U 99 (Navy)

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U 99 (Kriegsmarine)
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U Boot.jpg
Type : VII B
Field Post Number : M 17 046
Shipyard: Krupp Germania shipyard
Construction contract: December 15, 1937
Build number: 593
Keel laying: March 19, 1939
Launch: March 12, 1940
Commissioning: April 18, 1940
Commanders:

April 18, 1940 - March 17, 1941
Lieutenant Commander / Corvette Captain Otto Kretschmer

Calls: 8 patrols
Sinkings:

35 merchant ships with 198,218 GRT
3 auxiliary cruisers with 46,440 GRT

Whereabouts: Self-sunk on March 17, 1941 after severe damage by 2 destroyers in the North Atlantic (3 dead, 40 prisoners of war)

U 99 was a German submarine of type VII B , which in the Second World War by the Navy was used. During its eight patrols it sank 38 ships with almost a quarter of a million GRT, making it one of the most successful boats of the Second World War after U 48 . On March 17, 1941, the British by two destroyers were heavily damaged submarine in the North Atlantic scuttled . Of the 44 crew members, three died while 40 survived and British prisoners of war came.

history

The order for the boat was awarded to the Germania shipyard in Kiel on December 15, 1937 . The keel was laid on March 31, 1939 and the launch on March 12, 1940. On April 18, 1940 U 99 was put into service. The first and only in command was Lieutenant Captain Otto Kretschmer .

Until June 30, 1940, the boat belonged to the 7th U-Flotilla in Kiel as a training boat . From July 1, 1940 until it was sunk on March 17, 1941, it served as a front boat in the 7th U-Flotilla in St. Nazaire . As a coat of arms, it had a horseshoe that opened downwards on each side of the tower.

U 99 took eight during his service patrols on which it 38 ships totaling 244,749 GRT sunk and could damage five ships with 37,965 tons. Another ship with 2,136 GRT was raised as a prize. This made the U 99 one of the most successful submarines of the Second World War. However, all successes of U 99 were achieved in the so-called "happy time" of the submarine war , when the allied defense measures were not yet fully developed.

The commander, Otto Kretschmer, was promoted to corvette captain for these successes and was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords.

Use statistics

First patrol

The boat was launched on 18 June 1940 at 17.30 from Kiel, and expired on June 25, 1940 at 5:20 in Wilhelmshaven one. No ships were sunk or damaged during this seven-day and approx. 750 nm above and 130 nm underwater expedition into the North Sea , the Kattegat and the Skagerrak .

Second patrol

The boat was launched on June 27, 1940 at 8:30 am of Wilhelmshaven, and expired on 21 July 1940 at 9.08 pm in Lorient one. On this 24-day and approx. 3,900 nm over and 159 nm underwater expedition in the North Atlantic , the Biscay and south and southwest of Ireland , six ships with 20,583 GRT were sunk and a pinch of 2,136 GRT brought in.

  • 5th July 1940: sinking of the Canadian steamer Magog ( Lage ) with 2,053 GRT. The steamer was sunk by a torpedo and artillery . He had loaded 512 tons of wood and was en route from Halifax to Preston and was a straggler of the HX-52 convoy with 29 ships. There were no casualties, 23 survivors.
  • July 8, 1940: sinking of the British steamer Sea Glory with 1,964 GRT. The steamer was sunk by two torpedoes. He had kaolin loaded and was on his way from Fowey to Philadelphia . All 29 crew members died.
  • July 7, 1940: sinking of the Swedish steamer Bissen ( Lage ) with 1,514 GRT. The steamer was sunk by a torpedo. He had loaded pit wood and paper pulp and was on his way from Saint John to Ridham . There were no losses.
  • July 8, 1940: sinking of the British steamer Humber Arm ( Lage ) with 5,758 GRT. The steamer was sunk by a torpedo. He had loaded 1,000 t of steel , 5,450 t of newsprint , 300 t of wood and 450 t of pulp and was on the way from Corner Brook via Halifax to Ellesmere Port . The ship belonged to convoy HX-53 with 44 ships. There were no casualties, 43 survivors.
  • July 12, 1940: sinking of the Greek steamer Ia ( Lage ) with 4,860 GRT. The steamer was sunk by two torpedoes. He had loaded 6,666 t of wheat and 750 sacks of bran and was on the way from Rosario to Cork . There were three dead and 27 survivors.

