U-37 Returned to the Base at Wilhelmshaven

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Date: Sunday, 18 April 1943
Place: Wilhelmshaven, Niedersachsen, Germany
Photographer: Unknown

On 18 April 1943 the type IX boat U-37 returned to the base at Wilhelmshaven after its fourth patrol. On this mission, the boat had operated off Norway under Korvettenkapitän Werner Hartmann’s (11 December 1902 - 26 April 1903) command as part of Operation “Weserübung”. It hadn’t been as successful though, as during its previous patrols. Having sunk 8 ships on both the 2nd and 3rd sortie, it “only” flew three pennants on its periscope this time. The Viking cry “Westward-ho!”, adorning the conning tower, was adopted by Hartmann for his new boat U-198 that completed its first and only patrol under his command very successfully in 1943. It should be mentioned that Kapitänleutnant Asmus Nicolai Clausen (2 June 1911 - 16 May 1943), former 1st Watch Officer and later captain of the U-37, also used the “Westward-ho!” emblem on it and the other submarines commanded by him, namely U-129 and U-182.

Source:

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

http://uboat.net/boats/u37.htm

U-125 Returning To Lorient

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Date: Friday, 6 November 1942
Place: Lorient, Brittany, France
Photographer: Unknown

Kapitänleutnant Ulrich Folkers (6 March 1915 - 6 May 1943) was one of the most successful commanders of the 2. Unterseebootsflotille (2nd Submarine Flotilla). Here he is seen returning to Lorient in U-125 on 6 November 1942 after his fifth patrol and more than three months at sea. Folkers sank six British ships during this sortie in his Type IX C boat. The extended patrol has caused the submarine’s paint to become very weathered. Note the windscreen on U-125’s conning tower, something normally seen only on torpedo boats! On the night of May 6 1943 the destroyer HMS Oribi located the U-125 in a heavy fog with its radar set just before 0300 and rammed her while doing something close to 20 knots. The boat was severely damaged and the British believed her to be sunk. But she did survive and at 0331 Folkers radioed BdU with an urgent request for help and U-552, U-381, U-413 and U-260 were ordered to assist him (U-614 and U-402 also in the area were told to remain on station). The boats searched for the wounded boat until the morning of the 7th. The corvette HMS Snowflake got a radar contact 0354 and soon the contact had closed to 100 meters! The starlights were turned on and revealed a heavily damaged U-boat and apparently already sinking. The corvette tried to ram but the boat escaped the turn. The crew of U-125 scuttled their boat with 5 explosive charges while almost alongside the HMS Snowflake and waited in the water to be rescued. Another corvette HMS Sunflower did reach the scene about this time. The commander of the corvette radioed the escort commander in HMS Tay but was given the shocking reply: "Not approved to pick up survivors". The corvettes HMS Sunflower and HMS Snowflake then turned towards the convoy leaving the men in the water. Kptlt. Folkers and his crew of 54 men died during that night!

Source:

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

http://www.uboat.net/boats/u125.htm

U-553 Returned From Successful Patrol

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Date: Saturday, 19 July 1941
Place: Saint-Nazaire, Loire-Atlantique, France
Photographer: Unknown

When U-553 returned to St. Nazaire from its second combat patrol on 19 July 1941, not only did it come home with two combat pennants, but a badly-damaged attack periscope as well! On 12 June 1941, after five days at sea, Kapitänleutnan Karl Thurmann (4 September 1909 - 20 January 1943) came upon stragglers from the westbound convoy OG-64 north of the Azores. at 0122 hours on the night of 12 June Thurmann sank the British steamer "Susan Maersk" (2,355 GRT). Because of the darkness and the speed with which the ship sank, less than a minute, only a rough tonnage estimate was posible, thus the gross registered tonnage on the sinking pennant is incorrect! At 1505 hours U-553 attacked the Norwegian tanker "Ranella" (5,590 GRT). A torpedo struck the ship, but it did not sink. A finishing shot was attempted at 1536, however the contact pistol failed. After the shot, Kapitänleutnant Thurmann turned away in the direction of the steamer, passing under the bow of the "Ranella", which was now stopped. The periscope, which was not fully lowered, struck the tanker and and the top two meters were bent backwards. Finally, at 1635 hours, a third torpedo struck its target, causing the ship to break into two parts. It still did not sink, however (read Lothar-Günther Buchheim "Die U-Boot Fahrer - Die Boote, die Besatzungen und ihr Admiral", page 160-161)! 100 rounds from the 88-mm deck gun were needed to finally sink the two parts of the wreck. The 29-man Norwegian crew had already left the ship and reached the Azores 12 days later.

Source:

"U-Boot Im Focus" edition no.2 - 2007

Crew of U-198 Before Her Second Patrol

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Date: Thursday, 20 April 1944
Place: La Pallice, La Rochelle, Bay of Biscay, France
Photographer: Unknown

Some of the brave crew of the type IX D2 German submarine U-198 (commanded by Oberleutnant zur See Burkhard Heusinger von Waldegg) before her second war patrol at La Pallice, France, 20 April 1944. From left to right: unknown; Obermaschinist Otto Pick (17 March 1913 - 12 August 1944), DKiG 22 December 1943; unknown; Obermaschinist Hans Gottermeyer (29 December 1916), DKiG 22 December 1943; and another unknown. The two friends Otto Pick and Hans Gottermeyer both served together on U-103, and again on U-198, Hans was Diesel-Obermaschinist and Otto Engine-Obermaschinist, after U-198's first war patrol both received the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold (German Cross in Gold). Due to skin problems (contained during the first war patrol) Hans couldn't join U-198 on her second war patrol. U-198 was then sunk on 12 August 1944 near the Seychelles, in position 03.35S, 52.49E, by depth charges from the British frigate HMS Findhorn and the Indian sloop HMIS Godavari. 66 dead (all hands lost), but Hans Gottermeyer survived the war!

Source:

Eric-Jan Bakker photo collection

http://www.historicalwarmilitariaforum.com/topic/3079-dkig-in-wear-kriegsmarine/page-2

U-455 Return From Her Patrol At St. Nazaire

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Date: Tuesday, 16 June 1942
Place: Saint-Nazaire, Loire-Atlantique department, France
Photographer: Kriegsberichter Vater

Kapitänleutnant Hans-Heinrich Giessler (center) with the type VIIC German submarine U-455 (under 7. Unterseebootsflottille) just back from war patrol at St. Nazaire, 16 June 1942, and then welcomed by the commander of 7. Unterseebootsflottille (7th U-boat Flotilla), Kapitänleutnant Herbert Sohler. In his third patrol (lasting 62 days from 16 April 1942), Giessler sunk two British ships, "British Workman" (3 May 1942, weight 6,994 tons from ON-89 Convoy) and "Geo H. Jones" (11 June 1942, weight 6,914 tons from SL-111 Convoy) with the total tonnage 13,908 tons. These would be his only victim on his entire career as a U-boat captain. U-455 listed as missing in the Mediterranean after 6 April, 1944, probably in or around the Ligurian Sea. No record of any action by any of the belligerents is listed and it is suspected that she may have been lost due to an accident! 51 crew dead (all hands lost) including her captain at that time, Kapitänleutnant Hans-Martin Scheibe.

Source:

Bundesarchiv Bild 101II-MW-6434-20

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:U-455_%28submarine,_1941%29