Dispassionate statistics show that during the Second World War, the best submariners were German submariners. They sank 2,603 Allied warships and transport ships with a total displacement of 13.5 million tons. As a result, 70 thousand military sailors and 30 thousand sailors of the merchant fleet died. The ratio of losses and victories, thus, was 1:4 in favor of the German submarines. Soviet submariners, of course, could not boast of such successes, but they nevertheless delivered major troubles to the enemy. List of German submarine war aces who sank ships with a total displacement of more than 100 thousand tons: 1. Otto Kretschmer- sank 44 ships, including 1 destroyer - 266629 tons. 2. Wolfgang Luth- 43 ships, including 1 submarine - 225,712 tons (according to other sources, 47 ships - 228,981 tons). 3. Erich Topp- 34 ships, including 1 American destroyer - 193684 tons. 4. Herbert Schulze- 28 ships - 183432 tons (on his account the first of all the ships officially sunk by German submarines - the transport "Bosnia" - was sunk on September 5, 1939). 5. Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock- 25 ships - 183253 tons. 6. Karl-Friedrich Merten- 29 ships - 180869 tons. 7. Heinrich Liebe- 31 ships - 167886 tons. 8. Günther Prien- 30 ships, including the English battleship "Royal Oak", sunk by him on October 14, 1939 in the roadstead in the main naval base of the British fleet Scapa Flow in the Orkney Islands - 164953 tons. Günter Prien became the first German officer to receive oak leaves for the Knight's Cross. An outstanding submariner of the Third Reich died very early - on March 8, 1941 (during the attack of a convoy en route from Liverpool to Halifax). 9. Joachim Schepke- 39 ships - 159130 tons. 10. Georg Lassen- 26 ships - 156082 tons. 11. Werner Henke- 24 ships - 155714 tons. 12. Johan Mor- 27 ships, including a corvette and an air defense cruiser - 129292 tons. 13. Engelbert Endras- 22 ships, including 2 cruisers - 128879 tons. 14. Reinhardt Hardegen- 23 ships - 119405 tons. 15. Werner Hartmann- 24 ships - 115616 tons.
Also worthy of mention Albrecht Brandi who sank a minelayer and a destroyer; Reinhardt Suhren(95,092 tons), which sank a corvette; Fritz Julius Lemp(68607 tons), which damaged the English battleship "Barham" and actually sank the first ship of all destroyed by the German submarine fleet - the passenger liner "Athenia" (this happened on September 3, 1939 and was not then recognized by the German side); Otto Shewhart(80688 tons), which sank the English aircraft carrier Courageous on September 17, 1939; Hans Dietrich von Tiesenhausen, which sank the English battleship Barham on November 25, 1941.
Only five of Germany's best submariners sank 174 combat and transport ships allies with a total displacement of 1 million 52 thousand 710 tons.
For comparison: Soviet submarine fleet By June 22, 1941, he had 212 submarines in combat strength (to this must be added 54 submarines built already during the war). These forces (267 submarines) were sunk 157 enemy warships and transports- 462,300 tons (meaning only confirmed data).
The losses of the Soviet submarine fleet amounted to 98 boats (of course, excluding 4 submarines lost by the Pacific Fleet). In 1941 - 34, in 1942 - 35, in 1943 - 19, in 1944 - 9, in 1945 - 1. The ratio of losses and victories is 1: 1.6 in favor of submarines.
The best submariner of the Soviet Navy Alexander Ivanovich Marinesko sank 4 passenger and commercial vehicles with a total displacement of 42,507 tons:
January 30, 1945 - passenger liner "Wilhelm Gustlov" - 25484 tons (on the submarine S-13); February 10, 1945 - large transport ship "General von Steuben" - 14660 tons (on S-13); August 14, 1942 - Helene transport ship - 1800 tons (on M-96); October 9, 1944 - a small transport "Siegfried" - 563 tons (on S-13).
For the destruction of the Wilhelm Gustlov liner, Alexander Marinesko was "honored" to be included in the list of personal enemies of the Fuhrer and Germany.
On the sunken liner, 3,700 non-commissioned officers - graduates of the diving school, 100 submarine commanders who completed a special advanced training course in managing boats with a single engine of the Walther system, 22 high-ranking party officials from East Prussia, several generals and senior officers of the RSHA, a battalion of auxiliary service were killed Danzig port from the SS troops numbering 300 people, and only about 8,000 people (!!!).
As after the surrender of the 6th Army, Field Marshal Paulus in Stalingrad, mourning was declared in Germany, and the implementation of Hitler's plans to continue the all-out submarine war was seriously hampered.
For two outstanding victories in January-February 1945, all Marinesko crew members were awarded state awards, and submarine S-13- Order of the Red Banner.
The legendary submariner himself, who fell into disgrace, was awarded his main award posthumously only in May 1990. He was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union 45 years after the end of the war.
Without a doubt, Alexander Marinesko deserved to have monuments erected not only in Russia, but also in Great Britain and the United States of America. His feat saved the lives of many thousands of English and American sailors and brought the hour of the Great Victory closer.
