U 81 (Navy)

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U 81 (Kriegsmarine)
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Type : VII C
Field Post Number : M 38 099
Shipyard: Vegesacker Werft ( Bremer Vulkan ), Bremen
Construction contract: January 25, 1939
Build number: 009
Keel laying: May 11, 1940
Launch: February 22, 1941
Commissioning: April 26, 1941
Commanders:
Flotilla:
Calls: 17 ventures
Sinkings:
  • 18 ships (25,793 GRT )
  • 1 warship (22,600 t)
Whereabouts: destroyed in Pola on January 9, 1944.

U 81 was a German submarine of type VIIC that in World War II by the German navy was used. The boat sank, among other things, the British aircraft carrier Ark Royal .

history

The order for the boat was placed on January 25, 1939 at the Vegesacker Werft ( Bremer Vulkan ) in Bremen- Vegesack . The keel was laid on May 11, 1940, the launch on February 22, 1941, the commissioning under Oberleutnant zur See Friedrich Guggenberger finally took place on April 26, 1941.

Until November 30, 1941 it was part of the 1st U-Flotilla in Kiel and Brest as a training and front boat . From December 1, 1941, U 81 belonged to the 29th U-Flotilla in La Spezia , Salamis and Pola in the Mediterranean until it was destroyed on January 9, 1944 .

Use statistics

During its service, U 81 completed 18 operations on which 19 ships with a total tonnage of 48,393 GRT were sunk, including the British aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal with 22,600 t.

First venture

The boat left Trondheim on July 17, 1941 at 8:00 a.m. and entered Kirkenes on August 7, 1941 . No ships were sunk or damaged during this 22-day, 2,569 nm above and 580 nm underwater expedition in the North Sea and the Kola coast.

The boat moved from Kirkenes to Trondheim in the shipyard on August 9, 1941.

Second venture

The boat left Trondheim on August 27, 1941 at 8:00 a.m. and entered Brest on September 19, 1941 at 12:45 p.m. During this 24-day and approx. 4,800 nm above and 137 nm underwater expedition in the North Atlantic and southwest of Iceland , two ships with 8,943 GRT were sunk and one ship with 7,465 GRT was damaged.

  • September 9, 1941: sinking of the British steamer Empire Springbuck ( Lage ) with 5,591 GRT. The steamer was sunk by two torpedoes . He had loaded 6,085 tons of explosives and steel and was on the way from Boca Grande ( Cuba ) via Sydney to Leith and London . The ship was a straggler of convoy SC-42 with 65 ships. It was a total loss with 42 dead.
  • September 10, 1941: sinking of the British steamer Sally Maersk ( Lage ) with 3,252 GRT. The steamer was sunk by two torpedoes. He had loaded 4,527 tons of wheat and was on the way from Three Rivers via Sydney (Nova Scotia) to Sharpness. The ship belonged to convoy SC-42. There were no casualties, 34 survivors.
  • September 10, 1941: Damage to the British steamer Empire Hudson with 7,465 GRT. The steamer was damaged by a torpedo and sunk by U 82 on the same day .

Third company

The boat left Brest on October 29, 1941 at 2 p.m. and entered La Spezia on December 10, 1941. U 81 entered Brest on October 31, 1941 because of bomb damage, and left again on November 4, 1941. On this 40-day and approx. 5,500 nm above and 442 nm underwater operation, during which the Strait of Gibraltar was passed on November 12, 1941 and operations were carried out in the eastern Mediterranean, an aircraft carrier with 22,600 t was sunk.

  • November 13, 1941: Sinking of the British aircraft carrier Ark Royal ( Lage ) with 22,600 tons. The aircraft carrier was so badly damaged by a torpedo that it sank on November 14, 1941. He was part of the Force H.

Fourth venture

The boat left La Spezia on January 27, 1942 at 4:12 p.m. and returned there on March 4, 1942 at 8:56 a.m. U 81 entered Messina on March 1, 1942 and left again on the same day. No ships were sunk or damaged on this 36-day venture into the eastern Mediterranean.

Fifth venture

The boat left La Spezia on April 4, 1942 at 2 p.m. and entered Salamis on April 25, 1942 at 9:20 a.m. On this 21-day and approx. 2,800 nm over and 308 nm underwater undertaking in the eastern Mediterranean, on which three TMB mines were laid off Haifa , two ships with 7,168 and eight sailing ships with approx. 794 GRT were sunk.

