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Wolfpack Leuthen

{{infobox military unit

|unit_name=Wolf pack Leuthen

|dates=15 Sep 1943 - 24 Sep 1943

|country={{flag|Nazi Germany}}

|branch=Kriegsmarine

|role=

|size=20 submarines

|command_structure=

|battles=

|commander1=

|commander1_label=

|commander2=

|commander2_label=

|commander3=

|commander3_label=

|notable_commanders=Siegfried Freiherr von Forstner

}}

Leuthen was the given name to a wolfpack of German U-boats that operated during the World War II Battle of the Atlantic in 1943 from 15 to 24 September 1943{{cite web

|url =http://www.uboat.net/ops/wolfpacks/136.html

|title =Wolfpack Leuthen

|publisher =uboat.net

|access-date=31 May 2015

}}

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defeats of May 1943, and the devastating losses incurred by the U-boat Arm (U-Bootwaffe, UBW) then, Admiral Dönitz had withdrawn from attacks on the North Atlantic route while awaiting tactical and technical improvements.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 {{GRT|36,442}} 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.

=Raiding History=

class="wikitable"
Date

! U-boat

! Commander

! Name of ship

! Nationality

! Tons

! Convoy

! Fate

align="right" |20 September 1943

|align="center"|{{GS|U-238

2}}

|align="left" |Horst Hepp

|align="left" |Frederick Douglass

|align="left" |{{flag|United States|1912}}

|align="right" |7,176

|align="left" |ON 202

|align="left" |Damaged

align="right" |20 September 1943

|align="center"|{{GS|U-645

2}}

|align="left" |Otto Ferro

|align="left" |Frederick Douglass

|align="left" |{{flag|United States|1912}}

|align="right" |7,176

|align="left" |ON 202

|align="left" |Sunk

align="right" |20 September 1943

|align="center"|{{GS|U-305

2}}

|align="left" |Rudolf Bahr

|align="left" |{{HMCS|St. Croix|I81|6}}

|align="left" |{{navy|Canada|1868}}

|align="right" |1,190

|align="left" |ON 202

|align="left" |Sunk

align="right" |20 September 1943

|align="center"|{{GS|U-270

2}}

|align="left" |Paul-Friedrich Otto

|align="left" |{{HMS|Lagan|K259|6}}

|align="left" |{{navy|United Kingdom}}

|align="right" |1,370

|align="left" |ON 202

|align="left" |Total loss

align="right" |20 September 1943

|align="center"|{{GS|U-238

2}}

|align="left" |Horst Hepp

|align="left" |Theodore Dwight Weld

|align="left" |{{flag|United States|1912}}

|align="right" |7,176

|align="left" |ON 202

|align="left" |Sunk

align="right" |21 September 1943

|align="center"|{{GS|U-952

2}}

|align="left" |Oskar Curio

|align="left" |{{HMS|Polyanthus|K47|6}}

|align="left" |{{navy|United Kingdom}}

|align="right" |925

|align="left" |ON 202

|align="left" |Sunk

align="right" |23 September 1943

|align="center"|{{GS|U-238

2}}

|align="left" |Horst Hepp

|align="left" |Fort Jemseg

|align="left" |{{flag|United Kingdom|civil}}

|align="right" |7,134

|align="left" |ON 202

|align="left" |Sunk

align="right" |23 September 1943

|align="center"|{{GS|U-666

2}}

|align="left" |Herbert Engel

|align="left" |{{HMS|Itchen|K227|6}}

|align="left" |{{navy|United Kingdom}}

|align="right" |1,370

|align="left" |ON 202

|align="left" |Sunk

align="right" |23 September 1943

|align="center"|{{GS|U-952

2}}

|align="left" |Oskar Curio

|align="left" |James Gordon Bennett

|align="left" |{{flag|United States|1912}}

|align="right" |7,176

|align="left" |ON 202

|align="left" |Damaged

align="right" |23 September 1943

|align="center"|{{GS|U-238

2}}

|align="left" |Horst Hepp

|align="left" |Oregon Express

|align="left" |{{flag|Norway}}

|align="right" |3,642

|align="left" |ON 202

|align="left" |Sunk

align="right" |23 September 1943

|align="center"|{{GS|U-238

2}}

|align="left" |Horst Hepp

|align="left" |Skjelbred

|align="left" |{{flag|Norway}}

|align="right" |5,096

|align="left" |ON 202

|align="left" |Sunk

align="right" |23 September 1943

|align="center"|{{GS|U-952

2}}

|align="left" |Oskar Curio

|align="left" |Steel Voyager

|align="left" |{{flag|United States|1912}}

|align="right" |6,198

|align="left" |ON 202

|align="left" |Sunk

=U-boats=

class="wikitable"
U-boat

! Commander

! From

! To

! Notes

align="center"|{{GS|U-2292}}

|align="left" |Robert Schetelig

|align="right" |15 September 1943

|align="right" |23 September 1943

|align="left" |Destroyed; depth-charge, gunfire and ramming by HMS Keppel

align="center"|{{GS|U-2382}}

|align="left" |Horst Hepp{{cite web|url=http://www.uboat.net/men/commanders/462.html|title=Horst Hepp|publisher=u-boat.net|access-date=31 May 2015}}

|align="right" |15 September 1943

|align="right" |24 September 1943

|align="left" |Returned to base

align="center"|{{GS|U-2602}}

|align="left" |Hubertus Purkhold{{cite web|url=http://www.uboat.net/men/commanders/951.html|title=Hubertus Purkhold|publisher=u-boat.net|access-date=31 May 2015}}

