The concept of "the best submariners" is ambiguous and requires explanation for its correct understanding. Naturally, the definition of the "best" is carried out by the name of the submarine commander, who has important, but not all decisive, significance in the campaign. The crew of the boat, together with its captain, are one whole, since one without the other, not only will they not be able to achieve any success, but they will not even be able to survive in the sea. Thus, the activity of the entire crew, which is represented by the commander, is actually evaluated. The criterion for evaluation is the total tonnage of enemy ships sunk. Sometimes the number of ships sunk, the time spent on campaigns, and the thousands of miles traveled by submarines are used to estimate. However, these criteria are most often used for qualification assessments in peacetime.

It is generally accepted to consider the "underwater ace" or "king of tonnage" the commander of a submarine that sank more than 100 thousand tons of ship tonnage. Only German submariners were such record holders in World War II - 34 of them achieved such a result. Among the submariners of other countries, only about a dozen boat commanders were able to approach this figure, although they were the most productive in their fleet.

In addition to high personal results, German submariners also had a high efficiency of the submarine fleet as a whole. They sank 2,603 ​​Allied warships and transport ships with a total displacement of 13.5 million tons. The Americans destroyed 1314 ships with a total tonnage of 5.3 million tons. The British - 403 ships with a tonnage of 1.42 million tons. The Japanese sank 184 ships with a tonnage of 907 thousand tons. The USSR - 157 ships with a tonnage of 462.3 thousand tons.

The contribution of "underwater aces" to these statistics is very significant. For example, only 5 of the best German submariners sank 174 Allied combat and transport ships with a total displacement of 1.5 million tons. In terms of tonnage, this is a little more than the entire British submarine fleet, and three times more than the Soviet one.

The high performance of the German submarine fleet was achieved, first of all, due to the huge German submarine fleet in 2054 submarines (almost 50% of the entire submarine fleet of the world), which in the first half of the war almost completely controlled all sea routes to Europe. In addition, the high proficiency of the crews, the perfect submarines, and the incredible intensity of their use in military campaigns contributed to the success. On average, the duration of the campaign of a German submarine was 3-6 months, and sometimes 9-10 months a year. And the number of trips of one boat could reach 20 times. At a time when the Allied submarines went to sea 5-6 times as much as possible during the war. The total duration of campaigns rarely reached 3 months for the entire duration of the war. It is necessary to note the high maintainability of the German submarine fleet. Almost 70% of the available fleet was constantly in service, at a time when the Allies had only half of the fleet on the move, and the USSR and Japan only 30%.

Not the least important in the effectiveness of the Germans was the tactics used by the submariners - "free hunting" and "wolf packs". Of the total losses of the allies from submarines, 61% are vessels that were not in convoys; 9% - lagging behind the convoys and 30% - marching as part of the convoys. As a result, 70 thousand military sailors and 30 thousand sailors of the merchant fleet died.

For this success, German submariners paid a high price: 647 submarines were destroyed. Of the 39 thousand submariners who participated in military campaigns, 32 thousand died. The overwhelming majority - in the last two years of the war.

Below are data on submarine commanders who have achieved the highest results in their country.

UK submariners

Lieutenant Commander. In 1933 he entered the service in the submarine fleet, commanded the H-31 submarine, which sank in the North Sea. Since the summer of 1940, he commanded the Upholder submarine, on which he made 28 military campaigns in 15 months and sank 14 ships with a total tonnage of 93 thousand tons, damaged 3 ships with a tonnage of 33 thousand tons. Among the sunken ships is one destroyer and two enemy submarines. For the destruction of the heavily guarded large Italian liner SS Conte Rosso, Wanklyn was awarded the highest British military award, the Victoria Cross. In April 1942, the U-boat Upholder sank with her entire crew, presumably in a minefield.

German submariners

Fleet Admiral. In 1936 he entered the submarine fleet, served as 1st mate on the U-35 submarine. Since 1937 - the commander of the submarine "U-23". Made several mine layings on it off the coast of Great Britain and sank 8 ships. Since 1940 he became the commander of "U-99". In the first patrol, he sank 11 ships, then 8 more. He sank the British auxiliary cruisers Patrokles, Forfar and Lorient, as well as the destroyer Daring. Made 16 military campaigns. In total, he sank 46 ships with a total displacement of 273 thousand tons. and damaged 6 ships with a displacement of 38 thousand tons. He was the most productive submariner in Germany. He was awarded the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords.

Captain 1st rank. In 1933, he entered the fleet as a cadet, completing a 9-month circumnavigation on the light cruiser Karlsruhe. He served on the light cruiser Königsberg. In 1937 he was transferred to the submarine fleet. In 1939, he was appointed commander of the U-9 submarine, on which he made 6 trips. He sank the French submarine Doris. Since 1940, he was transferred to the U-138 submarine, on which he sank 4 ships with a total displacement of 34.6 thousand tons. In 1940 - 1942. commanded the boat "U-43" and made 5 campaigns (204 days at sea), during which he sank 12 ships with a displacement of 64.8 thousand tons. In 1942 - 1943. commanding the submarine "U-181" made 2 trips lasting 335 days. The main victims of Luth were not ships in convoys, like many other submariners, but independently sailing ships. In total, he made 16 military campaigns. On his account, he had 46 sunk ships with a total displacement of 225.8 thousand tons, as well as 2 damaged ships with a total displacement of 17 thousand tons. He had the 2nd result among the German aces of the submarine war. Awarded the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords and Diamonds.

Captain 2nd rank. Since 1940, he commanded the U-552 submarine, which attacked the HX-156 convoy. He sank the USS Reuben James. At the end of 1941, he set sail for the Azores. Made 13 military campaigns. During the war, he sank 35 merchant ships with a displacement of 197 thousand tons and damaged 4 ships with a displacement of 32 thousand tons. He was awarded the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords.

