Wolfpack West

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Wolfpack West
Active8 May - 20 June 1941
Country Nazi Germany
BranchKriegsmarine
Size23 submarines
Engagements
Convoy OB 318






Convoy HX 126
Commanders
Notable
commanders		Gerhard Bigalk
Engelbert Endrass
Robert Gysae
Eitel-Friedrich Kentrat
Wilhelm Kleinschmidt
Claus Korth
Herbert Kuppisch
Fritz-Julius Lemp
Wolfgang Lüth
Ernst Mengersen
Adalbert Schnee
Klaus Scholtz
Heinrich Schonder
Herbert Schultze
Robert Gysae
Karl Thurmann
Helmut Rosenbaum
Herbert Wohlfarth
Robert-Richard Zapp

West was a wolfpack of German U-boats that operated during the World War II Battle of the Atlantic from 8 May 1941 to 20 June 1941.[1]

This wolfpack was responsible for sinking 33 ships (191,414 gross register tons (GRT)) and damaging a further four ships (33,448 GRT), making it one of the most successful wolfpacks of World War II.

Raiding Summary[]

Date U-boat Name of ship Nationality Tons Convoy Comments
8 May 1941 U-97 Ramillies  United Kingdom 4,553 Sunk
9 May 1941 U-110 Bengore Head  United Kingdom 2,609 OB 318 Sunk
9 May 1941 U-201 Empire Cloud  United Kingdom 5,969 OB 318 Damaged
9 May 1941 U-110 Esmond  United Kingdom 4,976 OB 318 Sunk
9 May 1941 U-201 Gregalia  United Kingdom 5,802 OB 318 Sunk
10 May 1941 U-556 Aelybryn  United Kingdom 4,986 OB 318 Damaged
10 May 1941 U-556 Empire Caribou  United Kingdom 4,861 OB 318 Sunk
10 May 1941 U-556 Gand  Belgium 5,086 OB 318 Sunk
13 May 1941 U-98  Royal Navy 10,549 Sunk
13 May 1941 U-111 Somersby  United Kingdom 5,170 Sunk
20 May 1941 U-556 British Security  United Kingdom 8,470 HX 126 Sunk
20 May 1941 U-556 Cockaponset  United Kingdom 5,995 HX 126 Sunk
20 May 1941 U-556 Darlington Court  United Kingdom 4,974 HX 126 Sunk
20 May 1941 U-109 Harpagus  United Kingdom 5,173 HX 126 Sunk
20 May 1941 U-94 John P. Pedersen  Norway 6,128 HX 126 Sunk
20 May 1941 U-94 Norman Monarch  United Kingdom 4,718 HX 126 Sunk
20 May 1941 U-98 Rothermere  United Kingdom 5,356 HX 126 Sunk
20 May 1941 U-111 San Felix  United Kingdom 13,037 Damaged
21 May 1941 U-93 Elusa  Netherlands 6,235 HX 126 Sunk
21 May 1941 U-98 Marconi  United Kingdom 7,402 Sunk
22 May 1941 U-111 Barnby  United Kingdom 4,813 HX 126 Sunk
29 May 1941 U-557 Empire Storm  United Kingdom 7,290 Sunk
2 June 1941 U-108 Michael E.  United Kingdom 7,628 Sunk
3 June 1941 U-75 Eibergen  Netherlands 4,801 Sunk
3 June 1941 U-48 Inversuir  United Kingdom 9,456 Damaged
3 June 1941 U-75 Inversuir  United Kingdom 9,456 Sunk
4 June 1941 U-101 Trecarrell  United Kingdom 5,271 Sunk
5 June 1941 U-48 Wellfield  United Kingdom 6,054 Sunk
6 June 1941 U-48 Tregarthen  United Kingdom 5,201 Sunk
6 June 1941 U-43 Yselhaven  Netherlands 4,802 Sunk
8 June 1941 U-108 Baron Nairn  United Kingdom 3,164 Sunk
8 June 1941 U-108 Dirphys  Greece 4,240 Sunk
8 June 1941 U-48 Pendrecht  Netherlands 10,746 Sunk
9 June 1941 U-101 Trevarrack  United Kingdom 5,270 Sunk
10 June 1941 U-108 Christian Krohg  Norway 1,992 Sunk
10 June 1941 U-204 Mercier  Belgium 7,886 Sunk
13 June 1941 U-77 Tresillian  United Kingdom 4,743 Sunk

U-Boats[]

Of the 23 U-boat commanders, 19 were either, or went on to become, recipients of the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross.

U-boat Commander From To Notes
U-43 Wolfgang Lüth 17 May 1941 16 June 1941
U-46 Engelbert Endrass 19 May 1941 6 June 1941
U-48 Herbert Schultze 2 June 1941 8 June 1941
U-66 Robert-Richard Zapp 24 May 1941 5 June 1941
U-73 Helmut Rosenbaum 31 May 1941 16 June 1941
U-74 Eitel-Friedrich Kentrat 13 May 1941 22 May 1941
U-75 Helmuth Ringelmann 2 June 1941 20 June 1941
U-77 Heinrich Schonder 6 June 1941 20 June 1941
U-93 Claus Korth 8 May 1941 26 May 1941
U-94 Herbert Kuppisch 8 May 1941 29 May 1941
U-97 Udo Heilmann 8 May 1941 27 May 1941
U-98 Robert Gysae 8 May 1941 27 May 1941
U-101 Ernst Mengersen 2 June 1941 20 June 1941
U-108 Klaus Scholtz 2 June 1941 20 June 1941
U-109 Hans-Georg Fischer 13 May 1941 23 May 1941
U-110 Fritz-Julius Lemp 9 May 1941 9 May 1941 U-boat was lost
U-111 Wilhelm Kleinschmidt 13 May 1941 5 June 1941
U-201 Adalbert Schnee 8 May 1941 13 May 1941
U-204 Walter Kell 5 June 1941 16 June 1941
U-553 Karl Thurmann 13 June 1941 20 June 1941
U-556 Herbert Wohlfarth 10 May 1941 20 May 1941
U-557 Ottokar Arnold Paulssen 25 May 1941 20 June 1941
U-751 Gerhard Bigalk 16 June 1941 20 June 1941

References[]

  1. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Wolfpack West". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 21 October 2014.

Retrieved from ""