Wolfpack Leuthen
Leuthen was a wolf pack of German U-boats that operated during the battle of the Atlantic in World War II.
Service history
Leuthen was formed in September 1943 and was established to renew the attack on the North Atlantic route. Following the defeats of May 1943, and the devastating losses incurred by the U- boat Arm (U-Bootwaffe,UBW) then, Admiral Dönitz had withdrawn from attacks on the North Atlantic route while awaiting tactical and technical improvements. By September 1943 these were ready.
Leuthen operated against convoys ONS 18 and ON 202, which were travelling together; U-boats from Leuthen sank 6 ships (of 36,442 GRT and 3 escorts in this battle, but lost 3 boats ( U-229, U-338, and U-341) destroyed, and 3 forced to return with damage, in attacks by aircraft and surface vessels.
Leuthen was disbanded after this assault, at the end of September; of the remaining 15 boats, 3 returned to base and 12 formed the core of a new patrol line, code-named Rossbach.
U-boats involved
- U-229
- U-238
- U-260
- U-270
- U-275
- U-305
- U-338
- U-341
- U-377
- U-378
- U-386
- U-402
- U-442
- U-584
- U-603
- U-641
- U-645
- U-666
- U-731
- U-758
- U-952
The name
The name "Leuthen" was a reference to the battle of Leuthen fought by Frederick the Great during the Seven Years' War.
External links
References
- Jak P M Showell U-Boat Warfare: The Evolution of the Wolf-Pack (2002) ISBN 0-7110-2887-7