Captain 3rd rank Alexander Marinesko tops the list of Soviet submariner aces not in terms of the number of enemy ships destroyed, but in terms of the amount of their displacement and the amount of damage inflicted on Germany's military potential. Following him are the following most successful submariners:
2. Valentin Starikov(lieutenant captain, commander of the submarine M-171, K-1, Northern Fleet) - 14 ships; 3. Ivan Travkin(captain of the 3rd rank, commander of the submarine Shch-303, K-52, Baltic Fleet) - 13 ships; 4. Nikolai Lunin(captain of the 3rd rank, commander of the submarine Shch-421, K-21, Northern Fleet) - 13 ships; 5. Magomed Gadzhiev(captain of the 2nd rank, submarine division commander, Northern Fleet) - 10 ships; 6. Grigory Shchedrin(captain of the 2nd rank, commander of the S-56 submarine, Northern Fleet) - 9 ships; 7. Samuil Bogorad(captain of the 3rd rank, commander of the Shch-310 submarine, Baltic Fleet) - 7 ships; 8. Mikhail Kalinin(lieutenant commander, commander of the Shch-307 submarine, Baltic Fleet) - 6 ships; 9. Nikolai Mokhov(lieutenant commander, commander of the Shch-317 submarine, Baltic Fleet) - 5 ships; 10. Evgeny Osipov(lieutenant commander, commander of the Shch-407 submarine, Baltic Fleet) - 5 ships.
AT United States Navy The greatest success was achieved by the crews of the Totog submarine - it sank 26 enemy warships and transports. In terms of displacement, the best result belongs to the crew of the Flasher submarine - 100231 tons. But the most famous US submariner during the Second World War was Joseph Inright.
NewsInfo based on materials from the website "Russian Submarine Fleet"
Submarines dictate the rules in naval warfare and force everyone to meekly follow the established order.
Those stubborn ones who dare to neglect the rules of the game will face a quick and painful death in cold water, among floating debris and oil slicks. Boats, regardless of the flag, remain the most dangerous fighting vehicles capable of crushing any enemy.
I bring to your attention a short story about the seven most successful submarine projects of the war years.
Boats type T (Triton-class), UK
The number of submarines built is 53.
Surface displacement - 1290 tons; underwater - 1560 tons.
Crew - 59 ... 61 people.
Operating immersion depth - 90 m (riveted hull), 106 m (welded hull).
Full speed on the surface - 15.5 knots; in the underwater - 9 knots.
A fuel reserve of 131 tons ensured a surface cruising range of 8,000 miles.
Armament:
- 11 torpedo tubes of caliber 533 mm (on boats of sub-series II and III), ammunition load - 17 torpedoes;
- 1 x 102 mm universal gun, 1 x 20 mm anti-aircraft "Oerlikon".
A British submarine Terminator capable of knocking the crap out of the head of any enemy with a bow-mounted 8-torpedo salvo. The T-type boats had no equal in destructive power among all the submarines of the WWII period - this explains their ferocious appearance with a bizarre bow superstructure, which housed additional torpedo tubes.
The notorious British conservatism is a thing of the past - the British were among the first to equip their boats with ASDIC sonar. Alas, despite their powerful weapons and modern means of detection, the T-type boats of the high seas did not become the most effective among the British submarines of the Second World War. Nevertheless, they went through an exciting battle path and achieved a number of remarkable victories. "Tritons" were actively used in the Atlantic, in the Mediterranean Sea, smashed Japanese communications in the Pacific Ocean, and were noted several times in the cold waters of the Arctic.
In August 1941, the Taigris and Trident submarines arrived in Murmansk. British submariners demonstrated a master class to their Soviet colleagues: 4 enemy ships were sunk in two campaigns, incl. "Baia Laura" and "Donau II" with thousands of soldiers of the 6th Mountain Division. Thus, the sailors prevented the third German attack on Murmansk.
Other famous T-boat trophies include the German light cruiser Karlsruhe and the Japanese heavy cruiser Ashigara. The samurai were “lucky” to get acquainted with the full 8-torpedo salvo of the Trenchent submarine - having received 4 torpedoes on board (+ one more from the stern TA), the cruiser quickly capsized and sank.
After the war, the powerful and perfect Tritons were in service with the Royal Navy for another quarter of a century.
It is noteworthy that Israel acquired three boats of this type in the late 1960s - one of them, INS Dakar (formerly HMS Totem), died in 1968 in the Mediterranean Sea under unclear circumstances. 
Boats of the "Cruising" type of the XIV series, the Soviet Union
The number of submarines built is 11.
Surface displacement - 1500 tons; underwater - 2100 tons.
Crew - 62 ... 65 people.
Full speed on the surface - 22.5 knots; in the underwater - 10 knots.
Surface cruising range 16,500 miles (9 knots)
Submerged cruising range - 175 miles (3 knots)
Armament:
- 2 x 100 mm universal guns, 2 x 45 mm anti-aircraft semi-automatic;
- up to 20 minutes of barriers.
... On December 3, 1941, German hunters UJ-1708, UJ-1416 and UJ-1403 bombarded a Soviet boat that tried to attack a convoy near Bustad Sund.
“Hans, can you hear that creature?
— Nine. After a series of explosions, the Russians sank to the bottom - I detected three hits on the ground ...
Can you tell where they are now?
— Donnerwetter! They are blown. Surely they decided to surface and surrender.
The German sailors were wrong. From the depths of the sea, a MONSTER rose to the surface - a K-3 cruiser submarine of the XIV series, which unleashed a flurry of artillery fire on the enemy. From the fifth salvo, the Soviet sailors managed to sink U-1708. The second hunter, having received two direct hits, smoked and turned aside - his 20 mm anti-aircraft guns could not compete with the "hundreds" of a secular submarine cruiser. Having scattered the Germans like puppies, K-3 quickly disappeared over the horizon at 20 knots.
