| Wolf pack Leuthen | |
|---|---|
| Active | 15 Sep 1943 - 24 Sep 1943 |
| Country |  Nazi Germany |
| Branch | Kriegsmarine |
| Size | 20 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]
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defeats of May 1943, and the devastating losses incurred by the U-boat Arm (U-Bootwaffe, UBW) then, Admiral Dönitz had withdrawn from attacks on the North Atlantic route while awaiting tactical and technical improvements.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.
| Date | U-boat | Commander | Name of ship | Nationality | Tons | Convoy | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 September 1943 | U-238 | Horst Hepp | Frederick Douglass |  United States | 7,176 | ON-202 | Damaged |
| 20 September 1943 | U-645 | Otto Ferro | Frederick Douglass | United States | 7,176 | ON-202 | Sunk |
| 20 September 1943 | U-305 | Rudolf Bahr | HMCS St. Croix |  Royal Canadian Navy | 1,190 | ON-202 | Sunk |
| 20 September 1943 | U-270 | Paul-Friedrich Otto | HMS Lagan |  Royal Navy | 1,370 | ON-202 | Total loss |
| 20 September 1943 | U-238 | Horst Hepp | Theodore Dwight Weld | United States | 7,176 | ON-202 | Sunk |
| 21 September 1943 | U-952 | Oskar Curio | HMS Polyanthus | Royal Navy | 925 | ON-202 | Sunk |
| 23 September 1943 | U-238 | Horst Hepp | Fort Jemseg |  United Kingdom | 7,134 | ON-202 | Sunk |
| 23 September 1943 | U-666 | Herbert Engel | HMS Itchen | Royal Navy | 1,370 | ON-202 | Sunk |
| 23 September 1943 | U-952 | Oskar Curio | James Gordon Bennett | United States | 7,176 | ON-202 | Damaged |
| 23 September 1943 | U-238 | Horst Hepp | Oregon Express |  Norway | 3,642 | ON-202 | Sunk |
| 23 September 1943 | U-238 | Horst Hepp | Skjelbred | Norway | 5,096 | ON-202 | Sunk |
| 23 September 1943 | U-952 | Oskar Curio | Steel Voyager | United States | 6,198 | ON-202 | Sunk |
| U-boat | Commander | From | To | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U-229 | Robert Schetelig | 15 September 1943 | 23 September 1943 | Destroyed; depth-charge, gunfire and ramming by HMS Keppel |
| U-238 | Horst Hepp [2] | 15 September 1943 | 24 September 1943 | Returned to base |
| U-260 | Hubertus Purkhold [3] | 15 September 1943 | 24 September 1943 | to group Rossbach |
| U-270 | Paul-Friedrich Otto [4] | 15 September 1943 | 23 September 1943 | Returned to base |
| U-275 | Helmut Bork [5] | 15 September 1943 | 24 September 1943 | to group Rossbach |
| U-305 | Rudolf Bahr [6] | 15 September 1943 | 24 September 1943 | to group Rossbach |
| U-338 | Manfred Kinzel [7] | 15 September 1943 | 20 September 1943 | Destroyed; Liberator F/120Sqdn, HMCS Drumheller |
| U-341 | Dietrich Epp [8] | 15 September 1943 | 19 September 1943 | Destroyed; depth-charge by Liberator A/10Sqdn RCAF |
| U-377 | Gerhard Kluth [9] | 15 September 1943 | 22 September 1943 | Returned to base |
| U-378 | Erich Mäder [10] | 15 September 1943 | 24 September 1943 | to group Rossbach |
| U-386 | Fritz Albrecht [11] | 15 September 1943 | 21 September 1943 | Returned to base |
| U-402 | Siegfried von Forstner [12] | 15 September 1943 | 24 September 1943 | to group Rossbach |
| U-422 | Wolfgang Poeschel [13] | 15 September 1943 | 24 September 1943 | Returned to base; destroyed en route 4 October 1943 |
| U-584 | Joachim Deecke [14] | 15 September 1943 | 24 September 1943 | to group Rossbach |
| U-603 | Rudolf Baltz [15] | 15 September 1943 | 24 September 1943 | to group Rossbach |
| U-641 | Horst Rendtel [16] | 15 September 1943 | 24 September 1943 | to group Rossbach |
| U-645 | Otto Ferro [17] | 15 September 1943 | 24 September 1943 | to group Rossbach |
| U-666 | Herbert Engel [18] | 15 September 1943 | 24 September 1943 | to group Rossbach |
| U-731 | Werner Techand [19] | 15 September 1943 | 24 September 1943 | to group Rossbach |
| U-758 | Helmut Manseck [20] | 15 September 1943 | 24 September 1943 | to group Rossbach |
| U-952 | Oskar Curio [21] | 15 September 1943 | 24 September 1943 | to group Rossbach |
The name "Leuthen" was a reference to the battle of Leuthen fought by Frederick the Great during the Seven Years' War.