  • April 16, 1942: Sinking of the French auxiliary submarine hunter Vikings with 1,150 GRT. The ship was sunk by two torpedoes. There were 16 survivors.
  • April 16, 1942: sinking of the British tanker Caspia with 6,018 GRT. The tanker was sunk by two torpedoes. He had loaded 7,000 tons of gasoline and was on his way from Haifa to Tripoli . There were 26 dead and 11 survivors.
  • April 16, 1942: sinking of the Egyptian sailing ship Fatouh el Kher with 97 GRT. The sailor was sunk by artillery .
  • April 16, 1942: sinking of the Egyptian sailing ship Bab el Farag with 105 GRT. The sailor was sunk by artillery.
  • April 16, 1942: sinking of an unknown sailing ship of around 100 GRT. The sailor was sunk by artillery.
  • April 19, 1942: sinking of the Egyptian sailing ship Hefz el Rahman with 90 GRT. The sailor was sunk by ramming it several times. He had loaded wood.
  • April 20, 1942: sinking of an Egyptian sailing ship (name unknown) with approx. 80 GRT. The sailor was sunk by artillery. It had oil loaded.
  • April 22, 1942: sinking of the Egyptian sailing ship El Saadiah with 122 GRT. The sailor was sunk by artillery.
  • April 22, 1942: sinking of an unknown sailing ship of around 100 GRT. The sailor was sunk by artillery.
  • April 22, 1942: sinking of the Egyptian sailing ship Aziza with 100 GRT. The sailor was sunk by artillery.

Sixth venture

The boat left Salamis on May 6, 1942 at 4:37 p.m. and returned there on June 3, 1942 at 4:45 p.m. On June 2, the boat received an emergency call from U 652 , which had been badly damaged by an air raid off the North African coast near Sallum . U 81 took over the crew and the two commanders agreed to abandon U 652 and sink it, which was done by a stern torpedo from U 81 , which hit and sank the other boat amidships. No further ships were sunk or damaged during this 28-day and approx. 3,600 nm above and 529 nm underwater expedition into the eastern Mediterranean.

Seventh venture

The boat left Salamis on June 6, 1942 at 6.10 p.m. and entered La Spezia on June 24, 1942 at 12.50 p.m. U 81 entered Messina on June 22, 1942 and left again on the same day. On this 18-day long approximately 2,750 nm over and 346 nm underwater expedition into the eastern Mediterranean, a ship with 5,917 GRT was so badly damaged that it was considered a total loss.

  • June 10, 1942: Damage to the British tanker Brambleleaf with 5,917 GRT. The tanker was so badly damaged by a torpedo that the ship was considered a total loss. He had fuel oil , diesel and gasoline on board and was on his way from Alexandria to Tobruk . The ship belonged to the AT-49 convoy with four ships. There were two dead and 58 survivors.

Eighth venture

The boat left La Spezia on October 5, 1942 at 7.56 a.m. and returned there on November 16, 1942 at 10.30 a.m. On this 42 day long and about 5,500 nm over and 600 nm underwater venture into the western Mediterranean, off Algiers , two ships with 8,499 GRT were sunk.

  • November 10, 1942: sinking of the British steamer Garlinge with 2,012 GRT. The steamer was sunk by two torpedoes. He had loaded 2,700 tons of coal and was on the way from Greenock via Gibraltar to Algiers. There were 25 dead and 15 survivors.
  • November 13, 1942: sinking of the British steamer Maron ( Lage ) with 6,487 GRT. The steamer was sunk by a torpedo. He drove in ballast and was on the way from Algiers to Gibraltar. There were no casualties, 81 survivors.

Ninth venture

The boat left La Spezia on November 24, 1942 at 7.15 p.m. and entered Pola on December 21, 1942 at 4 p.m. U 81 entered Messina on December 19, 1942 and left again on the same day. No ships were sunk or damaged during this 27-day and approx. 2,600 nm above and 588 nm underwater venture into the western Mediterranean.

Tenth venture

The boat left Pola on January 31, 1943 at 2 p.m. and entered Salamis on February 19, 1943 at 11 a.m. During this 20-day and approx. 3,000 nm over and 303 nm underwater expedition into the eastern Mediterranean and off the coast of Palestine , five sailing ships with approx. 538 GRT were sunk and one ship with 6,671 GRT was damaged.