A notable event during the second voyage of the boat was the capture of the Estonian cargo ship Merisaar , which Kretschmer initially wanted to sink according to prize law . When two torpedoes failed or went missing, Kretschmer ordered the crew of the freighter to go back on board and call at the occupied port of Bordeaux . Unfortunately, the Merisaar was sunk by a German aircraft en route.

  • July 18, 1940: sinking of the British steamer Woodbury ( Lage ) with 4,434 GRT. The steamer was sunk by a torpedo. He had loaded 3,000 t of canned meat, 2,500 t of wheat and 2,500 t of general cargo and was on the way from Uriburu in Argentina to Manchester . There were no casualties, 35 survivors.

Third patrol

The boat left Lorient on July 25, 1940 at 8:00 p.m. and returned there on August 5, 1940 at 9:24 a.m. On this eleven-day and approximately 2,000 nm above and 93 nm underwater expedition in the North Atlantic, the North Channel and west of Ireland, four ships with 32,345 GRT were sunk and three ships with 25,545 GRT were damaged.

  • July 28, 1940: sinking of the British motor ship Auckland Star ( Lage ) with 13,212 GRT. The ship was sunk by three torpedoes. It was loaded with 10,700 tons of general cargo including steel , refrigerated goods, wheat , hides and lead and was on its way from Townsville via Panama to Liverpool . There were no casualties, 74 survivors.
  • July 29, 1940: sinking of the British steamer Clan Menzies ( Lage ) with 7,336 GRT. The steamer was sunk by a torpedo. He had loaded 1,400 tons of tin , 2,000 tons of dried fruit and 4,000 tons of grain and was on the way from Sydney and Melbourne via Panama to Liverpool. There were six dead and 88 survivors.
  • July 31, 1940: sinking of the British steamer Jamaica Progress ( Lage ) with 5,475 GRT. The steamer was sunk by two torpedoes. He had 2,100 tons of bananas , 5 tons of coconuts , 74 crates of citrus fruits and four passengers on board and was en route from Kingston to Avonmouth . There were seven dead and 42 survivors.
  • July 31, 1940: sinking of the British steamer Jersey City ( Lage ) with 6,322 GRT. The steamer was sunk by a torpedo. He was ballasted and on his way from Newport to Baltimore . The ship belonged to convoy OB-191 with 29 ships. There were two dead and 43 survivors.
  • August 2, 1940: Damage to the Norwegian tanker Strinda with 10,973 GRT. The tanker was damaged by a torpedo. He drove in ballast and was on his way from Glasgow to South Africa . He entered Greenock on August 7, 1940 . The ship belonged to convoy OB-191.
  • August 2, 1940: Damage to the British tanker Lucerna with 6,556 GRT. The tanker was damaged by a torpedo. He drove in ballast and was en route from Swansea to Abadan. He entered Greenock on August 4, 1940. The ship belonged to convoy OB-191.
  • 2nd August 1940: Damage to the British tanker Alexia with 8,016 GRT. The tanker was damaged by a torpedo. He drove in ballast and was on his way from Liverpool to Curaçao . The ship belonged to convoy OB-191.
Grand Admiral Raeder giving awards to the crew of U 99 (August 1940)

Fourth patrol

The boat left Lorient on September 4, 1940 at 9:00 a.m., and returned there on September 25, 1940 at 10:09 a.m. On this voyage, U 99 had the Italian submarine commander Primo Longobardo on board to study tactics. During this 22-day and approx. 3,600 nm above and 137 nm underwater expedition in the North Atlantic, the Biscay, the North Channel and west of Ireland, seven ships with 25,925 GRT were sunk.

