U 96 (Navy)

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U 96 (Kriegsmarine)
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Model of U 96
Model of U 96
Type : VII C
Field Post Number : 29 052
Shipyard: Germania shipyard , Kiel
Construction contract: May 30, 1938
Build number: 601
Keel laying: September 16, 1939
Launch: August 1, 1940
Commissioning: September 14, 1940
Commanders:
Calls: 11 missions
Sinkings:

29 ships (178,651 GRT)

Whereabouts: Sunk in Wilhelmshaven on March 30, 1945

U 96 was a German submarine of type VIIC that in World War II by the German navy was used. It became known through the novel Das Boot and its film adaptation from 1981.

U 96 had eleven missions during its service, in which 29 ships with 178,651 GRT were sunk and four ships with 33,000 GRT were damaged. At least 1179 people were killed on the side of the enemy. On February 15, 1945, it was decommissioned in Wilhelmshaven and destroyed in an air raid on March 30, without people on board.

history

The order for the boat was awarded to the Germania shipyard in Kiel on May 30, 1938 . The keel was laid on September 16, 1939, the launch on August 1, 1940, the commissioning under Lieutenant Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock finally took place on September 14, 1940.

After its commissioning on August 10, 1940 until March 31, 1943, the boat was part of the 7th U-Flotilla as a training and front boat, first in Kiel and then in St. Nazaire . After his active service as a front boat, it was used as a training boat for the 24th U-Flotilla in Memel from April 1, 1943 to June 30, 1944 , and finally it was used as a school boat from July 1, 1944 to its decommissioning on February 15, 1945 to the 22nd U-Flotilla to Gotenhafen or Wilhelmshaven , where it was destroyed by an air raid on March 30, 1945.

Use statistics

First venture

Kapitänleutnant Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock returns with U 96 home

The boat was launched on December 4, 1940 at 5.00 am from Kiel and expired on December 29, 1940 at 16:13 in Lorient one. U 96 entered Frederikshavn on December 5, 1940 to supplement it and left again on December 6, 1940. On this 26-day, 4,657-nm above and 120-nm underwater expedition into the North Atlantic , the North Canal and west of the Rockall Bank, five ships with 37,037 GRT were sunk and two ships with 15,864 GRT were damaged.

  • December 11, 1940: sinking of the British steamer Rotorua with 10,890 GRT. The steamer was sunk by a torpedo . He had loaded 10,803 t general cargo and was on the way from Lyttelton via Halifax to Avonmouth. The ship belonged to convoy HX-92 with 24 ships. There were 22 dead and 110 survivors. ( Location )
  • December 11, 1940: sinking of the Dutch steamship Towa with 5,419 GRT. The steamer was sunk by a torpedo. He had loaded 7,778 t of grain and 40 trucks and was on the way from Sorel (Canada) to London . The ship belonged to convoy HX-92. There were 18 dead and 19 survivors. ( Location )
  • December 12, 1940: sinking of the Swedish motor ship Stureholm with 4,575 GRT. The ship was sunk by a torpedo. It had steel loaded and was on its way from Grangemouth to Hull . The ship belonged to convoy HX-92 . Total loss with 32 dead. ( Location )
  • December 12, 1940: sinking of the Belgian steamer Macedonier with 5,227 GRT. The steamer was sunk by a torpedo. He had loaded 6,800 tons of phosphate and was on his way from Tampa to tea . The ship belonged to convoy HX-92. There were four dead and 37 survivors. ( Location )
  • December 14, 1940: sinking of the British motor ship Western Prince with 10,926 GRT. The ship was sunk by torpedo. It had 3,384 t of metals , 1,864 t of fabrics and 511 t of general cargo as well as 61 passengers on board and was on its way from New York via Halifax (Nova Scotia) to Liverpool . The ship belonged to convoy HX-92. There were nine dead and 99 survivors. ( Location )
  • December 14, 1940: Damage to the British steamer Empire Razorbill with 5,118 GRT. The steamer was damaged by artillery . ( Location )
  • December 18, 1940: Damage to the Dutch tanker Pendrecht with 10,746 GRT. The tanker was damaged by a torpedo. The ship was sunk by U 48 on June 8, 1941 . ( Location )

