deutsche unterseeboote operationen im zweiten weltkrieg
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DEUTSCHE UNTERSEEBOOTE OPERATIONEN IM ZWEITEN WELTKRIEG. OVERVIEW. INTRODUCTION U-BOOT OPERATIONS U-BOOT TACTICS ENIGMA “ACES OF THE DEEP” LIFE ONBOARD U-156 LEGACY QUESTIONS. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
DEUTSCHE UNTERSEEBOOTE OPERATIONEN IM ZWEITEN WELTKRIEG
OVERVIEW
INTRODUCTION
U-BOOT OPERATIONS
U-BOOT TACTICS
ENIGMA
“ACES OF THE DEEP”
LIFE ONBOARD
U-156
LEGACY
QUESTIONS
INTRODUCTION Submarines used be Germany during WW I (1914-1918)
“Unrestricted Submarine Warfare”
Sinking of the LUSITANIA
Germany has a limited coastline – easily blockaded
During WW II (1939 – 1945) established based in conquered countries – France and Norway
Primary mission to disrupt Allied shipping and control sea lanes
German Navy (Kriegsmarine) not fanatic supporters of Nazi regime (unlike the Army and Air Force – Luftwaffe)
BEFEHLSHABER der UNTERSEEBOOTE ( BdU )
Grossadmiral Karl Dönitz
Grossadmiral Karl Dönitz
1891 - 1980
U-BOOT SHIPYARDS U-BOOT construction in Northern Germany
North Sea & Baltic Sea
1153 U-boats commissioned into the Kriegsmarine during 1935-1945
Largest builder was Blohm + Voss
AG Weser, Bremen
U-BOOT OPERATIONS
I
German U-Boats operated WORLDWIDE
PRIMARILY in the ATLANTIC
Mediterranean
Caribbean
Black Sea
MONSON U-Boats in the Far East (Penang Malaysia, Jakarta & Sabang Indonesia)
Assisted Imperial Japanese Navy
Primary mission to disrupt merchant shipping, allied naval convoys and navy escorts
U-BOOT TACTICS
Primary tactic developed by Donitz was the “Wolfpack” (Rudeltaktik)
Enough U-boats and facilities available after the fall of France in 1940
Simple concept: gather U-boats in patrol lines to scout for convoys
“WOLFPACKS”
Once a convoy was spotted the first boat was designated "shadower" and would chase the convoy and report its heading and speed to BdU
This would allow other boats to form around it and attack, more or less all at once, usually on the surface at night
OPERATION “DRUMBEAT”, 1942 Largest U-Boat offensive against America
Commenced after Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor
Germany declared war on US on Dec 11, 1941
U.S. Navy had already been countering German U-Boats through work with Royal Navy
Operation DRUMBEAT (Paulkenschlag)
Attacks on U.S. merchant shipping on East Coast
Massive damage inflicted – over 3,000 nm away
“Die Glückliche Zeit” (The Happy Time)
Sunk 2 million tons (600 ships); 5000 killed
Only 7 U-Boats lost
Operations commenced from bases in France
U-BOOT BASES IN OCCUPIED FRANCE
U-BOOT BUNKERS AT LA ROCHELLE (Modern Day)
“BLACK MAY” - 1943 Turning point in May, 1943
U.S. Navy established effective convoys
By Late 1942, shifted focus back to North Atlantic
Remained spread out across Atlantic
By Spring, 1943, Allies were able to defeat the Wolf Packs
Primary reasons for reversal:
“Hunter-Killer” Groups
Improved Detection capabilities
Aircraft Coverage
Breaking of Enigma Code
U-Boats being attacked leaving port
By end of 1943, majority of U-Boat fleet would be sunk
Most would be lost with ALL HANDS
SPIES & SABOTEURS Saboteur Landings in 1942 & 1944
German Military Intelligence (Abwehr) directed by Hitler to conduct sabotage operations inside American borders
Abwehr sabotage school located in Berlin
Teams delivered by U-Boats
Operational failure
Arrested by FBI
6 of 10 captured saboeurs executed
Intended targets included power plants, infrastructure, industry, canals, etc.