  • September 11, 1940: sinking of the British steamer Albionic with 2,468 GRT. The ship was sunk by a torpedo. It had loaded 3,500 tons of iron ore and was on its way from Wabana to Liverpool. It was a total loss with 25 dead.
  • September 16, 1940: sinking of the Canadian steamer Kernordoc with 1,780 GRT. The steamer was sunk by artillery. He had loaded 2,000 tons of lumber and was on the way from Québec via Sydney (Nova Scotia) to Bristol . The ship was a straggler of Convoy SC-3 with 47 ships.
  • September 16, 1940: sinking of the Norwegian steamer Lotos with 1,327 GRT. The steamer was sunk by a torpedo. He had loaded 500 fathoms of lumber and was on his way from Dalhousie ( Chamba district ) to Belfast. There were eight survivors.
  • September 17, 1940: sinking of the British steamer Crown Arun ( Lage ) with 2,372 GRT. The steamer was sunk by a torpedo and 102 rounds of artillery. He had loaded 2,800 t of mine wood and was on the way from Gaspé via Halifax (Nova Scotia) to Hull . The ship was a straggler of the 34-ship HX-71 convoy. There were no casualties, 25 survivors.
  • September 21, 1940: sinking of the British steamer Baron Blythswood with 3,668 GRT. The steamer was sunk by a torpedo. He had loaded 5,450 t of iron ore and was on the way from Wabana ( Conception Bay ) via Halifax (Nova Scotia) to Port Talbot . The ship was part of the HX-72 convoy with 47 ships. There were 35 dead and one survivor.
  • September 21, 1940: sinking of the British tanker Invershannon ( Lage ) with 9,154 GRT. The tanker was sunk by two torpedoes. He had loaded 13,241 t of fuel and was on the way from Curaçao to Scapa Flow . The ship was part of the HX-72 convoy with 47 ships. There were 16 dead and 31 survivors.
  • September 21, 1940: sinking of the British steamer Elmbank ( Lage ) with 5,156 GRT. The steamer was sunk by two torpedoes. He had loaded wood and metal and was on his way from Cowichan ( British Columbia ) via Panama and Halifax (Nova Scotia) to Belfast. The ship was part of the HX-72 convoy with 47 ships. There were two dead and 54 survivors.

Fifth patrol

The boat left Lorient on October 13, 1940 at 2:00 p.m., and returned there on October 22, 1940 at 10:52 a.m. On this nine-day venture into the North Atlantic and the North Canal, six ships with 27,396 GRT were sunk and another ship with 3,106 GRT was damaged.

  • October 18, 1940: sinking of the British steamer Empire Miniver with 6,055 GRT. The steamer was sunk by a torpedo. He had loaded 4,500 tons of pig iron and 6,200 tons of steel and was on the way from Baltimore via Sydney (Nova Scotia) to Newport. The ship belonged to convoy SC-7 with 35 ships. There were three dead and 35 survivors.
  • October 18, 1940: sinking of the British steamer Fiscus ( Lage ) with 4,815 GRT. The steamer was sunk by a torpedo. He had loaded steel and lumber and was on his way from Three Rivers via Sydney, Nova Scotia to Clyde. The ship belonged to convoy SC-7 with 35 ships. It was a total loss with 39 dead.
  • October 18, 1940: sinking of the Swedish steamer Niritos ( Lage ) with 3,854 GRT. The steamer was sunk by a torpedo. He had loaded 5,426 tons of sulfur and was on the way from Port Sulfur to Garston . The ship belonged to convoy SC-7 with 35 ships. There was one dead and 27 survivors.
  • October 19, 1940: sinking of the British steamer Empire Brigade ( Lage ) with 5,154 GRT. The steamer was sunk by a torpedo. He had loaded 750 tons of copper , 129 tons of structural steel, 980 tons of steel and general cargo and was on his way from Montreal via Sydney (Nova Scotia) to Tyne and Leith . The ship belonged to convoy SC-7 with 35 ships. There were six dead and 35 survivors.
  • October 19, 1940: sinking of the Greek steamer Thalia ( Lage ) with 5,875 GRT. The steamer was sunk by a torpedo. He had loaded steel, lead, and tin and was on his way from Montreal to Garston . The ship belonged to convoy SC-7 with 35 ships. There were 22 dead and four survivors.
  • October 19, 1940: sinking of the Norwegian steamer Snefjeld ( Lage ) with 1,643 GRT. The steamer was sunk by a torpedo. He had loaded wood and was on his way from Caraquet ( Acadian Peninsula ) to London . The ship belonged to convoy SC-7 with 35 ships. There were no casualties, 21 survivors.
  • October 19, 1940: Damage to the British steamer Clintonia with 3,106 GRT. The steamer was damaged by a torpedo. He had loaded 3,850 tons of fibreboard and was on the way from St. Francis (Nova Scotia) to Manchester . He belonged to convoy SC-7 with 35 ships. The ship was sunk by U 123 on the same day .

