Wolfpack West
Active8 May - 20 June 1941
Country Nazi Germany
BranchKriegsmarine
Size23 submarines
EngagementsConvoy OB 317
Convoy OB 318
Convoy OB 322
Convoy OB 327
Convoy OB 328
Convoy OB 329
Convoy OB 330
Convoy SC 30
Convoy HX 126
Convoy HX 128
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 OB 317 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 HMS Salopian  Royal Navy 10,549 SC 30 Sunk
13 May 1941 U-111 Somersby  United Kingdom 5,170 SC 30 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 OB 322 Damaged
21 May 1941 U-93 Elusa  Netherlands 6,235 HX 126 Sunk
21 May 1941 U-98 Marconi  United Kingdom 7,402 OB 322 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 HX 128 Sunk
2 June 1941 U-108 Michael E.  United Kingdom 7,628 OB 327 Sunk
3 June 1941 U-75 Eibergen  Netherlands 4,801 OB 327 Sunk
3 June 1941 U-48 Inversuir  United Kingdom 9,456 OB 327 Damaged
3 June 1941 U-75 Inversuir  United Kingdom 9,456 OB 327 Sunk
4 June 1941 U-101 Trecarrell  United Kingdom 5,271 OB 327 Sunk
5 June 1941 U-48 Wellfield  United Kingdom 6,054 OB 328 Sunk
6 June 1941 U-48 Tregarthen  United Kingdom 5,201 OB 329 Sunk
6 June 1941 U-43 Yselhaven  Netherlands 4,802 OB 328 Sunk
8 June 1941 U-108 Baron Nairn  United Kingdom 3,164 OB 328 Sunk
8 June 1941 U-108 Dirphys  Greece 4,240 Sunk
8 June 1941 U-48 Pendrecht  Netherlands 10,746 OB 329 Sunk
9 June 1941 U-101 Trevarrack  United Kingdom 5,270 OB 329 Sunk
10 June 1941 U-108 Christian Krohg  Norway 1,992 OB 329 Sunk
10 June 1941 U-204 Mercier  Belgium 7,886 OB 330 Sunk
13 June 1941 U-77 Tresillian  United Kingdom 4,743 OB 330 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.

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