U 46 (Navy)
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U 46 (Kriegsmarine) ( previous / next - all submarines ) |
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| Type : | VII B |
| Field Post Number : | M 01 828 |
| Shipyard: | Germania shipyard , Kiel |
| Construction contract: | November 21, 1936 |
| Build number: | 582 |
| Keel laying: | February 24, 1937 |
| Launch: | September 10, 1938 |
| Commissioning: | November 2, 1938 |
| Commanders: |
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| Calls: | 12 activities |
| Sinkings: |
24 ships (130,962 GRT) |
| Whereabouts: | self-sunk on May 4, 1945 |
U 46 was a German submarine of type VII B , which in the Second World War by the Navy was used.
history
The order for the boat was awarded to the Germania shipyard in Kiel on November 21, 1936 . The keel was laid on February 24, 1937, the launch on September 10, 1938, the commissioning under Lieutenant Herbert Sohler on November 2, 1938.
Until December 31, 1939, the boat belonged to the submarine "Wegener" in Kiel as a front boat . After the reorganization of the U-Flotilla, it belonged from January 1, 1940 to September 1, 1940 as a front boat to the 7th U-Flotilla in Kiel and St. Nazaire . Thereafter, the boat was until March 31, 1943 training boat in the 26th U-Flotilla in Pillau and then until October 1943 in the 24th U-Flotilla in Memel . The boat was decommissioned on November 17, 1943. It was used as a rifle range boat for the 3rd U-Training Division until January 1945 and was self- sunk at the end of the war .
U 46 completed twelve operations on which 24 ships with a total tonnage of 130,962 GRT were sunk.
Commitment and history
At the beginning of the war, U 46 belonged to the U-Flotilla Wegener, which was named after the commander of the imperial submarine SM U 27 and was stationed in Kiel .
First venture
The boat left Kiel on August 19, 1939 at midnight and returned there on September 15, 1939 at 8.30 a.m. No ships were sunk or damaged on this 28-day venture in the North Atlantic west of Ireland .
Second venture
The boat left Kiel on October 3, 1939 at 11 p.m. and returned there on November 7, 1939 at 10 p.m. On this 36 day trip to the North Atlantic, a ship with 7,028 GRT was sunk. In the course of this venture, the boat was assigned to a submarine group, which was supposed to seek combat with allied convoys according to the pack tactics developed by Karl Dönitz . So far, submarine companies had aimed at the more or less accidental detection and sinking of individually moving ships. But when, at the end of September, the findings of the B-Dienst , the radio reconnaissance of the German naval intelligence service, showed that the Allied convoy system was slowly establishing itself, Doenitz saw the opportunity to put the pack tactics into practice. The "first pack" consisted, in addition to U 46, of U 45 , U 40 , U 42 and U 37 , on which Erich Hartmann, the flotilla chief of Flotilla Hundius , had taken command.
- October 17, 1939: Sinking of the British steamer City of Mandalay (7,028 GRT) ( location ) by a G7e torpedo . He had loaded gum , tea and sago and was on his way from Saigon via Singapore and Port Swettenham and India to Le Havre , London , Dunkirk to Glasgow . The ship belonged to convoy HG-3 with 25 ships. There were two dead and 78 survivors.
Third company
The boat left Kiel on December 19, 1939 at 2.15 a.m. and returned there on January 10, 1940 at 6.00 a.m. A ship with 924 GRT was sunk on this 22 day and 4,180 nm long undertaking west of Ireland.
- December 21, 1939: Sinking of the Norwegian steamer Rudolf (924 GRT) ( Lage ) by a G7e torpedo. He was ballasted and on his way from Gothenburg to Great Britain. There were no dead.
