U 91 (Navy)

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U 91 (Kriegsmarine)
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Type : VII C
Field Post Number : M 08 626
Shipyard: Flender-Werke AG, Lübeck
Construction contract: January 25, 1939
Build number: 295
Keel laying: November 12, 1940
Launch: November 30, 1941
Commissioning: January 28, 1942
Commanders:
  • January 28, 1942 - April 19, 1943
    First Lieutenant Heinz Walkerling
  • April 20, 1943 - February 26, 1944
    Lieutenant Heinz Hungershausen
Calls: 6 patrols
Sinkings:
  • 3 ships (21,238 GRT)
  • 1 warship (1,375 t)
Whereabouts: self-sunk on February 26, 1944 in the central North Atlantic

U 91 was a German submarine of type VIIC that in World War II by the German navy was used.

history

The order for the boat was awarded to Flender-Werke in Lübeck on January 25, 1939 . The keel was laid on November 12, 1940, the launch on November 30, 1941, the commissioning under Oberleutnant zur See Heinz Walkerling finally took place on January 28, 1942.

After its commissioning on January 28, 1942 until August 31, 1942, the boat belonged to the 5th U-Flotilla in Kiel as a training boat . After his training, it came from September 1, 1942 until its sinking on February 26, 1944 as a front boat for the 9th U-Flotilla in Brest .

Use statistics

U 91 completed six operations during its service, in the course of which three ships with 21,238 GRT and a destroyer with 1,375 t were sunk.

First venture

The boat left Kiel on August 18, 1942 at 7:00 a.m. and entered Brest on October 6, 1942 at 5:00 p.m. It entered Kristiansand on August 17, 1942 to replenish fuel and left again on the same day. It was again supplied with 75 m³ of fuel and provisions by U 461 on September 19, 1942 . On this 53 day long and about 7,500 nm above and 211 nm underwater undertaking in the North Atlantic and east of Newfoundland , a destroyer with 1,375 t was sunk. U 91 belonged to the group with the code name "Forward '".

  • September 14, 1942: Sinking of the Canadian destroyer HMCS Ottawa ( Lage ) with 1,375 t. The destroyer was sunk by two torpedoes.

Second venture

The boat left Brest on November 1, 1942 at 5.10 p.m. and returned there on December 26, 1942 at 2 p.m. The boat was supplied with fuel by U 155 on December 18, 1942 and drinking water by U 463 on December 20, 1942 . No ships were sunk or damaged on this 55 day and 7,585 nm long expedition in the mid-Atlantic and west of Gibraltar . U 91 belonged to the group with the code name "Natter '".

Third company

The boat was on February 11, 1943 at 16:00 from Brest, and ran on March 29, 1943 at 9:40 in Lorient one. It was supplied with 35 m³ of fuel and provisions by U 462 on March 1, 1943 and again by U 463 with 10 m³ of fuel and provisions on March 20, 1943 . On this 46-day expedition to the North Atlantic, north of Newfoundland and near Greenland , three ships with 21,205 GRT were sunk. U 91 belonged to the groups with the code names "Knappen", "Burggraf" and "Raubgraf".

  • March 17, 1943: Sinking of the American steamer Harry Luckenbach ( Lage ) with 6,366 GRT. The steamer was sunk by two torpedoes. He had loaded 8,381 tons of general cargo and was on the way from New York to Liverpool . The ship took position 111 in convoy HX-229 with 40 ships. There were no casualties, 108 survivors.
  • March 17, 1943: sinking of the British steamer Nariva ( Lage ) with 8,714 GRT. The steamer was sunk by a torpedo. He had loaded 5,600 tons of frozen meat and was on his way from Buenos Aires via New York to Swansea . There were no casualties, 94 survivors.
  • March 17, 1943: sinking of the American steamer Irénée du Pont ( Lage ) with 6,125 GRT. The steamer was sunk by a torpedo. He had loaded 3,200 tons of oil , 5,800 tons of general cargo and eleven bombers and was on the way from New York to Liverpool. The ship took position 81 in convoy HX-229. There were 34 dead and 50 survivors.

Fourth venture

The boat left Lorient on April 29, 1943 at 6:00 p.m. and entered Brest on June 7, 1943 at 8:15 p.m. No ships were sunk or damaged on this 39 day expedition into the North Atlantic, southeast of Cape Farewell and the central North Atlantic. On May 25, 1943 ten men were found from the sunk U 752 and taken on board. Six of the ten men died and four survived. U 91 belonged to the groups with the code names "Lech" and "Donau II".

Fifth venture

The boat left Brest on September 21, 1943 at 4.30 p.m. and returned there on November 22, 1943 at 11.00 a.m. It was supplied with 32 m³ of fuel by U 219 on November 6, 1943 . No ships were sunk or damaged during this 62-day, 6,920 nm above and 1,450 nm underwater undertaking in the Central Atlantic and west of the Azores . U 91 belonged to the groups with the code name "Rossbach", "Schliefen" and "Siegfried".

Sixth venture

The boat left Brest on January 25, 1944 at 3:25 p.m. and was sunk on February 26, 1944. No ships were sunk or damaged on this 31-day expedition to the North Atlantic and west of Ireland . U 91 belonged to the groups with the code names "Igel", "Igel II" and "Prussia".

Whereabouts

The boat was forced to surface on February 26, 1944 in the central North Atlantic by depth charges from the British frigates HMS Affleck , HMS Gore and HMS Gould and was moved to position 49 ° 45 ′  N , 26 ° 20 ′  W in naval grid reference BD 3641 Crew sunk themselves. There were 36 dead and 16 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