Second venture

The boat left Lorient on January 9, 1941 at 3:05 p.m. and returned there on January 22, 1941 at 2:11 p.m. On this 14-day and 2,624 nm above and 42 nm underwater expedition into the North Atlantic and the Northern Canal, two ships with 29,053 GRT were sunk.

  • January 16, 1941: sinking of the British steamer Oropesa with 14,118 GRT. The steamer was sunk by three torpedoes. He had 8,252 tons of copper , corn , general cargo and 39 passengers on board and was on the way from Mombasa to Liverpool . 100 crew members and six passengers were killed, 110 crew members and 33 passengers were rescued. ( Location )
  • January 17, 1941: sinking of the British steamer Almeda Star with 14,935 GRT. The steamer was sunk by five torpedoes (one miss and four hits). He drove in ballast, but had 194 passengers on board and was on the way from Liverpool to Buenos Aires . It was a total loss with 360 deaths. ( Location )

Third company

The boat was on 30 January 1941 at 18:05 Lorient, and on 28 February 1941 at 18.00 in Saint-Nazaire one. On this 30-day and 4,816 nm over and 188 nm long undertaking in the North Atlantic south of Iceland , seven ships with 45,478 GRT were sunk.

  • February 13, 1941: sinking of the British tanker Clea with 8,074 GRT. The tanker was sunk by a torpedo and artillery. He had diesel oil loaded and was on his way from Curaçao to Loch Ewe and Scapa Flow . The ship was a straggler of convoy HX-106 with 106 ships. It was a total loss with 59 dead. ( Location )
  • February 14, 1941: Sinking of the British tanker Arthur F. Corwin with 10,516 GRT. The tanker was sunk by two torpedoes. He had loaded 14,400 tons of gasoline and was on the way from Aruba via Halifax (Nova Scotia) to Avonmouth. The ship was a straggler of the HX-106 convoy and had been set on fire four hours earlier by U 103 when attacking this convoy. It was a total loss with 46 dead. ( Location )
  • February 18, 1941: Sinking of the British steamer Black Osprey with 5,589 GRT. The steamer was sunk by a torpedo. It had 4,500 tons of steel and tractors loaded and was on the way from Baltimore via Halifax to Newport (Wales). The ship was a straggler of the HX-107 convoys with 21 ships. There were 25 dead and 11 survivors. ( Location )
  • February 22, 1941: sinking of the British tanker Scottish Standard with 6,999 GRT. The tanker was sunk by a torpedo. He was ballasted and on his way from Clyde to New York via Loch Ewe. The ship was an afterthought of the convoy OB-287 with 44 ships. ( Location )
  • February 23, 1941: sinking of the British steamer Anglo Peruvian with 5,457 GRT. The steamer was sunk by two torpedoes. He had loaded 3,015 tons of coal and was on the way from Tyne and Loch Ewe to Boston . The ship belonged to convoy OB-288 with 46 ships. There were 29 dead and 17 survivors. ( Location )
  • February 24, 1941: sinking of the Norwegian steamer Linaria with 3,385 GRT. The steamer was sunk by a torpedo. He had loaded 2,501 tons of coal and was on the way from Tyne to Halifax (Nova Scotia). The ship belonged to convoy OB-288. It was a total loss with 35 dead. ( Location )
  • February 24, 1941: sinking of the British steamer Sirikishna with 5,458 GRT. The steamer was sunk by two torpedoes. He was ballasted and on his way from Barry to Halifax (Nova Scotia). The ship belonged to the disbanded convoy OB-288. It was a total loss with 33 dead. ( Location )

Fourth venture

The boat left Saint-Nazaire on April 12, 1941 at 4:24 p.m., and returned on May 22, 1941 at 6:04 p.m. On this 41-day and 6,198 nm above and 238 nm underwater expedition in the North Atlantic, the North Channel and west of Ireland , four ships with 30,227 GRT were sunk.