The Soviet Katyusha was a phenomenal boat for its time. Welded hull, powerful artillery and mine-torpedo weapons, powerful diesel engines (2 x 4200 hp!), high surface speed of 22-23 knots. Huge autonomy in terms of fuel reserves. Remote control of ballast tank valves. A radio station capable of transmitting signals from the Baltic to the Far East. An exceptional level of comfort: shower cabins, refrigerated tanks, two seawater desalters, an electric galley ... Two boats (K-3 and K-22) were equipped with Lend-Lease ASDIC sonars. 
But, oddly enough, neither the high performance nor the most powerful weapons made the Katyusha an effective weapon - in addition to the dark story with the K-21 attack on the Tirpitz, during the war years, boats of the XIV series accounted for only 5 successful torpedo attacks and 27 thousand br. reg. tons of sunk tonnage. Most of the victories were won with the help of exposed mines. Moreover, their own losses amounted to five cruiser boats.
The reasons for the failures lie in the tactics of using the Katyushas - the mighty submarine cruisers, created for the expanses of the Pacific Ocean, had to "stomp" in the shallow Baltic "puddle". When operating at depths of 30-40 meters, a huge 97-meter boat could hit the ground with its bow, while its stern was still sticking out on the surface. Severomorsk sailors had a little easier time - as practice has shown, the effectiveness of the combat use of the Katyushas was complicated by the poor training of personnel and the lack of initiative of the command.
It's a pity. These boats were counting on more.
"Baby", Soviet Union
Series VI and VI-bis - 50 built.
Series XII - 46 built.
Series XV - 57 built (4 took part in the fighting).
TTX boat type M series XII:
Surface displacement - 206 tons; underwater - 258 tons.
Autonomy - 10 days.
The working depth of immersion is 50 m, the limit is 60 m.
Full speed on the surface - 14 knots; in the underwater - 8 knots.
Cruising range on the surface - 3380 miles (8.6 knots).
Cruising range in a submerged position - 108 miles (3 knots).
Armament:
- 2 torpedo tubes of caliber 533 mm, ammunition - 2 torpedoes;
- 1 x 45 mm anti-aircraft semi-automatic.
The project of mini-submarines for the rapid strengthening of the Pacific Fleet - the main feature of the M-type boats was the ability to be transported by rail in a fully assembled form.
In pursuit of compactness, many had to be sacrificed - service on the "Baby" turned into a grueling and dangerous event. Difficult living conditions, strong "chatter" - the waves ruthlessly threw a 200-ton "float", risking breaking it into pieces. Shallow diving depth and weak weapons. But the main concern of the sailors was the reliability of the submarine - one shaft, one diesel engine, one electric motor - the tiny "Baby" left no chance for the careless crew, the slightest malfunction on board threatened the submarine with death.
The kids evolved quickly - the performance characteristics of each new series differed several times from the previous project: contours were improved, electrical equipment and detection tools were updated, diving time was reduced, and autonomy grew. The "babies" of the XV series no longer resembled their predecessors of the VI and XII series: one and a half hull design - the ballast tanks were moved outside the pressure hull; The power plant received a standard twin-shaft layout with two diesel engines and electric motors for underwater travel. The number of torpedo tubes increased to four. Alas, the XV series appeared too late - the brunt of the war was borne by the "Baby" VI and XII series.
Despite their modest size and only 2 torpedoes on board, the tiny fish were distinguished by simply terrifying "gluttony": in just the years of World War II, Soviet M-type submarines sank 61 enemy ships with a total tonnage of 135.5 thousand gross tons, destroyed 10 warships, and also damaged 8 transports.
The little ones, originally intended only for operations in the coastal zone, have learned to fight effectively in open sea areas. They, along with larger boats, cut enemy communications, patrolled at the exits of enemy bases and fjords, deftly overcame anti-submarine barriers and undermined transports right at the piers inside protected enemy harbors. It's just amazing how the Red Navy could fight on these flimsy boats! But they fought. And they won!
Boats of the "Medium" type of the IX-bis series, the Soviet Union
The number of submarines built is 41.
Surface displacement - 840 tons; underwater - 1070 tons.
Crew - 36 ... 46 people.
The working depth of immersion is 80 m, the limit is 100 m.
Full speed on the surface - 19.5 knots; submerged - 8.8 knots.
Surface cruising range 8,000 miles (10 knots).
Submerged cruising range 148 miles (3 knots).
“Six torpedo tubes and the same number of spare torpedoes on racks convenient for reloading. Two cannons with a large ammunition load, machine guns, explosive equipment ... In a word, there is something to fight. And 20-knot surface speed! It allows you to overtake almost any convoy and attack it again. Technique is good…”
- opinion of the S-56 commander, Hero of the Soviet Union G.I. Shchedrin
The Eskis were distinguished by their rational layout and balanced design, powerful armament, and excellent running and seaworthiness. Originally a German design by Deshimag, modified to meet Soviet requirements. But do not rush to clap your hands and remember the Mistral. After the start of serial construction of the IX series at Soviet shipyards, the German project was revised with the aim of a complete transition to Soviet equipment: 1D diesel engines, weapons, radio stations, a noise direction finder, a gyrocompass ... - in the boats that received the designation "IX-bis series", there was not a single bolts of foreign production!