Admiral Wilhelm Canaris
1887 - 1945
ENIGMA
I
ULTRA INTELLIGENCE
Enigma was a portable cipher machine
Used to encrypt and decrypt secret messages
Enigma utilized very sophisticated cryptanalysis techniques by changing the substitution alphabet
Allied codebreakers were able to decrypt a large number of messages that had been enciphered on the machine
The intelligence gained through this source — codenamed “ULTRA” — was a significant aid to the Allied war effort
By 1945, almost all German Enigma traffic (Wehrmacht, Kriegsmarine, Luftwaffe, Abwehr, SD, etc.) could be decrypted within a day or two
“ACES OF THE DEEP”The Aces of the Deep were the ten U-Boat commanders during World War II who sunk the most enemy merchant ships during their naval services
Ranked according to the total tonnage of the ships they sunk
The term is related to flying ace, a World War I name for a pilot who shot down five or more enemy planes
The currently accepted list is as follows:
1 Otto Kretschmer 2 Wolfgang Lüth
3 Erich Topp 4 Heinrich Liebe 5 Victor Schütze
6 Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock 7 Karl-Friedrich Merten
8 Herbert Schultze 9 Günther Prien 10 Georg Lassen
Otto Kretschmer1912 - 1998
Fregattenkapitän (Crew 30)
Successes40 ships sunk for a total of 208.954 GRT
3 auxiliary warships sunk for a total of 46.440 GRT1 warship sunk for a total of 1.375 tons
5 ships damaged for a total of 37.965 GRT1 ship taken as prize for a total of 2.136 GRT2 ships a total loss for a total of 15.513 GRT
Wolfgang Lüth1913 - 1945
Kapitän zur See (Crew 33)
Successes46 ships sunk for a total of 225.204 GRT
1 warship sunk for a total of 552 tons2 ships damaged for a total of 17.343 GRT
Erich Topp1914 - 2005
Fregattenkapitän (Crew 34)
Successes34 ships sunk for a total of 197.233 GRT
1 auxiliary warship sunk for a total of 227 GRT1 warship sunk for a total of 1.190 tons
4 ships damaged for a total of 32.317 GRT
Günther Prien 1908 – 1941
Korvettenkapitän (Crew 33)
Successes30 ships sunk for a total of 162.769 GRT1 warship sunk for a total of 29.150 tons
8 ships damaged for a total of 62.751 GRT
Joachim Schepke1912 - 1941
Kapitänleutnant (Crew 30)
Successes36 ships sunk for a total of 153.677 GRT
4 ships damaged for a total of 17.229 GRT1 ship a total loss for a total of 2.205 GRT
U - 156
Kapitänleutnant Werner Harten
LACONIA INCIDENT On 12 September, 1942 U-156 sank the Allied liner LANCONIA west of Africa
136-man crew, some 80 civilians, military material and personnel (268 men)
Approx. 1800 Italian prisoners of war onboard
In the next days U-156 rescued some 400 survivors - 200 on board and the other 200 in lifeboats
On Sept 15, at 1130 hours U-506 under Kptlt Erich Würdemann arrived at the scene and continued to rescue the survivors
U.S. B-24 spotted and attacked U-156, forcing her to submerge
LACONIA ORDER Resulting rescue attempt infuriated German High Command
Prompted one of the most controversial order Dönitz ever issued
Known as the Laconia order:
No U-boats were to take part in any rescue operations
Leave any survivors in the sea
Up until that time U-boats had on very many occasions helped the survivors of their victims with supplies, water, directions to nearest land
MARK VII DEPTH CHARGES
LIFE ONBOARD
U-BOAT LEGACY
I
During WW II, over 40,000 sailors served on U- BOATS…
….Fewer than 10,000 returned home….
….A 75% Fatality Rate….
U-505 Museum in Chicago, Ill
BOOKS ABOUT U-BOATS
WEBSITES ABOUT U-BOATS
http://www.uboat.net/index.htmlhttp://www.u-boot-archiv.de/index.php