Fourth venture
The boat was launched on 29 February 1940 at 7.00 am from Kiel, suffered soon after ice damage and therefore ran at 14 o'clock in the 1 March 1940 Heligoland one. Diving exercises were carried out there until March 3, 1940. The boat was launched on March 5, 1940 at 14.30 in Wilhelmshaven one. On March 11, 1940 at 2:25 p.m., the boat left Wilhelmshaven for the Weser Exercise Company and arrived in Kiel on April 23, 1940 at 10:10 a.m. No ships were sunk on this 44 day long and approximately 5,300 nm long undertaking in the Westfjord, Ofotfjord and Tysfjord .
Fifth venture
The boat left Kiel on June 1, 1940 at 9:30 a.m. and returned there on July 1, 1940 at 5:00 a.m. On this 31-day trip in the North Atlantic, the Bay of Biscay and off Cape Finisterre , four ships with 15,070 GRT and an auxiliary cruiser with 20,277 GRT were sunk and one ship with 8,782 GRT was damaged.
- June 6, 1940: Sinking of the British auxiliary cruiser Carinthia (20,277 GRT) ( location ) by a G7e torpedo. There were four dead.
- June 9, 1940: sinking of the Finnish steamer Margareta (2,155 GRT) ( location ) by a G7a torpedo. He had loaded 1,434 tons of peanuts and was on his way from Bathurst to Greenock . There were five dead and 20 survivors.
- June 11, 1940: Damage to the British tanker Athelprince (8,782 GRT) by two G7a torpedoes. The ship was in ballast and was en route from London to Cienfuegos . There were no deaths, 59 survivors.
- June 12, 1940: Sinking of the British steamer Barbara Marie (4,223 GRT) ( location ) by a torpedo. He had loaded 7,200 t of iron ore and was on the way from Pepel ( Sierra Leone ) via Freetown to Workington . The ship belonged to convoy SL-34 with 30 ships. There were 32 dead and five survivors.
- June 12, 1940: sinking of the British motor ship Willowbank (5,041 GRT) ( location ) by a torpedo. It had loaded 8,750 tons of corn and was on its way from Durban via Freetown to Hull . The ship belonged to convoy SL-34. There were no deaths and 51 survivors.
- 17th June 1940: sinking of the Greek steamer Elpis (3,651 GRT) ( location ) by a torpedo. It had wheat loaded and was on his way from Rosario ( Argentina ) to Avonmouth . There were no dead and 28 survivors.
Sixth venture
The boat was launched on expired on 1 August 1940 at 10.00 am from Kiel and on September 6, 1940 at 7:45 am in Lorient one. On this 34-day enterprise in the North Atlantic and the North Canal , five ships with 19,502 GRT and an auxiliary cruiser with 15,007 GRT were sunk.
On August 3, 1940, the British submarine HMS Triad , returning from a patrol north of Bergen , discovered the surfaced U 46 . Since the Triad could not find a good position for a torpedo attack while slowly underwater, she surfaced and attacked U 46 at 10.30 p.m. with its 4- inch on- board cannon. Captain Endrass decided against a counterattack and allowed U 46 to dive. The Triad also dived and tried to chase the German boat but lost contact. On August 4, 1940 at 12.50 p.m., U 46 called for repairs in Bergen; it ran out again on August 8, 1940 at 8:00 p.m.
- August 16, 1940: Damage to the Dutch motor ship Alcinous (6,189 GRT) by a torpedo. It had general cargo and was on its way from Swansea to Java . It belonged to convoy OB-197.
- August 20, 1940: Damage to the Greek steamer Leonidas M. Valmas (2,080 GRT) by a torpedo was so severe that it sank in Kames Bay when it was towed to Greenock . He had loaded boards and planks and ledges and was on his way from Halifax, Nova Scotia to Dublin . There were 16 dead.
- August 27, 1940: Sinking of the British auxiliary cruiser Dunvegan Castle (15,007 GRT) ( location ) by three torpedoes. It belonged to the security of the convoy SL-43 with 47 ships. There were 27 dead and 250 survivors.
- August 31, 1940: sinking of the Belgian steamer Ville de Hasselt (7,461 GRT) ( location ) by a torpedo. He had loaded approx. 800–900 t general cargo and was on the way from Liverpool to New York . There were no deaths and 63 survivors. The ship had already been damaged by U 38 .