The problems of the combat use of boats of the "Medium" type, in general, were similar to the cruising boats of the K type - locked in mine-infested shallow water, they could not realize their high combat qualities. Things were much better in the Northern Fleet - during the war years, the S-56 boat under the command of G.I. Shchedrina made the transition across the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, moving from Vladivostok to the Polar, subsequently becoming the most productive boat of the Soviet Navy.
An equally fantastic story is connected with the S-101 “bomb catcher” - over the years of the war, over 1000 depth charges were dropped on the boat by the Germans and the Allies, but each time the S-101 returned safely to Polyarny.
Finally, it was on the S-13 that Alexander Marinesko achieved his famous victories.
“The brutal alterations that the ship got into, bombing and explosions, depths far exceeding the official limit. The boat protected us from everything ... "
- from the memoirs of G.I. Shchedrin
Boats like Gato, USA
The number of submarines built is 77.
Surface displacement - 1525 tons; underwater - 2420 tons.
Crew - 60 people.
The working depth of immersion is 90 m.
Full speed on the surface - 21 knots; in a submerged position - 9 knots.
Surface cruising range 11,000 miles (10 knots).
Submerged cruising range 96 miles (2 knots).
Armament:
- 10 torpedo tubes of caliber 533 mm, ammunition - 24 torpedoes;
- 1 x 76 mm universal gun, 1 x 40 mm Bofors anti-aircraft gun, 1 x 20 mm Oerlikon;
- one of the boats - USS Barb was equipped with a multiple launch rocket system for shelling the coast.
The Getow-class ocean-going submarines appeared at the height of the Pacific War and became one of the most effective tools of the US Navy. They tightly blocked all strategic straits and approaches to the atolls, cut off all supply lines, leaving the Japanese garrisons without reinforcements, and Japanese industry without raw materials and oil. In the skirmishes with the Gatow, the Imperial Navy lost two heavy aircraft carriers, lost four cruisers and a damn dozen destroyers.
High speed, lethal torpedo weapons, the most modern electronic means of detecting the enemy - radar, direction finder, sonar. The cruising range that provides combat patrols off the coast of Japan when operating from a base in Hawaii. Increased comfort on board. But the main thing is the excellent training of the crews and the weakness of Japanese anti-submarine weapons. As a result, the Getow ruthlessly destroyed everything - it was they who brought victory in the Pacific Ocean from the blue depths of the sea.
... One of the main achievements of the Getow boats, which changed the whole world, is the event of September 2, 1944. On that day, the Finback submarine detected a distress signal from a falling plane and, after many hours of searching, found a frightened pilot in the ocean, and there was already a desperate pilot . The one who was saved was George Herbert Bush.
The list of Flasher trophies sounds like a fleet joke: 9 tankers, 10 transports, 2 patrol ships with a total tonnage of 100,231 gross tons! And for a snack, the boat grabbed a Japanese cruiser and a destroyer. Lucky damn!
Type XXI electric robots, Germany
By April 1945, the Germans managed to launch 118 submarines of the XXI series. However, only two of them were able to achieve operational readiness and go to sea in the last days of the war.
Surface displacement - 1620 tons; underwater - 1820 tons.
Crew - 57 people.
The working depth of immersion is 135 m, the maximum one is 200+ meters.
Full speed on the surface - 15.6 knots, in the submerged position - 17 knots.
Surface cruising range 15,500 miles (10 knots).
Submerged cruising range 340 miles (5 knots).
Armament:
- 6 torpedo tubes of caliber 533 mm, ammunition - 17 torpedoes;
- 2 Flak anti-aircraft guns of 20 mm caliber.
Our allies were very lucky that all the forces of Germany were thrown to the Eastern Front - the Fritz did not have enough resources to release a flock of fantastic "Electric boats" into the sea. If they appeared a year earlier - and that's it, kaput! Another turning point in the battle for the Atlantic.
The Germans were the first to guess: everything that shipbuilders of other countries are proud of - a large ammunition load, powerful artillery, a high surface speed of 20+ knots - is of little importance. The key parameters that determine the combat effectiveness of a submarine are its speed and power reserve in a submerged position.
Unlike its peers, "Eletrobot" was focused on being constantly under water: the most streamlined hull without heavy artillery, fences and platforms - all for the sake of minimizing underwater resistance. Snorkel, six groups of batteries (3 times more than on conventional boats!), powerful el. full speed engines, quiet and economical el. creep engines.
The Germans calculated everything - the entire campaign "Electrobot" moved at periscope depth under the RDP, remaining difficult to detect for enemy anti-submarine weapons. At great depths, its advantage became even more shocking: 2-3 times the range, at twice the speed, than any of the submarines of the war years! High stealth and impressive underwater skills, homing torpedoes, a set of the most advanced means of detection ... "Electrobots" opened a new milestone in the history of the submarine fleet, defining the vector of development of submarines in the post-war years.
The Allies were not ready to face such a threat - as post-war tests showed, the Electrobots were several times superior in terms of mutual sonar detection range to the American and British destroyers guarding the convoys.
Type VII boats, Germany
The number of submarines built is 703.
Surface displacement - 769 tons; underwater - 871 tons.
Crew - 45 people.
Working depth of immersion - 100 m, limit - 220 meters
Full speed on the surface - 17.7 knots; in a submerged position - 7.6 knots.
Surface cruising range 8,500 miles (10 knots).
Submerged cruising range 80 miles (4 knots).
Armament:
- 5 torpedo tubes of caliber 533 mm, ammunition - 14 torpedoes;
- 1 x 88 mm universal gun (until 1942), eight options for superstructures with 20 and 37 mm anti-aircraft guns.