Sixth patrol

The boat left Lorient on October 30, 1940 at 5:00 p.m., and returned there on November 8, 1940 at 12:30 p.m. During this nine-day and approx. 1,900 nm above and 102 nm underwater expedition in the North Atlantic, North Channel and west of Ireland, four ships with 42,407 GRT were sunk.

  • November 3, 1940: sinking of the British steamer Casanare with 5,376 GRT. The steamer was sunk by a torpedo. He had loaded 1,500 tons of bananas and was on the way from Victoria via Halifax (Nova Scotia) to Garston. The ship belonged to convoy HX-83 with 37 ships. There were nine dead and 54 survivors.
  • November 4, 1940: sinking of the British auxiliary cruiser Laurentic ( Lage ) with 18,724 GRT. The ship was sunk by several torpedoes. 368 men were rescued, 49 died.
  • November 4, 1940: Sinking of the British auxiliary cruiser Patroclus ( Lage ) with 11,314 GRT. The ship was sunk by several torpedoes and artillery. It was part of the escort of the HX-83 convoy with 37 ships. There were 76 dead and 263 survivors.
  • November 5, 1940: sinking of the British tanker Scottish Maiden ( Lage ) with 6,993 GRT. The tanker was sunk with a torpedo. It had 3,000 tons of diesel and 6,500 tons of fuel and was on its way from Curacao via Halifax (Nova Scotia) to Avonmouth. The ship belonged to convoy HX-83 with 37 ships. There were 16 dead and 28 survivors.

Seventh patrol

The boat left Lorient on November 27, 1940 at 4:00 p.m., and returned there on December 12, 1940 at 11:42 a.m. On this 15-day and approx. 2,700 nm above and 64 nm underwater expedition in the North Atlantic and west of Ireland, four ships with 34,291 GRT were sunk.

  • December 2, 1940: sinking of the British auxiliary cruiser HMS Forfar (F30) ( Lage ) with 16,402 GRT. The ship was sunk by five torpedoes. The ship escorted the convoy HX 90 with 41 ships. 172 crew members died, 21 survived the attack.
  • December 2, 1940: sinking of the Norwegian steamer Samnager ( Lage ) with 4,276 GRT. The steamer was sunk by a torpedo and 52 rounds of artillery. It was in ballast and was on its way from Hartlepool to Pepel ( Sierra Leone ). All 30 crew members died.
  • December 3, 1940: sinking of the British tanker Conch ( Lage ) with 8,376 GRT. The steamer was sunk by a torpedo. He had 11,214 tons of fuel loaded and was on the way from Trinidad via Bermuda to Clyde. The ship belonged to convoy HX-90 with 35 ships. All 59 crew members survived.
  • December 7, 1940: sinking of the Dutch steamer Farmsum ( Lage ) with 5,237 GRT. It was sunk by two torpedoes, had 8,200 tons of coal loaded and was on its way from Blyth to Buenos Aires. The ship was a straggler of convoy OB-252. 16 crew members died in the attack.

Eighth patrol

The boat left Lorient on February 22, 1941, and was sunk on March 17, 1941. On this 24-day expedition to the North Atlantic and south and south-east of Ireland, seven ships with 61,711 GRT were sunk and another ship with 9,314 GRT was damaged.

