Unterseeboot 23 (1936)

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U-23
Model of U-23 as in 1938.
Country	Nazi Germany
Branch	Kriegsmarine
Type	IIB
Fieldpost number	M 01 984
Shipyard	Germaniawerft, Kiel
Yard number	553
Ordered	February 2, 1935
Laid down	April 11, 1936
Launched	August 28, 1936
Commissioned	September 24, 1936
Career
Patrols	16
Flotillas	1. Unterseebootsflottille 21. Unterseebootsflottille 30. Unterseebootsflottille
Commanders	Eberhard Godt Hans-Günther Looff Otto Kretschmer Heinz Beduhn Heinrich Driver Kurt Reichenbach-Klinke Ernst-Ulrich Brüller Ulrich Gräf Rolf-Birger Wahlen Rudolf Arendt
Successes
7 ships sunk for a total of 11.179 GRT 2 warships sunk for a total of 1.410 tons 1 auxiliary warship damaged for a total of 1.005 GRT 1 warship damaged for a total of 56 tons 3 ships a total loss for a total of 18.199 GRT
Fate
Scuttled September 10, 1944 off the coast of Turkey in the Black Sea.

Unterseeboot 23 (usually abbreviated to U-23) was a German IIB type U-boat of the Nazi Kriegsmarine, built in Germaniawerft, Kiel, laid down on April 11, 1936 and commissioned on September 24 1936.

[edit] Career

At 4:45 am on October 4, 1939, U-23 scored one of the early successes of the Kriegsmarine in the war when she torpedoed and sank by gunfire the merchant ship Glen Farg about 60 miles south-southwest of Sumburgh Head. One person died, while 16 survivors were picked up by HMS Firedrake and landed at Kirkwall the next day.

In 16 patrols U-23 sank 7 ships for a total of 11.179 GRT including two warships, as well as damaging a warship and an auxiliary warship.

U-23 as in 1944 deployment in the Black Sea.

Over the course of her service with the Kriegsmarine U-23 had ten commanding officers, the most famous of whom was Kapitänleutnant Otto Kretschmer, who went on to become the top scoring U-boat ace. After service in the Atlantic with the 1. Unterseebootsflottille, U-23 served as a school boat with the 21. Unterseebootsflottille from July, 1940 until September, 1942. U-23 was then refit and transported overland to the Black Sea port of Constanza, Romania, with the 30. Unterseebootsflottille until September, 1944.

[edit] Fate

U-23 was scuttled by her crew on September 10, 1944 off the coast of Turkey in the Black Sea at position 41°11′N 30°00′E to prevent capture by the advancing Soviets.