* the given performance characteristics correspond to boats of the VIIC sub-series
The most effective warships ever to sail the world's oceans.
A relatively simple, cheap, massive, but at the same time well-armed and deadly means for total underwater terror. 
703 submarines. 10 MILLION tons of sunk tonnage! Battleships, cruisers, aircraft carriers, destroyers, enemy corvettes and submarines, oil tankers, transports with aircraft, tanks, cars, rubber, ore, machine tools, ammunition, uniforms and food ... The damage from the actions of German submariners exceeded all reasonable limits - if not the inexhaustible industrial potential of the United States, capable of compensating for any losses of the allies, the German U-bots had every chance to “strangle” Great Britain and change the course of world history. 
Often the successes of the "sevens" are associated with the "prosperous time" of 1939-41. - allegedly when the Allies had the escort system and Asdik sonars, the successes of the German submariners ended. A completely populist claim based on a misinterpretation of "prosperous times".
The alignment was simple: at the beginning of the war, when there was one Allied anti-submarine ship for each German boat, the “sevens” felt like invulnerable masters of the Atlantic. It was then that the legendary aces appeared, sinking 40 enemy ships each. The Germans already had victory in their hands when the allies suddenly deployed 10 anti-submarine ships and 10 aircraft for every active Kriegsmarine boat!
Beginning in the spring of 1943, the Yankees and the British began methodically bombarding the Kriegsmarine with anti-submarine warfare and soon achieved an excellent loss ratio of 1:1. So they fought until the end of the war. The Germans ran out of ships faster than their opponents.
The entire history of the German "sevens" is a formidable warning from the past: what a threat the submarine poses and how high the costs of creating an effective system to counter the underwater threat.
In this article you will learn:
The submarine fleet of the Third Reich has its own interesting history.
The defeat of Germany in the war of 1914-1918 brought her a ban on the construction of submarines, but after Adolf Hitler came to power, it radically changed the situation with weapons in Germany.
Creation of the Navy
In 1935, Germany signed a naval agreement with Great Britain, which resulted in the recognition of submarines as obsolete weapons, and thus obtaining permission for their construction by Germany.
All submarines were subordinate to the Kriegsmarine - the Navy of the Third Reich.
Karl Demitz
In the summer of the same 1935, the Fuhrer appointed Karl Dönitz commander of all submarines of the Reich, in this post he remained until 1943, when he was appointed commander-in-chief of the German Navy. In 1939, Dönitz received the rank of Rear Admiral.
Many operations were developed and planned personally by him. A year later, in September, Karl becomes vice admiral, and a year and a half later he receives the rank of admiral, at the same time he receives the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves.
It is he who owns most of the strategic developments and ideas used during submarine wars. Dönitz created a new super caste of "unsinkable Pinocchios" from his subordinate submariners, and he himself received the nickname "Papa Carlo". All submariners underwent intensive training, and knew the capabilities of their submarine thoroughly.
Dönitz's submarine tactics were so talented that they earned the nickname "wolf packs" from the enemy. The tactics of the "wolf packs" was as follows: the submarines lined up in such a way that one of the submarines could detect the approach of the enemy convoy. The submarine that found the enemy transmitted an encrypted message to the center, and then it continued its journey already on the surface parallel to the enemy, but rather far behind him. The rest of the submarines focused on the enemy convoy, and they surrounded him like a pack of wolves and attacked, taking advantage of their numerical superiority. Such hunts were usually conducted in the dark.
Construction
The German Navy was armed with 31 combat and training fleets of the submarine fleet. Each of the fleets had a clearly organized structure. The number of submarines included in a particular flotilla could change. Submarines were often withdrawn from one unit and introduced into another. During combat exits at sea, one of the commanders of the operational group of the submarine fleet was in command, and in cases of very important operations, the commander of the submarine fleet, Befelshaber der Unterseebote, took control.
During the war, Germany built and fully manned 1153 submarines. During the war, fifteen submarines were seized from the enemy, they were introduced into the "wolf pack". Turkish and five Dutch submarines took part in the battles, two Norwegian, three Dutch and one French and one English were training, four Italian were transport and one Italian submarine stood at the docks.
As a rule, the main targets of the Dönitz submarines were enemy transport ships, which were responsible for providing the troops with everything they needed. During the meeting with the enemy ship, the main principle of the "wolf pack" was in effect - to destroy more ships than the enemy can build. Such tactics bore fruit from the first days of the war in the vast expanses of water from Antarctica to South Africa.
Requirements
The basis of the Nazi submarine fleet were submarines of series 1,2,7,9,14,23. At the end of the 30s, Germany mainly built submarines of three series.
The main requirement for the first submarines was the use of submarines in coastal waters, such were the second class submarines, they were easy to maintain, well maneuverable and could sink in a few seconds, but their disadvantage was a small ammunition load, so they were discontinued in 1941.
During the battle in the Atlantic, the seventh series of submarines, which were originally developed by Finland, were used, they were considered the most reliable, since they were equipped with snorkels - a device thanks to which it was possible to charge the battery under water. In total, more than seven hundred of them were built. For combat in the ocean, submarines of the ninth series were used, since they had a large radius of action and could even sail to the Pacific Ocean without refueling.
complexes
The construction of a huge submarine flotilla meant the construction of a complex of defense structures. It was supposed to build powerful concrete bunkers with fortifications for minesweepers and torpedo boats, with the presence of firing points and shelters for artillery. Special shelters were also built in Hamburg, Kiel at their naval bases. After the fall of Norway, Belgium and Holland, Germany received additional military bases.