  • April 28, 1941: sinking of the British tanker Oilfield with 8,516 GRT. The tanker was sunk by a torpedo. He had loaded 11,700 tons of gasoline and was on the way from Aruba via Halifax (Nova Scotia) to London. The ship belonged to convoy HX-121 with 48 ships. There were 47 dead and eight survivors. ( Location )
  • April 28, 1941: sinking of the Norwegian tanker Caledonia with 9,892 GRT. The tanker was sunk by a torpedo. He had loaded 13,745 tons of diesel and heating oil and was on the way from Aruba to the Clyde. The ship belonged to convoy HX-121 with 48 ships. There were twelve dead and 25 survivors. ( Location )
  • April 28, 1941: sinking of the British steamer Port Hardy with 8,897 GRT. The steamer was sunk by a torpedo. He had 700 tons of tin , 3,000 tons of cheese , 4,000 tons of mutton , general cargo and ten passengers on board and was on the way from Wellington via Panama to Ellesmere Port and Avonmouth. The ship belonged to convoy HX-121. There was one dead and 97 survivors. ( Location )
  • May 19, 1941: sinking of the British steamer Empire Ridge with 2,922 GRT. The steamer was sunk by a torpedo. He had loaded 3,500 tons of iron ore and was on the way from Melilla to Workington. The ship belonged to convoy HG-61 with 23 ships. There were 31 dead and two survivors. ( Location )

Fifth venture

The boat left Saint-Nazaire on June 19, 1941 at 2:54 p.m. and returned there on July 9, 1941 at 7:12 p.m. On this 21-day and 3,333 nm above and 110 nm underwater undertaking in the mid-Atlantic , a ship with 5,954 GRT was sunk.

  • 5th July 1941: sinking of the British steamer Anselm with 5,954 GRT. The steamer was sunk by a torpedo. He had 1210 soldiers on board and was on the way from Gourock to Freetown (Sierra Leone). Four crew members and 250 soldiers were killed, 97 crew members and 960 soldiers were rescued. ( Location )

Sixth venture

The boat left Saint-Nazaire on August 2, 1941 at 11:30 a.m., and returned there on September 12, 1941 at 11:39 a.m. No ships were sunk or damaged on this 42-day and 6,213.7 nm long undertaking in the mid-Atlantic, west of Gibraltar .

Seventh venture

The boat left Saint-Nazaire on October 27, 1941 at 9:52 a.m. U 96 and three other boats were supposed to replace the submarines of the Reissewolf group off Newfoundland , which hunted Allied convoys in this region. The name of the new submarine group, to which U 552 and U 567 also belonged, should be Shock Troop. However, the formation and use of raiding troops was given up after Erich Topp sank the US destroyer Reuben James - and thus the first ship of the US Navy in this war - on the way to the site . Karl Dönitz rearranged his forces and renamed the remaining boats from shock troop to submarine group Schlagetot . Then the still operational boats of the Reissewolf group with Schlagetot were brought together and the Raubritter submarine group was formed. These renaming and rearrangements created some confusion within the submarine weapon. U 96 was supplied with 100 m³ of fuel and provisions in Vigo on November 27, 1941 by the merchant ship Bessel, which was used as a supplier . On this trip the lieutenant (special leader) Lothar-Günther Buchheim was on board as war correspondent from the propaganda company . A ship with 5,998 GRT was sunk on this 41 day long and 6,829 nm above and 236 nm underwater undertaking in the Central Atlantic and west of Gibraltar , during which the U 96 was to be relocated to the Mediterranean after being supplied in Vigo . The breakthrough through the Strait of Gibraltar on the night of December 1, 1941 failed, and the boat returned badly damaged to the nearest accessible German base on the Bay of Biscay , La Rochelle .