- September 2, 1940: Sinking of the British steamer Thornlea (4,251 GRT) ( location ) by artillery and a torpedo. He had 6,400 coal loaded and was on his way from Swansea to Montreal . The ship belonged to the disbanded convoy OB-205 with 32 ships. There were three dead and 33 survivors.
- September 2, 1940: Sinking of the British steamer Bibury (4,616 GRT) ( location ) by a torpedo. He had loaded 7,465 tons of coal and was on his way from Cardiff to Buenos Aires . The ship belonged to the disbanded convoy OB-205. It was a total loss with 36 dead.
- September 4, 1940: sinking of the Irish steamer Luimneach (1,074 GRT) ( Lage ) by artillery fire. He had loaded 1,250 tons of copper pebbles and was on the way from Huelva to Drogheda . There were no dead and 18 survivors.
Seventh venture
The boat moved on September 20, 1940 at 5:30 p.m. from Lorient to St. Nazaire, where it arrived on September 21, 1940 at 1:30 p.m. It left St. Nazaire on September 23, 1940 at 7:30 a.m. and returned there on September 29, 1940 at 6:37 p.m. On this seven-day expedition in the North Atlantic and the Bay of Biscay, two ships of 3,921 GRT were sunk.
- September 26, 1940: sinking of the British steamer Coast Wings. (862 GRT) by a torpedo. He had loaded general cargo and was on his way to Lisbon . The ship belonged to convoy OG-43. It was a total loss with 16 dead.
- September 26, 1940: The Swedish steamer Siljan (3,058 GRT) is sunk by a torpedo. He was carrying coal and was on his way from Cardiff to Lisbon. There were nine dead.
Eighth venture
The boat left St. Nazaire on October 13, 1940 at 2 p.m. and entered Kiel on October 29, 1940 at 2 p.m. During this 17-day and approximately 3,150 nm long undertaking in the North Canal and at the Rockall Bank, five ships with 22,966 GRT were sunk and one ship with 4,947 GRT was damaged.
- October 18, 1940: sinking of the Swedish steamer Convallaria (1,996 GRT) ( location ) by a torpedo. He had 821 cubic feet of wood pulp loaded and was on his way from St. John's to Ridham Dock . The ship belonged to convoy SC-7 with 35 ships. There were no dead.
- October 18, 1940: sinking of the British steamer Beatus (4,885 GRT) ( location ) by a torpedo. He had loaded 1,926 tons of steel and 5,874 tons of lumber and was on the way from Three Rivers via Sydney to Tyne and Middlesbrough . The ship belonged to convoy SC-7 . There were no deaths and 37 survivors.
- October 18, 1940: sinking of the Swedish steamer Gunborg (1,572 GRT) ( location ) by a G7e torpedo . He had 850 cubic feet of wood pulp loaded and was on his way from Halifax, Nova Scotia to Ridham Dock. The ship belonged to convoy SC-7. There were no dead and 23 survivors.
- October 19, 1940: Damage to the British steamer Wandby. (4,947 GRT) by a G7e torpedo. It was sunk by U 47 on the same day .
- October 19, 1940: Sinking of the British steamer Ruperra (4,548 GRT) ( location ) by a G7e torpedo. He had loaded steel sheets , scrap and airplanes and was on his way from New York via Greenock to Leith. The ship belonged to convoy HX 79 . There were 31 dead and seven survivors.
- October 20, 1940: Sinking of the Swedish tanker Janus (9,965 GRT) ( location ) by a G7e torpedo. The freighter broke as a result of the hit amidships - both parts drifted for some time before they sank. The Janus had loaded 13,855 t of heating oil and was on the way from Curaçao to the Clyde . The ship belonged to convoy HX-79. There were four dead and 33 survivors.