So for their submarines, the Nazis created bases in Norwegian Bergen and Trondheim and French Brest, Lorient, Saint-Nazaire, Bordeaux.
In German Bremen, a plant for the production of submarines of the 11th series was equipped, it was equipped in the middle of a huge bunker near the Weser River. Several bases for submarines were provided to the Germans by the Japanese allies, a base in Penang and the Malay Peninsula, and an additional center was equipped in Indonesian Jakarta and Japanese Kobe for the repair of German submarines.
Armament
The main weapons of Dönitz's submarines were torpedoes and mines, the effectiveness of which was constantly increasing. Also, the submarines were equipped with artillery pieces of 88 mm or 105 mm caliber, and anti-aircraft guns with a caliber of 20 mm could also be installed. However, starting from 1943, artillery guns were gradually removed, as the effectiveness of deck guns decreased significantly, but the danger of an air attack, on the contrary, forced the power of anti-aircraft weapons to be increased. For the effectiveness of underwater combat, German engineers were able to develop a radar detector, which made it possible to avoid English radar stations. Already at the end of the war, the Germans began to equip their submarines with a large number of batteries, which made it possible to reach speeds of up to seventeen knots, but the end of the war did not allow the fleet to be re-equipped.
fighting
Submarines participated in combat operations in 1939-1945 in 68 operations. During this time, 149 enemy warships were sunk by submarines, including two battleships, three aircraft carriers, five cruisers, eleven destroyers and many other ships, with a total tonnage of 14,879,472 gross register tons.
The sinking of the Korages
The first major victory of the "wolf packs" was the sinking of the aircraft carrier "Koreydzhes". This happened in September 1939, the aircraft carrier was sunk by the submarine U-29 under the command of Lieutenant Commander Shewhart. After the sinking of the aircraft carrier, the submarine was pursued by the destroyers accompanying it for four hours, but U-29 was able to slip out, almost without damage.
Destruction of Royal Oak
The next brilliant victory was the destruction of the battleship Royal Oak. This happened after the U-47 submarine under the command of Lieutenant Commander Gunter Prien penetrated the British naval base in Skala Flow. After this raid, the British fleet had to be relocated to another location for six months.
Victory over Ark Royal
Another resounding victory for Dönitz's submarines was the torpedoing of the aircraft carrier Ark Royal. In November 1941, the submarines U-81 and U-205, located near Gibraltar, were ordered to attack British ships returning from Malta. During the attack, the Ark Royal aircraft carrier was hit, at first the British hoped that they could tow the wrecked aircraft carrier, but this did not work out, and the Ark Royal sank.
From the beginning of 1942, German submariners began to conduct military operations in US territorial waters. The cities of the United States were not even dark at night, cargo ships and tankers moved without military escort, so the number of American ships destroyed was calculated by the stock of torpedoes on the submarine, so the U-552 submarine sank seven American ships in one exit.
Legendary submariners
The most successful submariners of the Third Reich were Otto Kretschmer and Captain Wolfgang Luth, who managed to sink 47 ships each with a tonnage of over 220 thousand tons. The most successful submarine was U-48, whose crew sank 51 ships with a tonnage of about 305,000 tons. The submarine U-196, under the command of Eitel-Friedrich Kentrath, stayed on the voyage for 225 days.
Equipment
To communicate with the submarines, radiograms were used, encrypted on a special Enigma encryption machine. Great Britain made every possible effort to obtain this device, since there was no other way to decipher the texts, however, as soon as it became possible to steal such a machine from a captured submarine, the Germans first of all destroyed the device and all encryption documents. However, they succeeded after capturing U-110 and U-505, and a number of encrypted documents also fell into their hands. U-110 was attacked by British depth charges in May 1941, as a result of damage, the submarine was forced to surface, the Germans planned to escape from the submarine and sink it, but they did not have time to sink it, so the boat was captured by the British, and Enigma fell into their hands and magazines with ciphers and maps of minefields. In order to keep the secret of the capture of the Enigma, the entire surviving crew of submariners was rescued from the water, the boat itself was soon sunk. The resulting ciphers allowed the British until 1942 to keep abreast of German radio messages, until Enigma was complicated. The capture of encrypted documents on board U-559 helped break this cipher. She was attacked by British destroyers in 1942 and taken in tow, a new variation of the Enigma was also found there, but the submarine began to sink quickly and the cipher machine, along with two British sailors, drowned.
victories
During the war, German submarines were captured many times, some of them were also subsequently put into service with the enemy fleet, such as U-57, which became the British submarine Graf, which conducted combat operations in 1942-1944. The Germans lost several of their submarines due to the presence of defects in the structure of the submarines themselves. So the submarine U-377 went to the bottom in 1944 due to the explosion of its own circulating torpedo, the details of the sinking are not known, since the entire crew also died.
Fuhrer convoy
In the service of Dönitz, there was also another subdivision of submarines, called the Fuhrer's Convoy. The secret group included thirty-five submarines. The British believed that these submarines were intended to transport minerals from South America. However, it remains a mystery why at the end of the war, when the submarine fleet was almost completely destroyed, Dönitz did not withdraw more than one submarine from the Fuhrer's Convoy.