  • October 31, 1941: sinking of the Dutch steamer Bennekom with 5,998 GRT. The steamer was sunk by two torpedoes. He had loaded 900 tons of general cargo and 300 tons of military equipment and was on the way from Liverpool via Table Bay in South Africa to Colombo . The ship belonged to convoy OS-10. There were nine dead and 45 survivors. ( Location )

Eighth venture

The boat left Saint-Nazaire on January 31, 1942 at 4:45 p.m. and returned there on March 23, 1942 at 10:28 a.m. On this 52 day long and 7,171 nm above and 848 nm underwater expedition in the North Atlantic, the US east coast , Nova Scotia and Newfoundland , five ships with 25,464 GRT were sunk.

  • February 20, 1942: Sinking of the British motor ship Empire Seal with 7,965 GRT. The steamer was sunk by two torpedoes. He had loaded 7,000 tons of steel and was on his way from New York via Halifax (Nova Scotia) to Belfast. There was one dead and 56 survivors. ( Location )
  • February 20, 1942: sinking of the US motor ship Lake Osweya with 2,398 GRT. The ship was sunk by a torpedo. It was loaded with ammunition and explosives and was on its way from New York to Iceland via Halifax, Nova Scotia . There were no casualties, 37 survivors. ( Location )
  • February 22, 1942: sinking of the Norwegian steamer Torungen with 1,948 GRT. The steamer was sunk by a torpedo and artillery. He had paper and cellulose loaded and was on his way from Halifax, Nova Scotia to Charleston . It was a total loss with 19 dead. ( Location )
  • February 22, 1942: sinking of the British tanker Kars with 8,888 GRT. The tanker was sunk by a torpedo. He had loaded 12,700 tons of aviation fuel and heating oil and was on the way from Trinidad via Halifax (Nova Scotia) to Belfast (Northern Ireland). The ship belonged to convoy ON-67 with 37 ships. There were 50 dead and two survivors. ( Location )
U 96 arrives in St. Nazaire on March 23, 1942
  • March 9, 1942: sinking of the Norwegian motor ship Tyr with 4,265 GRT. The ship was sunk by a torpedo. He was in ballast and was on his way from Hull to Halifax, Nova Scotia. There were 13 dead and 18 survivors. ( Location )

Ninth venture

The boat left Saint-Nazaire on April 23, 1942 at 6:32 p.m. and returned there on July 1, 1942 at 9:44 a.m. U 96 was supplied with 45 m³ of fuel and provisions by U 116 from May 27 to 28, 1942 , and 20 m³ of fuel by U 460 on June 23, 1942 . No ships were sunk or damaged during this 69-day and approx. 8,900 nm above and 450 nm underwater expedition in the North Atlantic off Newfoundland and the east coast of the USA.

Tenth venture

The boat left Saint-Nazaire on August 24, 1942 at 10:00 a.m. and returned there on October 5, 1942. It was supplied with fuel and provisions by U 461 from September 18 to 19, 1942 . On this 43-day and about 5,300 nm above and 523 nm underwater expedition in the North Atlantic, east of Newfoundland, four ships with a total of 15,758 GRT were sunk and one ship with 12,190 GRT was damaged. U 96 belonged to the group with the code names "Stier" and "Vorwärts".