German submarine U-238 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine built for service in the Second World War. She was laid down on 21 April 1942, by Germaniawerft of Kiel as yard number 668, launched on 7 January 1943 and commissioned on 20 February, with Oberleutnant zur See Horst Hepp in command. Hepp commanded her for her entire career, receiving promotion to Kapitänleutnant in the process.
German submarine U-48 was a Type VIIB U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II, and the most successful that was commissioned. During her two years of active service, U-48 sank 52 ships for a total of 306,874 GRT and 1,060 tons; she also damaged three more for a total of 20,480 GRT over twelve war patrols conducted during the opening stages of the Battle of the Atlantic.
German submarine U-438 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.
Steinbrinck was a wolfpack of German U-boats that operated during the World War II Battle of the Atlantic from 3 August 1942 to 11 August 1942.
ONS 18 and ON 202 were North Atlantic convoys of the ONS/ON series which ran during the battle of the Atlantic in World War II. They were the subject of a major U-boat attack in September 1943, the first battle in the Kriegsmarine's autumn offensive, following the withdrawal from the North Atlantic route after Black May.
SC 143 was a North Atlantic convoy of the SC series which ran during the battle of the Atlantic in World War II. It was the second battle in the Kriegsmarine's autumn offensive in the North Atlantic.
Rossbach was a wolfpack of German U-boats that operated during the battle of the Atlantic in World War II. Seven of its 21 U-boats were sunk and another seven damaged, four of which were forced to return to base, before the wolfpack was disbanded.
German submarine U-377 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 8 April 1940 at the Howaldtswerke yard in Kiel, launched on 15 August 1941, and commissioned on 2 October 1941 under the command of Kapitänleutnant Otto Köhler.
Seewolf was the name of three separate wolfpacks of German U-boats that operated during the Battle of the Atlantic in World War II.
Schill was a wolfpack of German U-boats that operated during the battle of the Atlantic in World War II.
Weddigen was a wolfpack of German U-boats that operated during the battle of the Atlantic in World War II.
German submarine U-758 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II. Commissioned on 5 May 1942, she served with the 6th U-boat Flotilla until 1 November as a training boat, and as a front boat until 14 October 1944 mostly under the command of Kapitänleutnant Helmut Manseck before joining the 33rd U-boat Flotilla as a training boat for the remainder of her service in the war.
Rösing's wolfpack was a formation of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine in World War II, a "wolfpack" of U-boats that operated during the early stages of the Battle of the Atlantic.
German submarine U-603 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II. She was laid down on 27 February 1941 by Blohm & Voss, Hamburg as yard number 579, launched on 16 November 1941 and commissioned on 2 January 1942 under Kapitänleutnant Kurt Kölzer.
German submarine U-270 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 15 October 1941 at the Bremer-Vulkan-Vegesacker Werft (yard) in Bremen as yard number 35. She was launched on 11 July 1942 and commissioned on 5 September under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Paul-Fredrich Otto.
German submarine U-275 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 18 January 1942 at the Bremer-Vulkan-Vegesacker Werft (yard) in Bremen as yard number 40. She was launched on 8 October 1942 and commissioned on 25 November under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Helmut Bork.
German submarine U-305 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 30 August 1941 at the Flender Werke yard at Lübeck as yard number 305, launched on 25 July 1942 and commissioned on 17 September under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Rudolf Bahr.
German submarine U-378 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.
Veilchen (Violet) was a wolfpack of German U-boats that operated during the World War II Battle of the Atlantic from 20 October 1942 to 7 November 1942.
German submarine U-641 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II. She was laid down on 19 November 1941 by Blohm & Voss, Hamburg as yard number 617, launched on 6 August 1942 and commissioned on 24 September 1942 under Oberleutnant zur See Horst Rendtel.