Captain 2nd rank. From 1931 he served on the battleship Schleswig-Holstein. In 1935 he was transferred to the submarine forces. In 1936-1938. commanded the submarine "U-2". In 1938, he received the U-38 boat, on which he made 9 trips, spending a total of 333 days at sea. He sank the steamer "Manaar" with a displacement of 7 thousand tons. In 1941, off the coast of Africa, he sank 8 ships with a displacement of 47 thousand tons. He made 9 military campaigns. In total, during the hostilities, he sank 34 ships with a total displacement of 187 thousand tons and damaged 1 ship with a displacement of 3.7 thousand tons. He was awarded the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves.

Captain 1st rank. In 1925 he entered the Navy as a cadet, four years later he was promoted to lieutenant. Served on torpedo boats. In 1935 he was transferred to the submarine fleet. He commanded the submarines "U-19" and "U-11". In 1939, he was appointed commander of the U-25 submarine, on which he made 3 trips, spending 105 days at sea. Since 1940, he commanded the submarine "U-103". On this boat he spent 4 trips, lasting 201 days. In total, he made 7 military campaigns. During the hostilities, he sank 35 ships with a total displacement of 180 thousand tons and damaged 5 ships with a displacement of 14 thousand tons. He was awarded the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves.

Submariners of Italy

Carlo Fecia di Cossato (10/25/1908 - 08/27/1944)

Captain 2nd rank. In 1928 he graduated from the Naval Academy and served on submarines. At the beginning of the war he commanded the submarines Ciro Menotti and Tazzoli. In 1941, he sank three large enemy transports in one campaign. In 1942, in two months of the campaign, he destroyed 6 Allied ships, and in the next two months - another 4. In 1943, after the signing of a truce by Italy, he transferred from the submarine fleet as commander of a squadron of torpedo boats, on which he destroyed another 7 ships, but already German. He made 10 military campaigns on a submarine. He sank 16 Allied ships with a total displacement of 86 thousand tons. He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and the Gold Medal of Military Valor.

Gianfranco Gazzana Priaroggia (08/30/1912 - 05/23/1943)

Corvette captain. In 1935, after graduating from the Naval Academy, he was assigned to the heavy cruiser Trento, and then transferred to the submarine fleet. He served as the first mate on the submarine "Domenico Millelire", after which he commanded the submarines "Archimede" and "Leonardo da Vinci". In one campaign, he managed to sink 6 ships with a total displacement of 58.9 thousand tons. In total, he made 11 military campaigns and sank 9 Allied transport ships with a total tonnage of 76.4 thousand tons. On May 23, 1943, the submarine Leonardo da Vinci was sunk, along with the entire crew, 300 miles west of Cape Finisterre by ships of the Royal Navy. Gianfranco Gazzana Priaroggia was posthumously awarded the Italian Gold Medal for Military Valor and the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.

Soviet submariners

The performance of Soviet submarine commanders was determined, unlike the rest of the world, not in the tonnage sunk, but in the number of ships sunk. It is not difficult to assume that this was done by the Soviet ideological machine to disguise the low efficiency of the submarine fleet in comparison with other countries. After all, it is obvious that the destruction of a cruiser or large transport and a torpedo boat or minesweeper makes a big difference, both in the amount of damage inflicted on the enemy and in the value of the ship for the enemy fleet. However, the commissars "did not see" this difference. Therefore, the 13 declared ships of Ivan Travkin (commander of the submarine Shch-303, K-52, Baltic Fleet) were compared with the number of ships sunk by aces of the submarine war of other countries. Indeed, Travkin's 13 sunk ships do not look so "sad" in comparison with the 16-19 ships sunk by the British or Americans. True, Travkin was officially credited with 7 sunk ships, although in fact he sank 1 transport of 1.5 thousand tons. Based on this, we will give the rating of Soviet submarine commanders below in comparable units of measurement, in the tonnage of sunken ships. Naturally, it absolutely does not coincide with the decades of Soviet military statistics imposed on us.

The list is headed by Alexander Marinesko, who caused the greatest damage to the German military potential, in comparison with other Soviet submariners.

Captain of the 3rd rank. In 1933 he graduated from the Odessa Naval School and went to the third and second assistant captain on the steamers "Ilyich" and "Red Fleet". In 1933 he was sent to special courses for the command staff of the RKKF, after graduating from which he was appointed navigator on the submarine Shch-306 ("Haddock") of the Baltic Fleet. In March 1936 he was promoted to lieutenant, in November 1938 - senior lieutenant. After graduating from retraining courses at the training detachment of scuba diving, he served as assistant commander on the L-1 submarine, then as commander on the M-96 submarine, the crew of which, following the results of combat and political training in 1940, took first place, and the commander was awarded gold medals. hours and promoted to Lieutenant Commander.

In October 1941, Marinesko was expelled from the candidates for membership of the CPSU (b) for drunkenness and organizing gambling card games in the submarine division. In August 1942, the M-96 boat went on a military campaign for the first time. According to Soviet reports, she sank German transport, according to German data, the boat missed. In November 1942, the boat went on a second trip to land a group of scouts. For this campaign, Marinesko received the Order of Lenin and the rank of captain of the 3rd rank. In April 1943, Marinesko was appointed commander of the S-13 submarine, on which he served until September 1945. The submarine went on a campaign only in October 1944. She managed to damage the Siegfried transport, with a displacement of 553 tons, which in the report “grew” to 5 thousand tons. For this campaign, Marinesko received the Order of the Red Banner. From January 9 to February 15, 1945, Marinesko was on his fifth military campaign, during which two large enemy transports were sunk - Wilhelm Gustloff (25.5 thousand tons) and Steuben (16.6 thousand tons) . Thus, Marinesko, having made 6 military campaigns, sank two ships with a total tonnage of 40.1 thousand tons and damaged one with a displacement of 553 tons.