  • September 10, 1942: sinking of the Belgian steamer Elisabeth van Belgie with 4,241 GRT. The steamer was sunk by a torpedo. He was in ballast and was on his way from Liverpool to New York. The ship belonged to convoy ON-127. There were no casualties, 39 survivors. ( Location )
  • September 10, 1942: Damage to the British tanker FJ Wolfe with 12,190 GRT. The tanker was damaged by a torpedo. He entered St. John's (Newfoundland) on September 16, 1942. The ship belonged to convoy ON-127. ( Location )
  • September 10, 1942: sinking of the Norwegian tanker Sveve with 6,313 GRT. The tanker was sunk by a torpedo. He drove in ballast and was on his way from Glasgow to Curacao. The ship belonged to convoy ON-127. There were no casualties, 39 survivors. ( Location )
  • September 11, 1942: sinking of the Portuguese motor trawler Delaes with 415 GRT. The trawler was sunk by artillery. He had loaded fish and was on his way from Newfoundland to Portugal. There were no casualties, 54 survivors. ( Location )
  • September 25, 1942: sinking of the British steamer New York with 4,989 GRT. The steamer was sunk by a torpedo. He drove in ballast and was on his way from New York via St. John's to Londonderry . The ship belonged to convoy RB-1 with eight ships. It was a total loss with 64 dead. ( Location )

Eleventh venture

The boat left Saint-Nazaire on December 26, 1942 at 1:45 p.m. and entered Königsberg on February 8, 1943 . The boat left Bergen on January 31, 1943 (February 1, 1943), Stavanger on February 1, 1943 (February 2, 1943), and Flekkefjord on February 2, 1943 (February 3, 1943) 1943 off), on February 3, 1943 in Kristiansand (off again on February 4, 1943), on February 6, 1943 in Swinoujscie (off again on February 7, 1943) on February 7 in Gotenhafen (on February 8, 1943 off again) and in Koenigsberg. No ships were sunk or damaged on this 45-day and approximately 5,550 nm above and 463 nm underwater expedition in the North Atlantic, northeast of Newfoundland.

Whereabouts

The boat was destroyed on March 30, 1945 in Wilhelmshaven in the Hipper basin by aerial bombs during an air raid by the 8th Air Force of the USAAF . It had already been decommissioned on February 15, 1945 in Wilhelmshaven. The remains were scrapped after the war.

The sawfish

The sawfish : emblem of the boat

The emblem of the boat, a laughing sawfish , appeared regularly in the magazine Erika - Die frohe Zeitung für Front und Heimat . The draftsman of the sawfish was Hans Kossatz . The crew of the U 96 therefore approached Kossatz to get the sawfish as a mascot for the submarine. Kossatz then painted the tower of the submarine personally; It was reported in Erika , issue No. 22/1941.

U 96 in the film

For the film “ Das Boot ”, a buoyant dummy was recreated from the 5,000 photos that Buchheim had taken. This was mounted on a pontoon and therefore not submersible. The diving scenes were realized with models. The interior shots were taken in the studio in a cylindrical room that had the dimensions of the pressure hull . This was mounted on a seesaw to simulate the changing trim of the boat when diving or surfacing and the vibrations during attacks with depth charges.

The author Lothar-Günther Buchheim accompanied the seventh mission of the 7th submarine flotilla (stationed in St. Nazaire ) from October 26, 1941 to December 7, 1941 as war correspondent .

Web links

Commons : U 96 (Kriegsmarine)  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ List of convoy HX-92.
  2. ↑ Rainer Busch, Hans-Joachim Röll: The U-Boat War 1939-1945. German submarine successes from September 1939 to May 1945 , ES Mittler & Sohn, Hamburg 2001, ISBN 3-8132-0513-4 , page 91
  3. ^ German U-Boat Museum
  4. ↑ s. List of German submarines (1935–1945) / U 1 – U 250
  5. ^ Andreas C. Knigge : Comic Lexikon . Ullstein Verlag, Frankfurt am Main, Berlin and Vienna 1988, ISBN 3-548-36554-X , pp. 284–285.
  6. ↑ Gerd Lettkemann, Eckart Sackmann : Hans Kossatz - the early work. In: Eckart Sackmann (Ed.): Deutsche Comicforschung 2007. Comicplus, Hildesheim 2006, ISBN 3-89474-168-6 , p. 45.