Ninth venture
The boat left Kiel on February 12, 1941 at 8 a.m. and entered St. Nazaire on March 4, 1941 at 12 p.m. No ships were sunk or damaged on this 21-day and approximately 2,900-nm-long undertaking in the North Atlantic.
Tenth venture
The boat left St. Nazaire on March 15, 1941 at 4.15 p.m. and returned there on April 10, 1941 at 6.40 p.m. On this 26-day and approximately 4,600 nm long enterprise west of Ireland, three ships with 17,465 GRT were sunk and one ship with 4,313 GRT was damaged.
- March 29, 1941: sinking of the Swedish steamer Liguria (1,751 GRT) ( location ) by a G7e torpedo. He had an unknown cargo and was en route from London to Las Palmas . The ship belonged to convoy OB-302. There were 19 dead and ten survivors.
- March 31, 1941: Sinking of the Swedish tanker Castor (8,714 GRT) ( location ) by a G7a torpedo. He had loaded 12,000 tons of oil and was on the way from New Orleans to Gothenburg. There were 15 dead and twelve survivors.
- April 2, 1941: Sinking of the British tanker British Reliance (7,000 GRT) ( location ) by a G7e torpedo. He had 9,967 t of fuel and two passengers on board and was on the way from Aruba via Halifax (Nova Scotia) to the Clyde. The ship belonged to convoy SC-26 with 24 ships. There were no dead and 50 survivors.
- April 3, 1941: Damage to the British steamer Alderpool. (4,313 GRT) by a torpedo. He had loaded 7,200 tons of wheat and was on the way from New York via Sydney (Nova Scotia) to Hull. The ship belonged to convoy SC-26 and was sunk by U 73 on April 3, 1941 .
Eleventh venture
The boat left St. Nazaire on May 15, 1941 at 6.45 p.m. and returned there on June 13, 1941 at 11.00 a.m. On this trip in the North Atlantic, which lasted 29 days and was around 4,800 nm long, two ships with 10,893 GRT were sunk and one ship with 5,207 GRT was damaged.
- June 8, 1941: Damage to the British tanker Ensis (6,207 GRT) by a torpedo. He drove in ballast and was on his way from London to Curaçao .
- June 8, 1941: Sinking of the British steamer Trevarrack (5,270 GRT) ( location ) by a torpedo. He was ballasted, had seven passengers on board and was en route from Glasgow to Montreal. The ship belonged to the disbanded convoy OB-329 with 41 ships. It was a total loss with 45 dead.
- June 9, 1941: Sinking of the British steamer Phidias (5,623 GRT) ( Lage ) by artillery fire. He had loaded 3,500 tons of military equipment and 14 aircraft and was on his way from Greenock to Cape Town . The ship belonged to the disbanded convoy OB-330 with 38 ships. There were eight dead and 43 survivors.
Twelfth venture
The boat left St. Nazaire on July 26, 1941 at 5:30 p.m. and entered Kiel on August 26, 1941 at 9:50 a.m. No ships were sunk or damaged on this 32-day venture in the North Atlantic.
Whereabouts
On September 2, 1941, the boat changed from active front service to the 26th flotilla to function as a training boat. It was used there until March 31, 1942. After that, the boat belonged to the 24th flotilla. On October 1, 1943, the boat was decommissioned, then used as a shooting range boat and on May 4, 1945 in the Kupfermühlenbucht near Flensburg at position 54 ° 50 ' N , 9 ° 29' E according to the long-standing rainbow order from his Crew sunk themselves .
U 46 lost four crew members during its service.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Rainer Busch, Hans-Joachim Röll: The U-Boat War 1939-1945. Volume 3: German submarine successes from September 1939 to May 1945. ES Mittler und Sohn, Hamburg et al. 2001, ISBN 3-8132-0513-4 , pp. 44–46
- ↑ Clay Blair : The Submarine War. Volume 1: The Hunters. 1939-1942. Heyne, Munich 1998, ISBN 3-453-12345-X . P. 147
- ↑ The Triad was sunk on October 15, 1940 by the Italian submarine Enrico Toti .
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