For two outstanding victories in January-February 1945, all members of the Marinesko crew were awarded state awards, and the S-13 submarine was awarded the Order of the Red Banner. The boat commander 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.

Vice admiral. In 1932 he graduated from the Naval School, then the School of Coastal Defense of the Naval Forces of the Red Army, and in 1936 he was trained in the Diving Training Unit. During the war, he commanded the K-1 submarine in the Northern Fleet. Member of 13 military campaigns, spent 172 days at sea. Performed one torpedo attack, 13 mine laying. Destroyed 6 transports and 2 enemy warships with a total tonnage of 18.6 thousand tons. He was awarded the Order of Lenin, two Orders of the Red Banner, the Order of Nakhimov II degree, two Orders of the Patriotic War and the Order of the Red Star.

Captain 1st rank. In 1931 he graduated from the Frunze Naval School and served on the Panther submarine. After graduating from the Naval Academy in 1940, he served on the L-3 submarine in the Baltic Fleet. Under the command of Grishchenko, the L-3 submarine made one successful torpedo attack, and 5 transports were blown up on its mines. In general, the submarine sank 6 ships with a total tonnage of 16.4 thousand tons. He was awarded 9 orders, incl. two Orders of Lenin, two Orders of the Red Banner, two Orders of the Red Star and three Orders of the Patriotic War.

Vice admiral. In October 1942, he organized the transfer of six submarines from the Pacific Fleet to the Northern Fleet. Among these boats was the S-56. The passage through 9 seas and 3 oceans with a length of about 17 thousand miles was completed in March 1943 in Polyarny. Under the command of Shchedrin, the S-56 made 8 military campaigns and sank 2 transports and 2 warships with a total tonnage of 10.1 thousand tons. For the successful command of the ship and the courage and heroism shown, Shchedrin was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union with the medal " Golden Star" and the Order of Lenin.

U.S. submariners

At the beginning of the war, the military statistics of the US Navy kept records of the losses of the enemy and the effectiveness of the combat operations of their own forces according to the generally accepted system - confirmation of the statements of the command of their troops. However, such statistics did not reflect the real picture, which negatively affected the planning of military operations and even the fairness of rewarding their soldiers. Therefore, in January 1943, the Joint Naval Assessment Committee (JANAC) was formed by the command of all branches of the US armed forces, which, based on 12 different sources of information, formed statistical reports. To date, these reports are considered to be as objective as possible and have hardly been subjected to adjustments with the receipt of new information. In 1947, JANAC produced a report on the performance rating of US Navy submarine commanders. The methodology for calculating the rating included not only data on the sunk tonnage of enemy ships, but also their number, the time spent attacking one target, the number and range of campaigns, the number of torpedoes fired at one target, etc. As a result, the actual skill of the submariners was evaluated, practically excluding luck and luck. Below is the data on the submariners leading this rating.

Richard O'Kane (February 2, 1911 - February 16, 1994)

Captain 1st rank. In 1934 he graduated from the US Naval Academy. He spent his first years of service on the heavy cruiser Chester and the destroyer Pruitt. In 1938 he graduated from the diving school and was appointed navigator on the Wahoo submarine. Since 1943, he took command of the Tang submarine, on which he made 5 military campaigns, sinking 24 enemy ships with a total tonnage of 93.8 thousand tons. In the rating of submarine commanders, the US Navy ranks first in terms of performance. He was awarded the Medal of Honor, three Navy Crosses and three Silver Stars.

Captain 1st rank. After graduating from the Naval Academy in 1935, he served on the battleship Idaho. In 1938 he graduated from the diving school and from the end of 1941 he commanded the Pompano submarine, on which he made three combat campaigns before it was seriously damaged. After that, he commanded the new submarine Seahorse, on which he sank 4 ships with a total displacement of 19.5 thousand tons in one combat campaign. for which he received his first Navy Cross. In total, he made 5 campaigns, during which he destroyed 19 enemy ships with a total tonnage of 71.7 thousand tons. He was awarded four Navy Crosses and ranked second in command of a submarine in the United States in terms of performance.

Captain of the 3rd rank. In 1930 he graduated from the Naval Academy. Prior to the start of the war, he served on cruisers and aircraft carriers, and then on R and S class submarines. During the year, on the Wahoo submarine, he made 5 military campaigns, during which he sank 19 ships with a total tonnage of 54.7 thousand tons. In 1943, the boat with Morton went missing. He was awarded the Navy Cross, three Gold Stars and the Distinguished Service Cross.

Eugene Bennett Fluckey (10/05/1913 - 06/28/2007)

Rear Admiral. In 1935 he graduated from the Naval Academy and was sent to serve on the battleship Nevada, then transferred to the destroyer McCormick. In 1938 he entered the diving school, after graduating, which he served on the S-42 and Bonita submarines. From January 1944 to August 1945, he commanded the submarine Barb, on which he made 5 military campaigns, sinking 16 ships with a total tonnage of 95 thousand tons. Among the destroyed ships are a Japanese cruiser and a frigate. He was awarded the Medal of Honor and four Crosses of the Navy. In the performance rating of the American fleet, it ranks fourth.

