Operation Details

Seewolf (i)

'Seewolf' (i) was a U-boat wolfpack operation in the Atlantic against the OG.73 convoy (1/18 September 1941).

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The wolfpack comprised U-69, U-71, U-77, U-83, U-94, U-95, U-96, U-98, U-206, U-553, U-557, U-558, U-561, U-563, U-567, U-568 and U-751, and for the loss of none of its own number sank two ships (7,877 tons).

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The 'Kurfürst' (ii) wolfpack was established on 1 September with U-77, U-96, U-206, U-553, U-563, U-567 and U-568 in the area to the west of the North Channel and the 'Bosemüller' wolfpack was created with U-71, U-83, U-95, U-557, U-558, U-561, U-562 and U-751 in the area to the west and south-west of Ireland. On this date the 'Bosemüller' boats were instructed to attack the SL.84 convoy, which had been sighted and reported by the returning U-73, but found no sign of the convoy in poor visibility. The 'Kurfürst' (ii) boats were directed against the OG.73 convoy, which had been reported by a Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor long-range reconnaissance bomber of the I/Kampfgeschwader 40, and on the following day U-557 spotted the convoy in continued conditions of poor visibility; U-83 sighted one of the escort force’s corvettes, and the convoy was additionally spotted and reported by air reconnaissance. As a result, Vizeadmiral Karl Dönitz, the Befehlshaber der Unterseeboote, ordered the combination of the 'Kurfürst' (ii) and 'Bosemüller' wolfpacks as the 'Seewolf' (i) wolfpack, which was ordered to attack the convoy.

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The boats found neither this convoy nor that which was sighted and reported by U-98 on 3 September. Meanwhile, Kapitänleutnant Theodor Fahr’s U-567 sank the 3,485-ton British Fort Richepanse, an independent sailer. On 11 September the 'Seewolf' (i) wolfpack was despatched with U-69, U-94, U-95, U-98, U-557, U-561 and U-565 into the area lying to the north-west of the Hebrides islands group. On 14, 15 and 18 September convoys were sighted by German reconnaissance aircraft, and on 14 September also by U-565, but no other boats came up and U-95 and U-561 were attacked from the air. Only Kapitänleutnant Robert Gysae’s U-98 was able to make a sinking, in this instance of the 4,392-ton British Jedmoor of the SC.42 convoy on 16 September.

Basic Overview

Theater

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