  • February 9, 1943: sinking of the Egyptian sailing ship Al Kasbanah with 110 GRT. The sailor was sunk by artillery.
  • February 10, 1943: Damage to the Dutch tanker Saroena with 6,671 GRT. The tanker was damaged by a torpedo. There were two dead and 57 survivors.
  • February 11, 1943: sinking of the Lebanese sailing ship Husni with 107 GRT. The sailor was sunk by artillery. He had alcohol loaded and was on his way to Cyprus . There were no losses.
  • February 11, 1943: sinking of the Palestinian sailing ship Dolphin with about 135 GRT. The sailor was sunk by artillery. He had petrol loaded and was on his way to Cyprus. There were seven survivors.
  • February 11, 1943: sinking of an unknown sailing ship with around 150 GRT. The sailor was sunk by artillery.
  • February 11, 1943: sinking of the Egyptian sailing ship Sabah El Kheir with 36 GRT. The sailor was sunk by artillery. It had oils and fats loaded and was on its way to Beirut . There were no losses.

Eleventh venture

The boat left Salamis on March 6, 1943 at 4 p.m. and entered Pola on April 7, 1943 at 11 a.m. On this 32 day long and 4,459 nm above and 471 nm underwater expedition in the Mediterranean Sea and the Cyrenaica coast, a ship with 133 GRT and a sailing ship with 77 GRT were sunk.

  • March 20, 1943: sinking of the Syrian sailing ship Mawahab Allah ( Lage ) with 77 GRT. The sailor was sunk by artillery. He had loaded potatoes and smoked fish and was on his way to Haifa. There were no losses.
  • March 28, 1943: sinking of the Egyptian steamer Rousdi ( Lage ) with 133 GRT. The steamer was sunk by a torpedo. He had loaded 72 t of jam , 10 t of carbide and 8 t of caraway and was on the way to Port Said . There were nine dead and one survivor.

Twelfth venture

The boat left Pola on June 6, 1943 at 1.35 p.m. and entered Salamis on July 4, 1943 at 1.30 p.m. During this 29-day and approx. 3,100 nm over and 428 nm underwater expedition into the eastern Mediterranean and off Syracuse , two ships with 11,873 GRT and three sailing ships with approx. 235 GRT were sunk.

  • June 17, 1943: sinking of the British steamer Yoma ( Lage ) with 8,131 GRT. The steamer was sunk by a torpedo. He had 1,670 soldiers on board and was on the way from Tripoli to Alexandria. The ship belonged to the GTX-2 convoy with 14 ships. 33 crew members and 451 soldiers were killed, 142 crew members and 1219 soldiers were rescued.
  • June 25, 1943: sinking of the Egyptian sailing ship Nisr with about 80 GRT. The sailor was sunk by artillery. It had groceries loaded and was on its way to Jaffa . There were no losses.
  • June 26, 1943: sinking of the Syrian sailing ship Toufic Allah with 75 GRT. The sailor was sunk by artillery. He had loaded 160 t of packaging , 11 t of alcohol and potatoes and was on the way to Beirut. There were no losses.
  • June 26, 1943: sinking of the Syrian sailing ship Nelly with about 80 GRT. The sailor was sunk by artillery. He had loaded potatoes and was on his way to Beirut. There were no losses.
  • June 27, 1943: sinking of the Greek steamer Michalios with 3,742 GRT. The steamer was sunk by a torpedo. He drove in ballast and was on the way from Mersin to Port Said. There was one dead.

Thirteenth venture

The boat left Salamis on July 14, 1943 at 4.15 p.m. and entered Pola on July 25, 1943 at 1 p.m. During this eleven-day and approximately 1,200 nm above and 232 nm underwater expedition into the Mediterranean Sea and off the east coast of Sicily , a ship with 7,472 GRT was damaged.

  • July 22, 1943: Damage to the British steamer Empire Moon with 7,472 GRT. The steamer was damaged by a torpedo. He was carrying coal and was on his way from Syracuse to Malta .

Fourteenth venture

The boat left Pola on August 1, 1943, and returned there on August 10, 1943 at 12.30 p.m. No ships were sunk or damaged during this nine-day and approx. 1,580 nm above and 129 nm underwater expedition into the Mediterranean Sea and off the Cyrenaica coast.