Rear Admiral. In 1930 he graduated from the Naval Academy and was sent to the battleship Nevada. He then served on the destroyer Rathburne. After graduating from a diving school, he served on various submarines as first mate, and in 1938 was appointed commander of the old destroyer Reuben James. In 1941 he was transferred to the post of commander of the S-20 submarine. In 1942, he received a new submarine "Harder", on which he made 6 military campaigns, sinking 16 enemy ships with a total tonnage of 54 thousand tons. In the US Navy's performance rating, it ranks fifth. He was awarded the Medal of Honor and the Silver Star.

Captain 2nd rank. In 1933, he graduated from the Annapolis Naval Academy and became a career naval officer. During the war years, he commanded the Archerfish submarine, which on November 28, 1944 discovered the Japanese aircraft carrier Shinano with combat guards. Aircraft carrier with a displacement of 71.9 thousand tons. was considered the largest aircraft carrier in the world until 1961, when the United States built the first nuclear aircraft carrier. Inright attacked the carrier with four torpedoes that hit the ship's bow. For a successful operation, he was awarded the Navy Cross. And although Joseph Inright did not enter the first numbers in the ranking of the most successful submariners in the United States, this attack is considered one of the most successful in naval battles.

Assessing the performance of American submariners, one cannot fail to note the crew of the Flasher submarine, which, under the command of two commanders, tops the rating of the most productive submarine of the US Navy. This submarine destroyed 21 enemy ships with a total tonnage of 104.6 thousand tons. Information about these captains is below.

Rear Admiral. In 1934 he graduated from the Naval Academy. He commanded the submarine Sturgeon. From September 25, 1943 to October 31, 1944, he commanded the Flasher submarine, on which he sank 15 enemy warships and transports with a displacement of 56.4 thousand tons. He was awarded the Navy Cross and the Silver Star.

Captain 1st rank. In 1936 he graduated from the Naval Academy and served on the battleship Mississippi. After graduating from a diving school, he was appointed captain of the Skipjack submarine. From October 31, 1944 to March 1946, he commanded the Flasher boat, on which he sank 6 ships with a tonnage of 43.8 thousand tons. He made 5 military campaigns in total. He was awarded the Navy Cross.

Submariners of Japan

Vice admiral. After graduating from the Naval Academy, he continued his studies at the diving school. Since 1935, he served as an officer on submarines. In 1940 he was appointed commander of the I-21 submarine. Participated in the attack on Pearl Harbor. For two military campaigns, he sank enemy ships with a total tonnage of 44 thousand tons. In total, he made 11 military campaigns and sank 10 Allied transport ships with a total tonnage of 58.9 thousand tons. On November 29, 1943, the submarine I-21 was lost with the entire crew off Tarawa Atoll, presumably from an attack by a carrier-based aircraft TBF Avenger from the convoy aircraft carrier Chenango.

The successes of the rest of Japan's submariners did not exceed 50,000 tons.

In conclusion. An analysis of the combat activities of submarine fleets during the war shows that the share of the best submariners, who accounted for approximately 2% of the total number of submarines, accounts for up to about 30% of the total tonnage of ships sunk. Thus, during the Second World War, among all types of armed forces, it was the category of "best submariners" that turned out to be the most effective and efficient. It is not for nothing that submariners in all countries are treated with the greatest respect and reverence.

The outcome of any war depends on many factors, among which, of course, weapons are of considerable importance. Despite the fact that absolutely all German weapons were very powerful, since Adolf Hitler personally considered them the most important weapon and paid considerable attention to the development of this industry, they failed to inflict damage on the opponents, which would significantly affect the course of the war. Why did it happen? Who stands at the origins of the creation of the submarine army? Were the German submarines of World War II really so invincible? Why were such prudent Nazis unable to defeat the Red Army? You will find the answer to these and other questions in the review.

general information

Collectively, all the equipment that was in service with the Third Reich during World War II was called the Kriegsmarine, and submarines made up a significant part of the arsenal. Underwater equipment passed into a separate industry on November 1, 1934, and the fleet was disbanded after the war ended, that is, having existed for less than a dozen years. In such a short period of time, the German submarines of World War II brought a lot of fear into the souls of their opponents, leaving their huge mark on the bloody pages of the history of the Third Reich. Thousands of dead, hundreds of sunken ships, all this remained on the conscience of the surviving Nazis and their subordinates.

Commander-in-Chief of the Kriegsmarine

During World War II, one of the most famous Nazis, Karl Doenitz, was at the helm of the Kriegsmarine. German U-boats certainly played an important role in World War II, but without this man this would not have happened. He was personally involved in creating plans to attack opponents, participated in attacks on many ships and achieved success in this path, for which he was awarded one of the most significant awards of Nazi Germany. Doenitz was an admirer of Hitler and was his successor, which did him a lot of harm during the Nuremberg trials, because after the death of the Fuhrer, he was considered the commander-in-chief of the Third Reich.

Specifications

It is easy to guess that Karl Doenitz was responsible for the state of the submarine army. German submarines in World War II, whose photos prove their power, had impressive parameters.

In general, the Kriegsmarine was armed with 21 types of submarines. They had the following characteristics:

• displacement: from 275 to 2710 tons;
• surface speed: from 9.7 to 19.2 knots;
• underwater speed: from 6.9 to 17.2;
• diving depth: from 150 to 280 meters.

This proves that the German submarines of the Second World War were not only powerful, they were the most powerful among the weapons of the countries that fought against Germany.

Composition of the Kriegsmarine

1154 submarines belonged to the military boats of the German fleet. It is noteworthy that until September 1939 there were only 57 submarines, the rest were built specifically for participation in the war. Some of them were trophies. So, there were 5 Dutch, 4 Italian, 2 Norwegian and one English and one French submarines. All of them were also in service with the Third Reich.