There are versions that these submarines were used to control the secret Nazi Base 211 in Antarctica. However, two of the convoy's submarines were discovered after the war near Argentina, the captains of which claimed to be transporting an unknown secret cargo and two secret passengers to South America. Some of the submarines of this “ghostly convoy” were never found after the war, and there were almost no mentions of them in military documents, these are U-465, U-209. In total, historians talk about the fate of only 9 out of 35 submarines - U-534, U-530, U-977, U-234, U-209, U-465, U-590, U-662, U863.
Sunset
The beginning of the end for the German submarines was 1943, when the first failures of the Dönitz submariners began. The first failures were due to the improvement of the Allied radar, the next blow to Hitler's submarines was the growing industrial power of the United States, they managed to build ships faster than the Germans sank them. Even the installation of the latest torpedoes on submarines of the 13th series could not tip the scales in favor of the Nazis. During the war, Germany lost almost 80% of its submariners; at the end of the war, only seven thousand were alive.
However, Dönitz's submarines fought for Germany until the last day. Dönitz himself became Hitler's successor, later arrested and sentenced to ten years.
The starting point in the history of the German submarine fleet was 1850, when the Brandtaucher double submarine, designed by engineer Wilhelm Bauer, was launched in the harbor of Kiel, which immediately sank when trying to dive.
The next significant event was the launch of the submarine U-1 (U-boat) in December 1906, which became the ancestor of a whole family of submarines, which fell to the hard times of the First World War. In total, until the end of the war, the German fleet received more than 340 boats. In connection with the defeat of Germany, 138 submarines remained unfinished.
Under the terms of the Treaty of Versailles, Germany was forbidden to build submarines. Everything changed in 1935 after the establishment of the Nazi regime and with the signing of the Anglo-German Naval Agreement, in which submarines ... were recognized as obsolete weapons, which lifted all prohibitions on their production. In June, Hitler appointed Karl Dönitz as commander of all submarines of the future Third Reich.
Grand Admiral and his "wolf packs"
Grand Admiral Karl Doenitz is an outstanding figure. He began his career in 1910, enrolling in the naval school in Kiel. Later, during the First World War, he showed himself to be a brave officer. From January 1917 until the defeat of the Third Reich, his life was connected with the German submarine fleet. He is credited with developing the concept of submarine warfare, which consisted of sustained groups of submarines called "wolf packs".
The main objects of the “hunting” of the “wolf packs” are enemy transport ships that provide supplies to the troops. The basic principle is to sink more ships than the enemy can build. Very soon, this tactic began to bear fruit. By the end of September 1939, the Allies had lost dozens of transports with a total displacement of about 180,000 tons, and in mid-October, the U-47 boat, slipping unnoticed into the Scapa Flow base, sent the Royal Oak battleship to the bottom. The Anglo-American convoys were especially hard hit. "Wolf packs" raged in a huge theater from the North Atlantic and the Arctic to South Africa and the Gulf of Mexico.
What did the Kriegsmarine fight on
The basis of the Kriegsmarine - the submarine fleet of the Third Reich - were submarines of several series - 1, 2, 7, 9, 14, 17, 21 and 23rd. At the same time, it is worth highlighting the boats of the 7th series, which were distinguished by their reliable design, good technical equipment, weapons, which allowed them to operate particularly successfully in the Central and North Atlantic. For the first time, a snorkel was installed on them - an air intake device that allows the boat to recharge batteries while submerged.Aces Kriegsmarine
German submariners were characterized by courage and high professionalism, so each victory over them came at a high price. Among the aces submariners of the Third Reich, the most famous were captains Otto Kretschmer, Wolfgang Luth (each with 47 sunk ships) and Erich Topp - 36.
Deadly duel
The huge losses of the allies at sea sharply intensified the search for effective means of combating the "wolf packs". Soon, patrol anti-submarine aircraft equipped with radars appeared in the sky, means of radio interception, detection and destruction of submarines were created - radars, sonar buoys, homing aircraft torpedoes and much more. Improved tactics, improved interaction.
rout
Kriegsmarine met the same fate as the Third Reich - a complete, crushing defeat. Of the 1153 submarines built during the war years, about 770 were sunk. Together with them, about 30,000 submariners, or almost 80% of the entire personnel of the submarine fleet, went to the bottom.fav
The German submarine ace, a participant in the Battle of the Atlantic - Reinhard Hardegen went down in history not only thanks to naval victories. Once, at a gala dinner, he criticized not just anyone, but the Fuhrer personally ...
Underwater ace Hardegen
In the spring of 1942, the commander of the submarine U 123 Reinhard Hardegen (and underwater ace Erich Topp) was called to the Fuhrer's headquarters for decoration. The commander of the submarine fleet, Karl Dönitz, presented the submariner, holder of the Knight's Cross (the highest order of the Third Reich), to the Oak Leaves.
After the ceremony ended, Hitler invited the officers to dinner. During the meal, the Fuhrer began his monologue about affairs at the front and politics.
Suddenly Hardegen interrupted him. The underwater ace began to teach the leader of the strategy of naval warfare. Moreover, he criticized his views on submarines and naval aviation, which greatly spoiled Hitler's mood.
How did it happen that Dönitz, invited by him, dared to criticize the entire leader of the Reich, and how did Hardegen rise to such a high award?
By the way, the desperate submariner is still alive. On March 18, 2018, he turns 105 years old. At the moment, Hardegen remains the only living underwater aces of the Third Reich and is the oldest submarine commander on the planet.