Fifteenth venture

The boat left Pola on September 20, 1943 at 10.55 p.m. and returned there on October 13, 1943 at 11.15 a.m. No ships were sunk or damaged during this 30-day and approximately 2,000 nm over and 448 nm underwater expedition in the Mediterranean Sea off Salerno .

Sixteenth venture

The boat left Pola on November 4, 1943 at 4:20 p.m., and returned there on November 23, 1943 at 9:40 a.m. U 81 returned to Pola on November 4, 1943 at 6.15 p.m. to repair the flak, and left again on November 6, 1943. It returned to Pola on November 7, 1943 for the installation of a radio measuring device (FuMB), and left again on November 10, 1943 at 2:20 p.m. During this 13-day and approx. 1,300 nm above and 224 nm underwater expedition into the Mediterranean Sea in the Gulf of Taranto , a ship with 2,887 GRT was sunk.

  • November 18, 1943: sinking of the British steamer Empire Dunstan ( Lage ) with 2,887 GRT. The steamer was sunk by a torpedo. He had loaded 1,550 tons of military equipment including 700 tons of landmines and was on the way from Bona via Augusta to Brindisi . The ship belonged to the disbanded convoy SL-140 / MKS-31 with 66 ships. There were two dead and 37 survivors.

Seventeenth venture

The boat left Pola on December 30, 1943 at 6:00 p.m., and returned there on January 3, 1944 at 8:30 a.m. No ships were sunk or damaged on this five-day expedition into the Adriatic Sea , which had to be canceled due to the commander's illness.

Whereabouts

The boat was hit on January 9, 1944 at 11.30 a.m. in Pola in a major attack by 144 bombers of the 15th Air Force of the USAAF on the port by a bomb hit in the engine room. As a result of the direct hit, it capsized and sank. On April 22, 1944, the wreck was lifted and then scrapped. The position was 44 ° 52 '  N , 13 ° 51'  O marine-grid square CJ 3175. There were two deaths and 51 survivors.

literature

  • Clay Blair : The Submarine War. Volume 1: The Hunters. 1939-1942. Heyne, Munich 1998, ISBN 3-453-12345-X .
  • Clay Blair: The Submarine War. Volume 2: The Hunted, 1942–1945. Heyne, Munich 1998, ISBN 3-453-16059-2 .
  • Rainer Busch, Hans-Joachim Röll: The submarine war 1939-1945. Volume 1: The German submarine commanders. ES Mittler und Sohn, Hamburg et al. 1996, ISBN 3-8132-0490-1 .
  • Rainer Busch, Hans-Joachim Röll: The submarine war 1939-1945. Volume 2: U-boat construction in German shipyards. ES Mittler und Sohn, Hamburg et al. 1997, ISBN 3-8132-0512-6 .
  • Rainer Busch, Hans-Joachim Röll: The submarine 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 .
  • Rainer Busch, Hans-Joachim Röll: The submarine war 1939-1945. Volume 4: German submarine losses from September 1939 to May 1945. ES Mittler und Sohn, Hamburg et al. 1999, ISBN 3-8132-0514-2 .
  • Rainer Busch, Hans-Joachim Röll: The submarine war 1939-1945. Volume 5: The knight's cross bearers of the submarine weapon from September 1939 to May 1945. ES Mittler and Son, Hamburg et al. 2003, ISBN 3-8132-0515-0 .
  • Erich Gröner : Die Handelsflotten der Welt 1942 and supplement 1944. JF Lehmanns Verlag, Munich 1976, ISBN 3-469-00552-4 (reprint of the 1942–1943 edition).
  • Erich Gröner: Search list for ship names (= The merchant fleets of the world. Supplementary volume). JF Lehmanns Verlag Munich 1976, ISBN 3-469-00553-2 (reprint of the 1943 edition).
  • Paul Kemp: The German and Austrian submarine losses in both world wars. Urbes Verlag, Graefelfing before Munich 1998, ISBN 3-924896-43-7 .

See also

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Rainer Busch, Hans-Joachim Röll: The U-Boat War 1939-1945. German submarine losses from September 1939 to May 1945 , Verlag ES Mittler, Hamburg 3 8132 0514 2, page 49