Navy Achievements

The Kriegsmarine inflicted considerable damage on its opponents throughout the war. So, for example, the most productive captain Otto Kretschmer sank almost fifty enemy ships. There are also record holders among the courts. For example, the German submarine U-48 sank 52 ships.

Throughout World War II, 63 destroyers, 9 cruisers, 7 aircraft carriers and even 2 battleships were destroyed. The largest and most remarkable victory for the German army among them can be considered the sinking of the battleship Royal Oak, the crew of which consisted of a thousand people, and its displacement was 31,200 tons.

Plan Z

Since Hitler considered his fleet extremely important for the triumph of Germany over other countries and had extremely positive feelings for it, he paid considerable attention to it and did not limit funding. In 1939, a plan was developed for the development of the Kriegsmarine for the next 10 years, which, fortunately, never materialized. According to this plan, several hundred more of the most powerful battleships, cruisers and submarines were to be built.

Powerful German submarines of World War II

Photographs of some surviving German submarines give an idea of ​​the power of the Third Reich, but only faintly reflect how strong this army was. Most of all, the German fleet had type VII submarines, they had optimal seaworthiness, were of medium size, and most importantly, their construction was relatively inexpensive, which is important in

They could dive to a depth of 320 meters with a displacement of up to 769 tons, the crew ranged from 42 to 52 employees. Despite the fact that the “sevens” were quite high-quality boats, over time, the enemy countries of Germany improved their weapons, so the Germans also had to work on modernizing their offspring. As a result of this, the boat has several more modifications. The most popular of these was the VIIC model, which not only became the epitome of German military power during the attack on the Atlantic, but was also much more convenient than previous versions. The impressive dimensions made it possible to install more powerful diesel engines, and subsequent modifications also featured strong hulls, which made it possible to dive deeper.

German submarines of the Second World War were subjected to a constant, as they would say now, upgrade. Type XXI is considered to be one of the most innovative models. In this submarine, an air conditioning system and additional equipment was created, which was intended for a longer stay of the crew under water. A total of 118 boats of this type were built.

Results of the Kriegsmarine

The Germany of World War II, whose photos can often be found in books about military equipment, played a very important role in the advance of the Third Reich. Their power cannot be underestimated, but it should be borne in mind that even with such patronage from the bloodiest Fuhrer in world history, the German fleet did not manage to bring its power closer to victory. Probably, only good equipment and a strong army are not enough; for the victory of Germany, the ingenuity and courage that the brave soldiers of the Soviet Union possessed was not enough. Everyone knows that the Nazis were incredibly bloodthirsty and shunned little on their way, but neither the incredibly equipped army nor the lack of principles helped them. Armored vehicles, a huge amount of ammunition and the latest developments did not bring the expected results to the Third Reich.

21 Mar

The German submarine fleet during World War II

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 is 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, the artillery guns were gradually removed, as the effectiveness of the 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.

Categories:// from 03/21/2017

Submarines dictate the rules in naval warfare and force everyone to meekly follow the established order. Those stubborn people who dare to neglect the rules of the game will face a quick and painful death in cold water, in the midst of 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 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, do you hear this 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 cruising submarine K-3 of the XIV series, which unleashed a barrage 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.
Working depth of immersion - 50 m, limit - 60 m.
Full speed on the surface - 14 knots; in the underwater - 8 knots.
Cruising range on the surface - 3380 miles (8.6 knots).
Submerged cruising range - 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 quickly evolved - 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, autonomy was growing. 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 "Babies" of the 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.
Working depth of immersion - 80 m, limit - 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 ... - there was not a single boat that received the designation "IX-bis series". bolts of foreign production!
The problems of the combat use of boats of the "Middle" 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.

Boats like Gato, USA

The number of submarines built is 77.
Surface displacement - 1525 tons; underwater - 2420 tons.
Crew - 60 people.
Working depth of immersion - 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 radio equipment for 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 Gatow ruthlessly destroyed everything in a row - 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.

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.
Working depth of immersion - 135 m, maximum - 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 anti-aircraft guns "Flak" caliber 20 mm.
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, 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 detection tools ... "Electrobots" opened a new milestone in the history of the submarine fleet, determining 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 add-ons with 20 and 37 mm anti-aircraft guns.
The most effective warships of all that have ever plied the 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 whole history of the German "sevens" is a formidable warning from the past: what kind of threat does the submarine pose and how high are the costs of creating an effective system to counter the underwater threat.

English Admiral Sir Andrew Cunningham said: “It takes the Navy three years to build a ship. It will take three hundred years to create a tradition." The German fleet, the enemy of the British at sea during the years of both world wars, was very young and did not have such an amount of time, but the German sailors tried to create their traditions in an accelerated way - for example, using the continuity of generations. A striking example of such a dynasty is the family of Admiral General Otto Schulze.

Otto Schultze was born on May 11, 1884 in Oldenburg (Lower Saxony). His career in the navy began in 1900, when, at the age of 16, Schulze was enlisted as a cadet in the Kaiserlichmarine. Having completed his training and practice, Schulze received the rank of lieutenant zur see in September 1903 - at that time he served on the armored cruiser Prinz Heinrich (SMS Prinz Heinrich). Schulze met World War I already on board the dreadnought "König" (SMS König) in the rank of lieutenant commander. In May 1915, tempted by the prospect of serving on submarines, Schulze transferred from the battle fleet to a submarine, took courses at the submarine school in Kiel and received command of the training submarine U 4. Already at the end of the same year, he was appointed commander of the ocean boat U 63, which entered service with the German fleet on March 11, 1916.

