants sunk
1 German tanker sunk
6 German barges sunk, 1 damaged
1 German tug sunk

1 Romanian merchant sunk
1 Romanian barge sunk

1 Bulgarian merchant sunk
3 submarines sunk

2 minesweeper sunk, 1 damaged
2 patrol boat sunk, 1 damaged
2 landing crafts sunk

1 merchant sunk
1 tanker lost, 3 damaged
3 neutral Turkish vessels sunk

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.

Contents

Background

As during the first 1941 campaign and the following year campaign, the Soviet Navy sent submarines against the Axis supply lines along the western coast of the Black Sea. Once again, Axis defenses primarily consisted of Romanian-laid fields of mines. At the beginning of the year the Soviet navy had 18 operable submarines (and 11 on refit), and organized them into "wolf packs" of groups of 3 with an attempted coordination with aircraft (though reports were often late). At first Soviet results were reduced due to effective German interception and the shallow drafts of many targets, however better results were scored after the summer with introduction of new torpedo fuses. [1] German U-boats of the 30th U-boat Flotilla operated on the eastern site of the Black Sea, attacking Soviet targets.

Engagements

Outcome

Soviet submarines have been estimated to have sunk 20 targets (34,000 GRT) while suffering less losses: a better result compared to the campaigns of 1941 and 1942. [39] This improvement forced the Germans to create a proper anti-submarine warfare unit: the 1. Unterseebootsjagdflottille, operating since June 1943 with 18 converted trawlers supported by BV-138 flying boats. [40]

See also

Related Research Articles

German submarine <i>U-509</i> German World War II submarine

German submarine U-509 was a Type IXC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 1 November 1940 at the Deutsche Werft yard in Hamburg as yard number 305. She was launched on 19 August 1941, and commissioned on 4 November 1941 under the command of Korvettenkapitän Karl-Heinz Wolff.

German submarine <i>U-502</i> German World War II submarine

German submarine U-502 was a Type IXC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 2 April 1940 at the Deutsche Werft yard in Hamburg with yard number 292, launched on 18 February 1941 and commissioned on 31 May under the command of Kapitänleutnant Jürgen von Rosenstiel.

German submarine <i>U-504</i> German World War II submarine

German submarine U-504 was a Type IXC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 29 April 1940 at the Deutsche Werft yard in Hamburg as yard number 294, launched on 24 April 1941 and commissioned on 30 July 1941 under the command of Korvettenkapitän Hans-Georg Friedrich "Fritz" Poske. Initially attached to the 4th U-boat Flotilla for training, the U-boat was transferred to the 2nd flotilla on 1 January 1942 for front-line service. She was a member of six wolfpacks.

German submarine <i>U-96</i> (1940) German World War II submarine

German submarine U-96 was a Type VIIC U-boat of the German Navy (Kriegsmarine) during World War II. Her keel was laid down on 16 September 1939, by Germaniawerft, of Kiel as yard number 601. She was commissioned on 14 September 1940, with Kapitänleutnant Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock in command. Lehmann-Willenbrock was relieved in March 1942 by Oberleutnant zur See Hans-Jürgen Hellriegel, who was relieved in turn in March 1943 by Oblt.z.S. Wilhelm Peters. In February 1944, Oblt.z.S. Horst Willner took command, turning the boat over to Oblt.z.S. Robert Rix in June of that year. Rix commanded the boat until 15 February 1945.

German submarine <i>U-66</i> (1940) German World War II submarine

German submarine U-66 was a Type IXC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 20 March 1940 at the AG Weser yard at Bremen, launched on 10 October and commissioned on 2 January 1941 under the command of Kapitänleutnant Richard Zapp as part of the 2nd U-boat Flotilla.

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.

German submarine U-177 was a Type IXD2 U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 25 November 1940, at the DeSchiMAG AG Weser yard in Bremen, as yard number 1017. She was launched on 1 October 1941, and commissioned on 14 March 1942, under the command of Kapitänleutnant Wilhelm Schulze. After a period of training with the 4th U-boat Flotilla at Stettin, the boat was transferred to the 10th flotilla on 1 October 1942, and based at Lorient, for front-line service, she was then reassigned to the 12th flotilla at Bordeaux on 1 December.

German submarine U-652 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 5 February 1940 at the Howaldtswerke yard at Hamburg, launched on 7 February 1941, and commissioned on 3 April 1941 under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Georg-Werner Fraatz.

German submarine U-65 was a Type IXB U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. Over the course of six war patrols between 9 April 1940 and 28 April 1941, she sank twelve ships and damaged three others for a total loss of 88,664 gross register tons (GRT).

Щ-213 was a Soviet Navy Shchuka-class submarine, Type X. She was built at the Sudostroytelnyi zavod imeny 61 kommunara in Mykolaiv, Ukrainian SSR, and entered service in October 1938 with the Soviet Black Sea fleet.

German submarine U-442 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

Щ-215 was a Soviet Navy Shchuka-class submarine, Type X. She was built at the Sudostroytelnyi zavod imeny 61 kommunara in Mykolaiv, Ukrainian SSR, and entered service in October 1938 with the Soviet Black Sea fleet based at Sevastopol. Shch-215 survived the Second World War, was reclassified С-215 in 1949 and was decommissioned in 1955.

Submarine warfare in the Black Sea campaigns (1941) Sea-based fighting 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.

Gulf of Finland U-boat campaign

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.

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 campaigns (1944)

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.

Soviet Baltic Sea submarine campaign in 1941

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.

Soviet Baltic Sea submarine campaign in 1944 Part of the Baltic Sea campaign of the Eastern Front of World War II

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.

Soviet Baltic Sea campaign in 1945

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.

Barents Sea submarine campaign (1941)

The Barents Sea campaign in 1941 was a submarine operation in the Arctic waters of the Barents Sea during World War II. It was a combined Soviet and British campaign, with boats departing from Polyarny to harass German shipping along the Norwegian coast.

References