Wolfpack Wolf
Wolf was a wolfpack of German U-boats that operated from 13 July to 1 August 1942, attacking Convoy ON 113 in the Battle of the Atlantic during World War II. They sank two ships sunk totalling 12,078 gross register tons (GRT) and damaged another (8,093 GRT).[1]
U-Boats & Commanders
The wolfpack comprised eleven U-boats, namely
| U-Boat | Commander | From | To | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U-43 | Hans-Joachim Schwantke | 13 Jul 1942 | 30 Jul 1942 | |
| U-71 | Hardo Rodler von Roithberg | 13 Jul 1942 | 30 Jul 1942 | |
| U-86 | Walter Schug | 13 Jul 1942 | 31 Jul 1942 | |
| U-90 | Hans-Jürgen Oldörp | 13 Jul 1942 | 24 Jul 1942 | Depth-charged and sunk by Canadian destroyer HMCS St. Croix (I81) |
| U-379 | Paul-Hugo Kettner | 13 Jul 1942 | 1 Aug 1942 | |
| U-454 | Burckhard Hackländer | 13 Jul 1942 | 30 Jul 1942 | |
| U-461 | Wolf-Harro Stiebler | 26 Jul 1942 | 1 Aug 1942 | |
| U-552 | Erich Topp | 13 Jul 1942 | 30 Jul 1942 | |
| U-597 | Eberhard Bopst | 13 Jul 1942 | 30 Jul 1942 | |
| U-607 | Ernst Mengersen | 25 Jul 1942 | 30 Jul 1942 | |
| U-704 | Horst Wilhelm Kessler | 13 Jul 1942 | 31 Jul 1942 | |
Ships hit by this wolfpack
British Merit
The 8,093 ton British tanker British Merit was hit at 03:52 hours on 25 July, by a torpedo (one of two) fired by U-552. One man was killed by the explosion and another seriously injured. Two lifeboats with 32 men aboard were launched, and were picked up by HMCS Brandon, while the Master and 21 men remained aboard. The tug HMS Frisky (W11) took her into St. Johns, arriving on 2 August.[2]
Broompark
U-552 struck again at 04:09 hours on 25 July, hitting the 5,136 ton British merchant ship Broompark. The ship was taken in tow by the tug USS Cherokee, but sank on 28 July about 50 nautical miles (93 km) SW of St. Johns. The Master and three men were lost, while 38 men and 7 gunners were picked up by HMCS Brandon.[3]
Empire Rainbow
At 07.57 hours on 26 July the 6,942 ton British merchant ship Empire Rainbow was hit and damaged by a torpedo fired by U-607 about 300 nautical miles (560 km) E of Cape Race. Later, at 08.11, the ship was hit again, this time by a torpedo fired by U-704, which sank her. The entire crew; Master, 38 men and 8 gunners were picked up by HMS Burnham and HMCS Dauphin.[4]
References
- ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Wolfpack Wolf". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 26 January 2010.
- ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "British Merit (Motor tanker)". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 26 January 2010.
- ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Broompark (Steam merchant)". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 26 January 2010.
- ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Empire Rainbow (Motor merchant)". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 26 January 2010.
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