Otto Schulze (1884–1966) and his middle son Heinz-Otto Schulze (1915–1943) - it is clear that, in addition to love for the sea, the father passed on to his sons a characteristic appearance. The nickname of the father "Nose" was inherited by the eldest son Wolfgang Schulze

The decision to become a submariner was a fateful one for Schulze, as service on submarines gave him much more in terms of career and fame than he could have achieved on surface ships. During his command of U 63 (03/11/1916 - 08/27/1917 and 10/15/1917 - 12/24/1917) Schulze achieved impressive success, sinking the British cruiser Falmouth (HMS Falmouth) and 53 ships with a total tonnage of 132,567 tons, and deservedly decorated his the uniform of the most prestigious award in Germany - the Prussian Order of Merit (Pour le Mérite).

Among the victories of Schulze is the sinking of the ex-liner "Transylvania" (Transylvania, 14348 tons), which was used by the British Admiralty during the war as a military transport. On the morning of May 4, 1917, the Transylvania, which was making the transition from Marseille to Alexandria guarding two Japanese destroyers, was torpedoed by U 63. The first torpedo hit the middle of the ship, and ten minutes later Schulze finished it off with a second torpedo. The sinking of the liner was accompanied by a large number of victims - Transylvania was overcrowded with people. On that day, in addition to the crew, there were 2860 soldiers, 200 officers and 60 medical personnel on board. The next day, the Italian coast was littered with the bodies of the dead - U 63 torpedoes caused the death of 412 people.

The British cruiser Falmouth was sunk by U 63 under the command of Otto Schulze on 20 August 1916. Before that, the ship was damaged by another German boat U 66 and was taken in tow. This explains the small number of victims during the sinking - only 11 sailors died

After leaving the U 63 bridge, Schulze until May 1918 led the 1st boat flotilla, based at Pola (Austria-Hungary), combining this position with service at the headquarters of the commander of all submarine forces in the Mediterranean. The submarine ace met the end of the war in the rank of corvette captain, becoming a holder of many awards from Germany, Austria-Hungary and Turkey.

In the period between the wars, he held various staff and command positions, continuing to move up the career ladder: in April 1925 - frigate captain, in January 1928 - captain zur see, in April 1931 - rear admiral. At the time of Hitler's rise to power, Schulze was commander of the North Sea Naval Station. The arrival of the Nazis did not affect his career in any way - in October 1934, Schulze became vice admiral, and two years later he received the rank of full admiral of the fleet. In October 1937, Schulze retired, but with the outbreak of World War II he returned to the fleet, and finally left the service on September 30, 1942 with the rank of admiral general. The veteran survived the war safely and died on January 22, 1966 in Hamburg at the age of 81.

The ocean liner Transylvania, sunk by Otto Schulze, was the newest ship launched in 1914.

The underwater ace had a large family. In 1909, he married Magda Raben, with whom six children were born - three girls and three boys. Of the daughters, only the youngest daughter Rosemary was able to overcome the age of two, her two sisters died in infancy. Fate was more favorable to Schulze's sons: Wolfgang, Heinz-Otto and Rudolf, having reached adulthood, followed in their father's footsteps, enlisting in the Navy and becoming submariners. Contrary to Russian fairy tales, in which traditionally “the older one was smart, the middle one was this way and that, the youngest was a fool at all,” the abilities of the sons of Admiral Schulze were distributed in a completely different way.

Wolfgang Schulze

On October 2, 1942, an American B-18 anti-submarine aircraft spotted a submarine in the surface position 15 miles off the coast of French Guiana. The first attack was successful, and the boat, which turned out to be U 512 (type IXC), after the explosion of bombs dropped from the aircraft, disappeared under water, leaving an oil slick on the surface. The place where the submarine lay on the bottom turned out to be shallow, which gave the surviving submariners a chance to escape - the bow depth gauge showed 42 meters. About 15 people ended up in the forward torpedo room, which in such situations could serve as a shelter.

By the beginning of World War II, the main American bomber Douglas B-18 "Bolo" was outdated and was forced out of the bomber units by the four-engine B-17. However, the B-18 also found something to do - more than 100 vehicles were equipped with search radars and magnetic anomalous detectors and transferred to anti-submarine service. In this capacity, their service was also short-lived, and the sunk U 512 became one of the few successes of the Bolo.

It was decided to go outside through the torpedo tubes, but there were half as many breathing apparatus as there were people in the compartment. In addition, the room began to fill with chlorine, which was emitted by the batteries of electric torpedoes. As a result, only one submariner managed to rise to the surface - 24-year-old sailor Franz Machen.

The crew of the B-18, circling over the site of the death of the boat, noticed the escaped submariner and dropped the life raft. Mahen spent ten days on the raft before being picked up by a US Navy ship. During his “single voyage”, the sailor was attacked by birds, which inflicted significant wounds on him with their beaks, but Mahen rebuffed the aggressors, and two winged predators were caught by him. After tearing the carcasses apart and drying them in the sun, the submariner ate poultry meat, despite its nasty taste. On October 12, it was discovered by the American destroyer Ellis. Subsequently, while being interrogated by the US Naval Intelligence Department, Mahen gave a description of his deceased commander.

“According to the testimony of the only survivor, the crew of the U 512 submarine consisted of 49 sailors and officers. Its commander is Lieutenant Commander Wolfgang Schulze, the son of an admiral and a member of the "Nose" Schulze family, which left a noticeable mark on German naval history. However, Wolfgang Schulze did little to match his famous ancestors. He did not enjoy the love and respect of his crew, who considered him a narcissistic, unrestrained, incompetent person. Schulze drank heavily on board and punished his men very severely for even the most minor infractions of discipline. However, in addition to the drop in morale of the team due to the constant and excessive tightening of the "nuts" by the boat commander, Schulze's crew was dissatisfied with his professional skills as a submarine commander. Believing that fate had prepared him to become the second Prien, Schulze commanded the boat with extreme recklessness. The rescued submariner stated that during U 512 tests and exercises, Schulze always tended to remain on the surface during air attack exercises, repelling aircraft attacks with anti-aircraft fire, while he could give the order to dive without warning his gunners, who, after leaving boats under water remained in the water until Schulze surfaced and picked them up.

