U-861 at Trondheim Submarine Base

Image size: 1600 x 963 pixel. 468 KB
Date: Thursday, 19 April 1945
Place: Trondheim, Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway
Photographer: Unknown

Monsoon boat U-861 was in rather battered condition when it sailed into the submarine base in Trondheim, Norway, on 19 April 1945. Behind the boat lay a 13 ½ week trip home following its departure from the base in Surabaya (Java, Indonesia) on 15 January the same year. The big Type IX D2 boat had departed Kiel on its first sortie on 20 April 1944 under the command of Ritterkreuzträger (Knight’s Cross wearer) Kapitänleutnant Jürgen Oesten. Initially assign to an area of operations off the Brazilian coast and then the east coast of Africa, U-861 sank four ships totaling 22,040 GRT and damaged the 8,139 ton tanker “Daronia” before arriving at the island base of Penang (Malaysia) on 23 September 1944. By then the boat had been at sea for five months! The U-boat stayed in Penang until 1 November 1944, undergoing necessary maintenance and allowing the crew time to rest. On 1 November U-861 left Penang for Surabaya, arriving there on 5 November after a stop in Singapore. The boat remained there until it left for Germany on 15 January 1945. It carried a load of vital war materials, for example molybdenum ore, which was stowed in zinc containers in the ballast keel, and raw rubber. Armament was limited to two torpedoes for self defense. The safe return of the boat was the first priority, not the destruction of enemy shipping. This was jeopardized during the final phase of the journey when U-861 ran into pack ice south of Greenland. The resulting “sheet metal damage” was minimal, however, and thanks to the experience of the captain and crew the boat reached its destination albeit with just 800 liters of diesel in its fuel bunkers! Note the repainted area around the Panther emblem. Georg Högel’s book “Embleme, Wappen, Malings” depicts the emblem as a panther climbing a globe. According to Jürgen Oesten, the globe was never part of the emblem. Part of the word “Lekas” is visible on the conning tower. The word is Malay in origin and means “fast”.

Source:

"U-Boot im Focus" magazine 2nd edition - 2007

Karl Dönitz Studying Maps at Kriegsmarine Headquarter

Image size: 1221 x 1600 pixel. 472 KB
Date: January 1943
Place: Marinehauptquartier Koralle, Berlin, Germany
Photographer: Walter Frentz

First published by "Signal" magazine February 1943 edition (to celebrate the new leader of the German Kriegsmarine), this picture (made by Walter Frentz) shows Generaladmiral Karl Dönitz (Befehlshaber der Unterseeboote) studying maps on a table (center) with Kapitänleutnant Adalbert Schnee (Geleitzugs-Asto, Admiralstabsoffizier beim Befehlshaber der Unterseeboote) at left and Kapitän zur See Eberhard Godt (Chef der Operationsabteilung beim Befehlshaber der U-Boote). The briefing held at the U-Boat operations section of the Kriegsmarine HQ in Berlin (Marinehauptquartier Koralle). On 30 January 1943, Dönitz replaced Erich Raeder as Commander-in-Chief of the Navy (Oberbefehlshaber der Kriegsmarine) and Grand Admiral (Großadmiral) of the Naval High Command (Oberkommando der Marine). His deputy, Eberhard Godt, took over the operational command of the U-boat force.

Source:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_D%C3%B6nitz

https://www.ullsteinbild.de/ullstein-webshop/detail_print.html?id=4662786&ref=workbench

U-34 Training Submarine

Image size: 1600 x 1414 pixel. 616 KB
Date: Thursday, 1 May 1941
Place: Memel, Ostpreußen, Germany
Photographer: Unknown

Although U-boats engaged in training duties sometimes carried autonomous emblems, it was not unusual for former operational boats assigned to training to retain emblems from their service days. Our photo depicts one such boat, the U-34, a type VIIA, alongside an unidentified type IID (left). In addition to its black and white training boat emblem, U-34 still wears its old operational emblem. This consists of a trumpeting elephant stepping on the head of First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill! After a very successful career as an operational boat, U-34 served as a training boat, first with 21. Unterseebootsflottille, then with the 24. Unterseebootsflottille until decommissioned on 8 September 1943. In our photo the U-34 is preparing to take on new training torpedoes. The torpedo loading hatch is open and the loading slide up, however the loading equipment in the conning tower is not yet in position. The cloud of smoke in the background suggests that one of the two boats has just started its diesel engines. Date and location is estimated.