  • March 7, 1941: sinking of the British whaling mother ship Terje Viken ( Lage ) with 20,638 GRT. This ship was sunk by a torpedo. It was in ballast on the way from Glasgow to Curacao and belonged to convoy OB-293 with 37 ships. There were no casualties, 105 survivors.
  • March 7, 1941: Sinking of the British tanker Athelbeach ( Lage ) with 6,568 GRT. The ship was sunk by three torpedoes. It was ballasted and on its way from Greenock to New York. The ship belonged to convoy OB-293 with 37 ships. There were seven dead and 37 survivors.
  • March 16, 1941: sinking of the Norwegian tanker Ferm ( Lage ) with 6,593 GRT. The tanker was sunk by a torpedo. He had 8,935 tons of fuel loaded and was on his way from New York to Avonmouth. The ship belonged to convoy HX-112 with 41 ships. There were no casualties, 35 survivors.
  • March 16, 1941: sinking of the Norwegian tanker Beduin ( Lage ) with 8,136 GRT. The tanker was sunk by a torpedo. He had loaded 11,000 tons of gasoline and was on his way from Aruba to the River Clyde . The ship belonged to convoy HX-112 with 41 ships. There were four dead and 30 survivors.
  • March 16, 1941: Damage to the Norwegian tanker Franche Comte with 9,314 GRT. It was damaged by a torpedo, had 4,000 tons of fuel and was on its way from Trinidad to the Clyde. The ship belonged to convoy HX-112 with 41 ships. It entered Rothesay Bay on March 21, 1940 .
  • March 16, 1941: Sinking of the British freighter Venetia ( Lage ) with 5,728 GRT. The freighter was sunk by a torpedo. It had loaded 7,053 t of maize and was en route from Baltimore via Halifax (Nova Scotia) to London. The ship belonged to convoy HX-112 with 41 ships. There were no casualties, 40 survivors.
  • March 16, 1941: sinking of the Canadian steamer JB White ( Lage ) with 7,375 GRT. The steamer was sunk by a torpedo. He had loaded 2,500 tons of steel and 4,500 tons of newsprint and was on his way from Mobile , via Halifax (Nova Scotia), to Manchester and Ellesmere Port. The ship belonged to the HX-112 with 41 ships. There were two dead and 38 survivors.
  • March 17, 1941: sinking of the Swedish motor ship Korshamn ( Lage ) with 6,673 GRT. The ship was sunk by a torpedo. It had 7,979 t of general cargo loaded and was on its way from New York to Liverpool. The ship belonged to convoy HX-112 with 41 ships. There were 26 dead and 11 survivors.

Whereabouts

On the night of 16 to 17 March 1941 U 99 in the North Atlantic south east of Iceland , after a successful attack on the convoy HX-112, from the British destroyers HMS Walker and HMS VANOC with ASDIC located and then with water bombs attacked. The boat was badly damaged in the process, sank to over 210 m and came to the surface after all diving cells were blown, as Kretschmer, who had no more torpedoes available, decided to try to escape on the surface of the water. Here it turned out that neither diesel nor electric motors worked anymore. Kretschmer had an unencrypted message ( " bombs, boat sunk, Heil Hitler! Kretschmer ") send and get off ordered the crew. During the attempt to sink the U 99 by venting a submersible cell, the chief engineer Oberleutnant (Ing.) Gottfried Schröder was killed. He was no longer able to leave the interior of the suddenly sagging boat quickly enough. The position was 61 ° 10 ′  N , 11 ° 48 ′  W in marine grid reference AE 8982. There were three dead and 40 survivors.

The survivors - among them Commander Korvettenkapitän Otto Kretschmer - were picked up by the British destroyer HMS Walker and initially brought to England as prisoners of war . In the spring of 1942 she was brought to Canada .

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 .
  • Robert M. Browning Jr .: US Merchant Vessel War casualties of World War II. Naval Institute Press, Annapolis MD 1996, ISBN 1-55750-087-8 .
  • 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).
  • Bodo Herzog: Admiral a. D. Otto Kretschmer. The most successful submarine commander of World War II. 1939-1945. A Prussian legend from Silesia. Patzwalk, Norderstedt 2001, ISBN 3-931533-44-1 .
  • Georg Högel: Emblems, coats of arms, Maling's German submarines 1939–1945. 4th edition. Koehlers Verlagsgesellschaft mbH, Hamburg 2001, ISBN 3-7822-0826-9 .
  • Paul Kemp: The German and Austrian submarine losses in both world wars. Urbes Verlag, Graefelfing before Munich 1998, ISBN 3-924896-43-7 .
  • Terence Robertson: The Wolf in the Atlantic. The war experiences of Otto Kretschmer, the most successful submarine commander in World War II. Verlag Welsermühl, Wels et al. 1958, (several editions).
  • Alan J. Tennent: British and Commonwealth Merchant Ship Losses. To Axis Submarines 1939-1945. Sutton Publishing Limited, Stroud 2001, ISBN 0-7509-2760-7 .

See also

Web links