Of course, the opinion of one person may also be too subjective, but if Wolfgang Schultze corresponded to the characterization given to him, then he was very different from his father and brother Heinz-Otto. It is especially worth noting that for Wolfgang this was the first combat campaign as a boat commander, in which he managed to sink three ships with a total tonnage of 20,619 tons. It is curious that Wolfgang inherited his father's nickname, given to him during his service in the Navy - "Nose" (German: Nase). The origin of the nickname becomes apparent when looking at the photo - the old underwater ace had a large and expressive nose.

Heinz-Otto Schulze

If the father of the Schulze family could truly be proud of anyone, it was his middle son Heinz-Otto (Heinz-Otto Schultze). He came to the fleet four years later than the elder Wolfgang, but managed to achieve much greater success, comparable to the achievements of his father.

One of the reasons why this happened is the history of the brothers' service until they were appointed commanders of combat submarines. Wolfgang, after receiving the rank of lieutenant in 1934, served on the shore and surface ships - before getting on the submarine in April 1940, he was an officer in the battlecruiser Gneisenau (Gneisenau) for two years. After eight months of training and practice, the eldest of the Schulze brothers was appointed commander of the training boat U 17, which he commanded for ten months, after which he received the same position on U 512. Based on the fact that Wolfgang Schulze had practically no combat experience and despised caution , his death in the first campaign is quite natural.

Heinz-Otto Schulze returned from a campaign. To the right of him, the flotilla commander and underwater ace Robert-Richard Zapp ( Robert Richard Zapp), 1942

Unlike his older brother, Heinz-Otto Schulze consciously followed in his father's footsteps and, becoming a lieutenant in the navy in April 1937, immediately chose to serve in submarines. After completing his studies in March 1938, he was assigned as a watch officer on the boat U 31 (type VIIA), on which he met the beginning of World War II. The boat was commanded by Lieutenant Commander Johannes Habekost, with whom Schulze made four combat campaigns. As a result of one of them, the British battleship Nelson was blown up and damaged on mines laid by U 31.

In January 1940, Heinz-Otto Schulze was sent to courses for submarine commanders, after which he commanded the training U 4, then became the first commander of the U 141, and in April 1941 he received the brand new "seven" U 432 (type VIIC) from the shipyard. Having received his own boat under his arm, Schulze showed an excellent result in the very first campaign, sinking four ships of 10,778 tons during the battle of the Markgraf group of boats with convoy SC-42 on September 9–14, 1941. The commander of the submarine forces, Karl Doenitz, gave the following description of the actions of the young commander of U 432: "The commander succeeded in his first campaign, showing perseverance in attacking the convoy."

Subsequently, Heinz-Otto made six more military campaigns on U 432 and only once returned from the sea without triangular pennants on the periscope, with which German submariners celebrated their successes. In July 1942, Dönitz awarded Schulze the Knight's Cross, believing that he had reached the mark of 100,000 tons. This was not entirely true: the personal account of the commander of U 432 amounted to 20 ships sunk for 67,991 tons, two more ships for 15,666 tons were damaged (according to the site http://uboat.net). However, Heitz-Otto was in good standing with the command, he was bold and decisive, while acting prudently and in cold blood, for which he was nicknamed "Mask" (German: Maske) by his colleagues.

The last moments of U 849 under the bombs of the American "Liberator" from the naval squadron VB-107

Certainly, when he was awarded Doenitz, the fourth campaign of U 432 in February 1942 was also taken into account, by which Schulze confirmed the hope of the commander of the submarine forces that the boats of the VII series could successfully operate off the east coast of the United States together with submarine cruisers of the IX series without refueling. In that campaign, Schulze spent 55 days at sea, sinking five ships for 25,107 tons during this time.

However, despite the obvious talent of a submariner, the second son of Admiral Schulze suffered the same fate as his older brother Wolfgang. Having received command of the new submarine cruiser U 849 type IXD2, Otto-Heinz Schulze died along with the boat in the very first campaign. On November 25, 1943, the American Liberator put an end to the fate of the boat and its entire crew off the east coast of Africa with its bombs.

Rudolf Schulze

The youngest son of Admiral Schulze began serving in the Navy after the outbreak of war, in December 1939, and not much is known about the details of his career in the Kriegsmarine. In February 1942, Rudolf Schultze was assigned to the post of officer in charge of the submarine U 608 under the command of Oberleutnant zur see Rolf Struckmeier. On it, he made four military campaigns in the Atlantic with a result of four ships sunk at 35,539 tons.

Former boat of Rudolf Schulze U 2540 on display at the Naval Museum in Bremerhaven, Bremen, Germany

In August 1943, Rudolf was sent to training courses for submarine commanders and a month later became the commander of the training submarine U 61. At the end of 1944, Rudolf was appointed commander of the new "electric boat" XXI series U 2540, which he commanded until the end of the war. It is curious that this boat was sunk on May 4, 1945, but in 1957 it was raised, restored and in 1960 included in the German Navy under the name "Wilhelm Bauer". In 1984, she was transferred to the German Maritime Museum in Bremerhaven, where she is still used as a museum ship.

Rudolf Schulze was the only one of the brothers who survived the war and died in 2000 at the age of 78.

Other "underwater" dynasties

It is worth noting that the Schulze family is no exception for the German fleet and its submarine - other dynasties are also known in history, when sons followed in the footsteps of their fathers, replacing them on the bridges of submarines.

