U 21 (Navy)
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U 21 (Kriegsmarine) ( previous / next - all submarines ) |
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| Type : | II B |
| Field Post Number : | M 08 360 |
| Shipyard: | Krupp Germania shipyard , Kiel |
| Construction contract: | February 2, 1935 |
| Build number: | 551 |
| Keel laying: | April 2, 1936 |
| Launch: | July 31, 1936 |
| Commissioning: | August 3, 1936 |
| Commanders: |
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| Calls: | 7 patrols |
| Sinkings: |
7 ships (11,875 GRT ) + 1 warship damaged (11,500 GRT) |
| Whereabouts: | decommissioned on August 5, 1944 in Pillau and cannibalized and demolished in February 1945 |
U 21 was a German submarine of type II B , which in the Second World War by the Navy was used.
history
The building contract for the boat was awarded to the Germania shipyard in Kiel on February 2, 1935 . The keel was laid on April 1, 1936, the launch on July 31, 1936, and commissioning on August 3, 1936.
The boat belonged to the U-Flotilla “Weddigen” until 1937 as a reserve and then until 1939 as a combat boat . In the course of the reorganization of the U-Flotilla from January 1, 1940, the 1st U-Flotilla came into being in Kiel . After seven trips, the boat served from July 1, 1940 as a school boat for the 21st U-Flotilla in Pillau , where it was decommissioned on August 5, 1944.
U 21 undertook seven enemy voyages on which seven ships with a total tonnage of 11,875 GRT were sunk.
Use statistics
First patrol
The boat left Wilhelmshaven on August 25, 1939 at 3:55 a.m. and returned there on September 5, 1939 at 1:15 a.m. No ships were sunk or damaged on this twelve-day expedition off the Dutch coast.
Second patrol
The boat left Wilhelmshaven on September 9, 1939 at 12:00 p.m. and returned there on October 1, 1939 at 11:50 a.m. No ships were sunk or damaged during this 23-day operation in the North Sea. On September 9, 1939, the HMS Ursula (N 59) (Lt.Cdr. GC Philips, RN) attacked U-35 and U-21 unsuccessfully and fired the first five British submarine torpedoes of the war. The attack took place 37 km north of the Dutch island of Schiermonnikoog .
Shipyard stay
U 21 cast off in Wilhelmshaven on October 2, 1939 at 1:30 p.m. and moved to Kiel for repairs , where it moored on October 3, 1939.
Third patrol
The boat left Kiel on October 22, 1939 at 3:00 a.m. and returned there on November 8, 1939 at 10:35 p.m. In these 18-day mine laying things before the Firth of Forth were in the sea area to the position of 56 ° 7 '1 " N , 2 ° 57' 6" O designed mines a steamer with 2,266 BRT and a mine-layer of 605 t sunk and Heavy cruiser of 11,500 tons damaged. On November 6, 1939, the HMS Sealion (Lt. Cdr. B. Bryant, RN) attacked U-21 unsuccessfully and fired six torpedoes, all of which missed their target.
- November 21, 1939: Damage to the British light cruiser HMS Belfast (11,500 t) by a mine hit.
- November 21, 1939: The British net-laying machine HMS Bayonet (539 t ) was sunk by a mine hit. There were 15 dead.
- February 24, 1940: sinking of the British steamer Royal Archer. (2,266 GRT) ( location ) from a mine hit. He had 630 tons of general cargo on board and was on his way from London to Leith . There were no dead, 27 survivors.
Fourth patrol
The boat left Kiel on November 27, 1939 at 4:00 a.m. and returned there on December 5, 1939 at 8:15 p.m. Two ships were sunk on this nine-day and approximately 1,000 nm long undertaking on the British east coast.
- December 1, 1939: The Norwegian steamer Arcturus (1,277 GRT) is sunk by a G7a torpedo . He had loaded tea , glasses , wire and shoes and was on his way to Trondheim . There were nine dead.
Fifth patrol
The boat left Kiel on December 17, 1939 at 3:00 a.m. and returned there on December 24, 1939 at 3:10 p.m. On this eight-day and approximately 1,100 nm long undertaking on the British east coast, two ships with a total of 2,827 GRT were sunk.
- December 21, 1939: sinking of the Swedish steamer Mars (1,475 GRT) ( location ) by a G7a torpedo. He had loaded coal and was on his way from Leith to Stockholm via Malmö . There were 18 dead.
- December 21, 1939: sinking of the Swedish steamer Carl Henckel. (1,352 GRT) ( location ) by two G7a torpedoes. He had loaded coal and was on the way from Leith (Scotland) via Malmö (Sweden) to Stockholm (Sweden). There were ten dead.
Sixth patrol
The boat left Kiel on January 27, 1940 at 0.15 a.m. and entered Wilhelmshaven on February 9, 1940 at 5.40 p.m. During this 14-day and approx. 1,740 nm above and 912 nm underwater undertaking on the British east coast, two ships with a total of 4,912 GRT were sunk.
- January 31, 1940: Sinking of the Danish steamer Vidar (1,353 GRT) ( location ) by three G7a torpedoes. He had steel bars loaded and was on his way from Grimsby to Esberg . There were 16 dead and 18 survivors.
- February 4, 1940: Sinking of the Yugoslavian steamer Vid (3,574 GRT) ( location ) by a G7a torpedo. The charge, course and human losses remained unknown.
Seventh patrol and internment
The boat left Wilhelmshaven on March 21, 1940 at 2:15 p.m. On March 26, 1940, it ran aground off the island of Odknuppen at the entrance to the Odfjord in Norway and was not released again. It was towed by a Norwegian tug to Mandal and then to Kristiansand on April 12, 1940 , where the boat crew was interned.
New employment
After the German occupation of Norway at the Weser Exercise company in April 1940, the boat was again taken over by the Navy. It left Kristiansand on April 16, 1940 at 8:00 p.m. and arrived in Kiel on April 20, 1940.
Further use
After a major overhaul at Deutsche Werke Kiel from April 21, 1940 to July 11, 1940, the boat left Kiel on July 12, 1940 and entered Pillau on July 13, 1940, where it was decommissioned on August 5 1944 was used as a school boat for the 21st U-Flotilla.
Whereabouts
The boat was decommissioned on August 5, 1944 in Pillau, cannibalized in February 1945 and demolished.
literature
- Paul Kremp: The German and Austrian submarine losses in both world wars. Urbes-Verlag, Graefelfing before Munich 1998, ISBN 3-924896-43-7 .
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