Wolfpack Leuthen

Last updated
Wolf pack Leuthen
Active15 Sep 1943 - 24 Sep 1943
CountryFlag of Germany (1935-1945).svg  Nazi Germany
Branch Kriegsmarine
Size20 submarines
Commanders
Notable
commanders
Siegfried Freiherr von Forstner

Leuthen was the given name to a wolfpack of German U-boats that operated during the World War II Battle of the Atlantic in 1943 from 15 to 24 September 1943 [1]

Contents

Service history

Leuthen was formed in September 1943 and was established to renew the attack on the North Atlantic route. Following the defeats of May 1943, and the devastating losses incurred by the U-boat Arm (U-Bootwaffe, UBW) then, Admiral Dönitz had withdrawn from attacks on the North Atlantic route while awaiting tactical and technical improvements. By September 1943 these were ready.

Leuthen operated against convoys ONS 18 and ON 202, which were travelling together; U-boats from Leuthen sank 6 ships of 36,442  GRT and 3 escorts in this battle, but lost 3 boats ( U-229, U-338, and U-341) destroyed, and 3 forced to return with damage, in attacks by aircraft and surface vessels.

Leuthen was disbanded after this assault, at the end of September; of the remaining 15 boats, 3 returned to base and 12 formed the core of a new patrol line, code-named Rossbach.

Raiding History

DateU-boatCommanderName of shipNationalityTonsConvoyFate
20 September 1943 U-238 Horst Hepp Frederick Douglass Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg  United States 7,176ON-202Damaged
20 September 1943 U-645 Otto Ferro Frederick Douglass Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg  United States 7,176ON-202Sunk
20 September 1943 U-305 Rudolf Bahr HMCS St. Croix Canadian Red Ensign (1868-1921).svg  Royal Canadian Navy 1,190ON-202Sunk
20 September 1943 U-270 Paul-Friedrich Otto HMS Lagan Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy 1,370ON-202Total loss
20 September 1943 U-238 Horst Hepp Theodore Dwight Weld Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg  United States 7,176ON-202Sunk
21 September 1943 U-952 Oskar Curio HMS Polyanthus Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy 925ON-202Sunk
23 September 1943 U-238 Horst Hepp Fort Jemseg Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 7,134ON-202Sunk
23 September 1943 U-666 Herbert Engel HMS Itchen Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy 1,370ON-202Sunk
23 September 1943 U-952 Oskar Curio James Gordon Bennett Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg  United States 7,176ON-202Damaged
23 September 1943 U-238 Horst Hepp Oregon Express Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 3,642ON-202Sunk
23 September 1943 U-238 Horst Hepp Skjelbred Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 5,096ON-202Sunk
23 September 1943 U-952 Oskar Curio Steel Voyager Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg  United States 6,198ON-202Sunk

U-boats

U-boatCommanderFromToNotes
U-229 Robert Schetelig15 September 194323 September 1943Destroyed; depth-charge, gunfire and ramming by HMS Keppel
U-238 Horst Hepp [2] 15 September 194324 September 1943Returned to base
U-260 Hubertus Purkhold [3] 15 September 194324 September 1943to group Rossbach
U-270 Paul-Friedrich Otto [4] 15 September 194323 September 1943Returned to base
U-275 Helmut Bork [5] 15 September 194324 September 1943to group Rossbach
U-305 Rudolf Bahr [6] 15 September 194324 September 1943to group Rossbach
U-338 Manfred Kinzel [7] 15 September 194320 September 1943Destroyed; Liberator F/120Sqdn, HMCS Drumheller
U-341 Dietrich Epp [8] 15 September 194319 September 1943Destroyed; depth-charge by Liberator A/10Sqdn RCAF
U-377 Gerhard Kluth [9] 15 September 194322 September 1943Returned to base
U-378 Erich Mäder [10] 15 September 194324 September 1943to group Rossbach
U-386 Fritz Albrecht [11] 15 September 194321 September 1943Returned to base
U-402 Siegfried von Forstner [12] 15 September 194324 September 1943to group Rossbach
U-422 Wolfgang Poeschel [13] 15 September 194324 September 1943Returned to base; destroyed en route 4 October 1943
U-584 Joachim Deecke [14] 15 September 194324 September 1943to group Rossbach
U-603 Rudolf Baltz [15] 15 September 194324 September 1943to group Rossbach
U-641 Horst Rendtel [16] 15 September 194324 September 1943to group Rossbach
U-645 Otto Ferro [17] 15 September 194324 September 1943to group Rossbach
U-666 Herbert Engel [18] 15 September 194324 September 1943to group Rossbach
U-731 Werner Techand [19] 15 September 194324 September 1943to group Rossbach
U-758 Helmut Manseck [20] 15 September 194324 September 1943to group Rossbach
U-952 Oskar Curio [21] 15 September 194324 September 1943to group Rossbach

The name

The name "Leuthen" was a reference to the battle of Leuthen fought by Frederick the Great during the Seven Years' War.

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References

  1. "Wolfpack Leuthen". uboat.net. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
  2. "Horst Hepp". u-boat.net. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
  3. "Hubertus Purkhold". u-boat.net. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
  4. "Paul-Friedrich Otto". u-boat.net. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
  5. "Helmut Bork". u-boat.net. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
  6. "Rudolf Bahr". u-boat.net. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
  7. "Manfred Kinzel". u-boat.net. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
  8. "Dietrich Epp". u-boat.net. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
  9. "Gerhard Kluth". u-boat.net. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
  10. "Erich Mäder". u-boat.net. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
  11. "Fritz Albrecht". u-boat.net. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
  12. "Siegfried von Forstner (Knight's Cross)". u-boat.net. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
  13. "Wolfgang Poeschel". u-boat.net. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
  14. "Joachim Deecke". u-boat.net. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
  15. "Rudolf Baltz". u-boat.net. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
  16. "Horst Rendtel". u-boat.net. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
  17. "Otto Ferro". u-boat.net. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
  18. "Herbert Engel". u-boat.net. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
  19. "Werner Techand". u-boat.net. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
  20. "Helmut Manseck". u-boat.net. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
  21. "Oskar Curio". u-boat.net. Retrieved 31 May 2015.

Bibliography