Family Albrecht gave two submarine commanders to the First World War. Oberleutnant zur see Werner Albrecht (Werner Albrecht) led the underwater mine layer UC 10 on his first trip, which turned out to be his last, when on August 21, 1916 the minelayer was torpedoed by the British boat E54. There were no survivors. Kurt Albrecht (Kurt Albrecht) successively commanded four boats and repeated the fate of his brother - he died on U 32 along with the crew northwest of Malta on May 8, 1918 from depth charges of the British sloop Wallflower (HMS Wallflower).

The surviving sailors from the submarines U 386 and U 406 sunk by the British frigate Spray disembark from the ship in Liverpool - for them the war is over.

Two submarine commanders from the younger generation of Albrechts participated in World War II. Rolf Heinrich Fritz Albrecht, commander of U 386 (type VIIC), did not achieve any success, but managed to survive the war. On February 19, 1944, his boat was sunk in the North Atlantic by depth charges from the British frigate HMS Spey. Part of the crew of the boat, including the commander, was captured. The commander of the torpedo carrier U 1062 (type VIIF), Karl Albrecht, was much less fortunate - he died on September 30, 1944 in the Atlantic along with the boat during the transition from Malay Penang to France. Near Cape Verde, the boat was attacked with depth charges and sank the American destroyer USS Fessenden.

Family Franz was noted by one submarine commander in the First World War: Lieutenant Commander Adolf Franz (Adolf Franz) commanded the boats U 47 and U 152, having lived safely until the end of the war. Two more boat commanders participated in World War II - Lieutenant zur see Johannes Franz, commander of U 27 (type VIIA), and Ludwig Franz, commander of U 362 (type VIIC).

The first of them, in a matter of days after the start of the war, managed to establish himself as an aggressive commander with all the makings of an underwater ace, but luck quickly turned away from Johannes Franz. His boat became the second German submarine sunk in World War II. Having unsuccessfully attacked the British destroyers Forester (HMS Forester) and Fortune (HMS Fortune) west of Scotland on September 20, 1939, she herself became a prey from a hunter. The commander of the boat, together with the crew, spent the entire war in captivity.

Ludwig Franz is interesting primarily because he was the commander of one of the German boats that became a confirmed victim of the Soviet Navy in the Great Patriotic War. The submarine was sunk by depth charges of the Soviet minesweeper T-116 on September 5, 1944 in the Kara Sea, along with the entire crew, without having had time to achieve any success.

The armored cruiser "Dupetit-Toire" was torpedoed by the boat U 62 under the command of Ernst Hashagen on the evening of August 7, 1918 in the Brest region. The ship was sinking slowly, which made it possible for the crew to leave it in an organized manner - only 13 sailors died

Surname Hashagen (Hashagen) in World War I was represented by two successful submarine commanders. Hinrich Hermann Hashagen, commander of U 48 and U 22, survived the war by sinking 28 ships worth 24,822 tons. Ernst Hashagen, commander of UB 21 and U 62, achieved truly outstanding success - 53 ships destroyed for 124,535 tons and two warships (the French armored cruiser Dupetit-Thouars) and the British sloop Tulip (HMS Tulip)) and the well-deserved "Blue Max", as they called Pour le Mérite, on the neck. He left behind a book of memoirs called "U-Boote Westwarts!"

During World War II, Oberleutnant zur see Berthold Hashagen, commander of the submarine U 846 (Type IXC/40), was less fortunate. He was killed along with the boat and crew in the Bay of Biscay on May 4, 1944 from bombs dropped by the Canadian Wellington.

Family Walther gave the fleet two submarine commanders in World War I. Lieutenant Commander Hans Walther, commander of U 17 and U 52, sank 39 ships for 84,791 tons and three warships - the British light cruiser HMS Nottingham, the French battleship Suffren (Suffren) and the British submarine C34. Since 1917, Hans Walter commanded the famous Flanders submarine flotilla, in which many German submarine aces fought in the First World War, and ended his naval career already in the Kriegsmarine with the rank of Rear Admiral.

The battleship "Suffren" - the victim of the attack of the submarine attack of the U 52 boat under the command of Hans Walter on November 26, 1916 off the coast of Portugal. After the explosion of ammunition, the ship sank in seconds, killing all 648 crew members.

Oberleutnant zur see Franz Walther, commander of UB 21 and UB 75, sank 20 ships (29,918 tons). He died along with the entire crew of the boat UB 75 on December 10, 1917 on a minefield off Scarborough (west coast of Great Britain). Lieutenant zur see Herbert Walther, who commanded the U 59 boat at the end of World War II, did not achieve success, but managed to survive until the surrender of Germany.

Concluding the story about family dynasties in the German submarine fleet, I would like to note once again that the fleet is primarily not ships, but people. This applies not only to the German fleet, but it will also sound true in relation to the sailors of other countries.

List of sources and literature

1. Gibson R., Prendergast M. German submarine warfare 1914–1918. Translation from German. - Minsk.: "Harvest", 2002
2. Wynn K. U-Boat Operations of the Second World War. Vol.1–2 - Annopolis: Naval Institute Press, 1998
3. Busch R., Roll H.-J. German U-boat Commanders of World War II - Annopolis: Naval Institute Press, 1999
4. Ritschel H. Kurzfassung Kriegstagesbuecher Deutscher U-Boote 1939–1945. Band 8. Norderstedt
5. Blair S. Hitler's U-boat War. The Hunters, 1939–1942 - Random House, 1996
6. Blair S. Hitler's U-boat War. The Hunted, 1942–1945 - Random House, 1998
7. http://www.uboat.net
8. http://www.uboatarchive.net
9. http://historisches-marinearchiv.de