Source:

"U-Boot im Focus" magazine, edition No.2 - 2007, page 5

U-25 a Few Days Before the Outbreak of the War

Image size: 1600 x 1017 pixel. 506 KB
Date: Friday, 25 August 1939
Place: Wilhelmshaven, Niedersachsen, Germany
Photographer: Unknown

Here we see U-25, a type IA boat from Unterseebootsflottille "Saltzwedel", alongside an old M-boat from the First World War. In this photo, taken a few days before the outbreak of the war, U-25 wears an immaculate pale gray finish. Visible in the background is the light cruiser Karlsruhe. Photo below must depict one of the last times U-25 took on torpedoes, prior to departing for its final patrol on 1 August 1940. It was the second patrol under Kapitänleutnant Heinz Beduhn (11 August 1907 - 1 August 1940), who had taken over the successful boat from Korvettenkapitän Victor Schütze (16 February 1906 - 23 September 1950). It is believed that U-25 struck a mine in position 54.14N, 05.07E, one day after leaving port, part of minefield no.7 laid off Terschelling by British destroyers. None of the crew (49 men) survived the sinking. Note the unusual white patches on the front of the conning tower and the "Lucky Fellows" emblem (Glückspilze, literally "Lucky Mushrooms", translate as "Lucky Fellows", hence the depiction of mushrooms in the emblem).

Source:

Bibliotek für Zeitgeschichte

"U-Boot im Focus" magazine, edition No.2 - 2007, page 4

U-218 in Kiel Harbor Leaving for Kristiansand

Image size: 1600 x 1112 pixel. 637 KB
Date: Tuesday, 25 August 1942
Place: Kiel, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
Photographer: Unknown

A lovely panoramic shot of the minelayer submarine U-218 in Kiel harbor. The Type VII D minelayer was one of the rarest types of boat used by the German submarine arm. Just six were built by Krupp's Germania shipyard in Kiel (U-213 to U-218). Of these, only U-218 survived the war. The boat's emblem makes identification of the submarine easy. Whereas it was customary in the submarine arm to paint emblems on the conning tower, the crew of U-218 placed their on the bow! "Drei Kleine Fische" (Three Little Fish) emblem was derived from the unit emblem of the 2.Staffel/Küstenfliegergruppe 706. As applied to the unit's seaplanes, the emblem had the fish on a blue shield. The emblem was painted on the submarine by U-218's first captain, Kapitänleutnant Richard Becker, who had previously served as an airman with 2./Kü.fl.Gr.706 before being transferred back to the U-boat arm. Kapitänleutnant Becker obviously intended the emblem to express his ties to his old squadron, but perhaps he also wanted to retain the good luck charm that had seen him throught his operational flights. The photo above shows U-218 on 25 August 1942 leaving for Kristiansand, Norway, from where it began its first operationa sortie on 28 August. On 29 September, after a month at sea, the U-boat arrived in Brest, home of the 9. Unterseebootsflottille (9. U-Flottille). It is noteworthy that the forward pressure-tight container for the Marcks rescue float (portside in front of the gun) is not present on the U-218!

Source:

"U-Boot im Focus" magazine, edition No.2 - 2007, page II

Stern of Battleship Bismarck

Image size: 1600 x 1405 pixel. 636 KB
Date: Saturday, 15 March 1941
Place: Kiel, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
Photographer: Unknown

Stern view of the Deutsche Kriegsmarine Schlachtschiff (German Navy Battleship) Bismarck during sea trials in March 1941. Note men atop turret "Dora," four searchlights above turret "Ceasar" and recessed anchor. In this view, she was being pulled by a tug just off camera. Her crane is out, probably from loading two Arado Ar-196 seaplanes, the first of her complement of four aircraft. The day before, she was loaded with fuel, ammunition, food and water. On May 16, 1941, Admiral Günther Lütjens was given the signal to proceed with Operation Rheinübung (Exercise Rhine), to enter the Atlantic via the North Sea and attack Allied shipping. Successfully transiting the Denmark Straits after sinking the HMS Hood on the morning of May 24, the British lost contact with Bismarck until she was spotted by a Royal Air Force Catalina of 209 Squadron of Coastal Command two days later. Attempting to slow the ship on May 26, the stern of the ship was hit by a torpedo from a Royal Navy Fairey Swordfish off HMS Ark Royal that evening. Due to a design flaw, the explosion rattled the 150mm armor tube enclosing steering control, an inflexible compartment in the lightly armored stern that lacked redundant transverse bulkheads. The ship's smoke making equipment was wrecked, and some believe the stern collapsed onto the rudders and steering gear. The survivors claim damage control could not enter the stern. Bismarck was locked in a 12-degree turn to port. Compensating with her engines, her speed was reduced, allowing the Royal Navy to catch up and sink her the next day. When Robert Ballard located the wreck in 1989, the stern was missing, indicating the severe damage the torpedo caused. 

Source:

Naval Historical Center (NH) 59672

http://www.worldwar2database.com/gallery3/index.php/wwii0033