Sailor from Bremen
Reinhard Hardegen was born in Bremen. Since childhood, he dreamed of connecting his life with the fleet. Thanks to a family friend - a retired sea captain - the young man strengthened his desire even more. The old sailor explained to Hardegen that the fleet needed educated officers, and the guy sat down for textbooks.
On April 1, 1933, Reinhard applied for the Navy, wishing to become a cadet. He was enrolled in the 33rd naval crew. The training lasted three and a half years. During this time, the cadets circumnavigated the world on the cruiser Karlsruhe, studied at the Mürvik Naval School and chose a military specialty. Hardegen decided to link his fate with aviation and became a naval pilot.
From pilots to submariners
After the flight school, Hardegen was supposed to be sent to serve in one of the Kriegsmarine squadrons, but chance intervened.
On September 19, 1936, a plane crash occurred at the Kiel airfield, the future underwater ace was seriously injured. With a severe fracture of the leg (which has now become shorter than the other) and injuries to internal organs, he spent six months in the hospital. From that moment on, the future ace began to have systematic health problems.
The pilot received the rank of lieutenant zur see while in a hospital bed.
After leaving the hospital, Hardegen continued to serve in naval aviation in one of the PLO (anti-submarine defense) squadrons. However, in November 1939, when the Kriegsmarine aviation was transferred to the Luftwaffe, it was transferred to submarines.
Hardegen (right) aboard U 124
A diving school, various training courses - and in August 1940, yesterday's naval pilot became a watch officer on the submarine U 124. On it, he made two trips to the Atlantic, and in December of the same year he took command of the submarine U 149 (a small boat type IID ).
On this ship, the future ace opened an account by sinking his first ship - the Norwegian steamer Augvald.
"Einz, zwei, dry"
But what about health? While Hardegen studied at various courses and went on campaigns, none of his superiors suspected that he was not fit for service on submarines. Documents from the hospital with his medical examination were sent to the place of service late.
They got to Dönitz's deputy, the captain of the zur see ( rank similar to captain 1st rank of the Navy of the USSR / Russian Federation - approx. Warhead) von Friedeburg, when he wanted to transfer the submariner from U 149 to U 123 - a large boat of the IXB type. Hardegen re-passed the medical examination, which made a disappointing conclusion: he was only fit for service on surface ships. However, this did not stop Reinhard. He persuaded von Friedeburg, who nevertheless approved his appointment to U 123.
On May 19, 1941, Hardegen arrived at the base in the French port of Lorian. U 123, nicknamed "Einz, zwei, dry", was waiting for him there. On this submarine, the submariner fought until the end of front-line service.
"Kick the Timpani"
After the United States declared war, the headquarters of the German submarine forces developed Operation Timpani Strike. Its goal is to destroy shipping in American waters. For the "strike" Karl Dönitz sent a group of submarines, including U 123.
Submarines "hit the timpani" on January 12, 1942. For weeks they sank ships from New York to Florida with impunity. Hardegen showed the best result.
He reported sinking ten ships at 65,635 tons. For these merits, the officer was awarded the Knight's Cross.
Dönitz was now sending his boats to the US coast in greater numbers. Hardegen had to go there again, although the commander of the submarine forces again wanted to remove him from the boat for health reasons.
The operations of the Reich submarine forces off the coast of the United States is one of the most dramatic periods of the Battle of the Atlantic. But, fortunately, the Kriegsmarine could neither achieve a reduction in the transport tonnage that the Allies had, nor seriously interfere with the movement of convoys. American factories and shipyards worked more and more intensively, and an increasingly powerful flow of cargo was flowing across the Atlantic, distributed between Britain and the USSR.
In March 1942 U 123 was nearly sunk. Hardegen distinguished himself again, but now the situation has become seriously complicated - the United States is gradually building up coastal defenses. At first, his submarine had to endure a battle with a trap ship, and miraculously emerged victorious. And at the end of the voyage, U 123 almost died under the depth charges of the US Navy destroyer Dahlgren. The ship bombed the boat when it lay at a depth of only 22 meters.
Hardegen was very lucky: U 123 escaped with damage and managed to hobble to the base. During the campaign, the submariner recorded nine more ships for 69405 tons on his combat account.
In total, according to Dönitz's calculations, the underwater ace sank ships for 170,000 tons (in reality, Hardegen sank 21 ships for 112,447 tons).
The commander of the submarine fleet introduced the officer to the Oak Leaves. Hitler approved the initiative and invited the ace to the headquarters. Where he burst into a critical speech.
Hardegen never went to sea again. For health reasons, Dönitz transferred him to a coastal post.
Definitely, with this decision, the commander of the German submarine and the future commander-in-chief of the Kriegsmarine saved Hardegen's life. The scope of the Allied anti-submarine operations, starting from the autumn of 1942, left almost no chance for even aces submariners to survive - sooner or later everyone received their bomb.
The underwater ace continued to serve in training flotillas, taught torpedo business in Mürvik. At the end of the war, he commanded a battalion in the 2nd Marine Division of the Kriegsmarine and was taken prisoner by the British in May 1945. He spent a year and a half in captivity and was released in November 1946 "without claims" - unlike many of his colleagues, Hardegen did not commit war crimes.
Returning to his family, the submariner tried to find himself in a peaceful life. He began to do business - and created a successful oil trading company. Then he became a member of the Parliament of Bremen, where he was elected for 32 years. And in the end, despite poor health, Hardegen outlived his fellow submariners.