|align="right" |15 September 1943

|align="right" |24 September 1943

|align="left" |to group Rossbach

align="center"|{{GS|U-2702}}

|align="left" |Paul-Friedrich Otto{{cite web|url=http://www.uboat.net/men/commanders/902.html|title=Paul-Friedrich Otto|publisher=u-boat.net|access-date=31 May 2015}}

|align="right" |15 September 1943

|align="right" |23 September 1943

|align="left" |Returned to base

align="center"|{{GS|U-2752}}

|align="left" |Helmut Bork{{cite web|url=http://www.uboat.net/men/commanders/110.html|title=Helmut Bork|publisher=u-boat.net|access-date=31 May 2015}}

|align="right" |15 September 1943

|align="right" |24 September 1943

|align="left" |to group Rossbach

align="center"|{{GS|U-3052}}

|align="left" |Rudolf Bahr{{cite web|url=http://www.uboat.net/men/commanders/30.html|title=Rudolf Bahr|publisher=u-boat.net|access-date=31 May 2015}}

|align="right" |15 September 1943

|align="right" |24 September 1943

|align="left" |to group Rossbach

align="center"|{{GS|U-3382}}

|align="left" |Manfred Kinzel{{cite web|url=http://www.uboat.net/men/commanders/608.html|title=Manfred Kinzel|publisher=u-boat.net|access-date=31 May 2015}}

|align="right" |15 September 1943

|align="right" |20 September 1943

|align="left" |Destroyed; Liberator F/120Sqdn, HMCS Drumheller

align="center"|{{GS|U-3412}}

|align="left" |Dietrich Epp{{cite web|url=http://www.uboat.net/men/commanders/256.html|title=Dietrich Epp|publisher=u-boat.net|access-date=31 May 2015}}

|align="right" |15 September 1943

|align="right" |19 September 1943

|align="left" |Destroyed; depth-charge by Liberator A/10Sqdn RCAF

align="center"|{{GS|U-3772}}

|align="left" |Gerhard Kluth{{cite web|url=http://www.uboat.net/men/commanders/618.html|title=Gerhard Kluth|publisher=u-boat.net|access-date=31 May 2015}}

|align="right" |15 September 1943

|align="right" |22 September 1943

|align="left" |Returned to base

align="center"|{{GS|U-3782}}

|align="left" |Erich Mäder{{cite web|url=http://www.uboat.net/men/commanders/770.html|title=Erich Mäder|publisher=u-boat.net|access-date=31 May 2015}}

|align="right" |15 September 1943

|align="right" |24 September 1943

|align="left" |to group Rossbach

align="center"|{{GS|U-3862}}

|align="left" |Fritz Albrecht{{cite web|url=http://www.uboat.net/men/commanders/8.html|title=Fritz Albrecht|publisher=u-boat.net|access-date=31 May 2015}}

|align="right" |15 September 1943

|align="right" |21 September 1943

|align="left" |Returned to base

align="center"|{{GS|U-4022}}

|align="left" |Siegfried von Forstner{{cite web|url=http://www.uboat.net/men/commanders/forstner.html|title= Siegfried von Forstner (Knight's Cross)|publisher=u-boat.net|access-date=31 May 2015}}

|align="right" |15 September 1943

|align="right" |24 September 1943

|align="left" |to group Rossbach

align="center"|{{GS|U-4222}}

|align="left" |Wolfgang Poeschel{{cite web|url=http://www.uboat.net/men/commanders/933.html|title= Wolfgang Poeschel|publisher=u-boat.net|access-date=31 May 2015}}

|align="right" |15 September 1943

|align="right" |24 September 1943

|align="left" |Returned to base; destroyed en route 4 October 1943

align="center"|{{GS|U-5842}}

|align="left" |Joachim Deecke{{cite web|url=http://www.uboat.net/men/commanders/194.html|title= Joachim Deecke|publisher=u-boat.net|access-date=31 May 2015}}

|align="right" |15 September 1943

|align="right" |24 September 1943

|align="left" |to group Rossbach

align="center"|{{GS|U-6032}}

|align="left" |Rudolf Baltz{{cite web|url=http://www.uboat.net/men/commanders/36.html|title= Rudolf Baltz|publisher=u-boat.net|access-date=31 May 2015}}

|align="right" |15 September 1943

|align="right" |24 September 1943

|align="left" |to group Rossbach

align="center"|{{GS|U-6412}}

|align="left" |Horst Rendtel{{cite web|url=http://www.uboat.net/men/commanders/995.html|title= Horst Rendtel|publisher=u-boat.net|access-date=31 May 2015}}

|align="right" |15 September 1943

|align="right" |24 September 1943

|align="left" |to group Rossbach

align="center"|{{GS|U-6452}}

|align="left" |Otto Ferro{{cite web|url=http://www.uboat.net/men/commanders/277.html|title= Otto Ferro|publisher=u-boat.net|access-date=31 May 2015}}

|align="right" |15 September 1943

|align="right" |24 September 1943

|align="left" |to group Rossbach

align="center"|{{GS|U-6662}}

|align="left" |Herbert Engel{{cite web|url=http://www.uboat.net/men/commanders/254.html|title= Herbert Engel|publisher=u-boat.net|access-date=31 May 2015}}

|align="right" |15 September 1943

|align="right" |24 September 1943

|align="left" |to group Rossbach

align="center"|{{GS|U-7312}}

|align="left" |Werner Techand{{cite web|url=http://www.uboat.net/men/commanders/1263.html|title= Werner Techand|publisher=u-boat.net|access-date=31 May 2015}}

|align="right" |15 September 1943

|align="right" |24 September 1943

|align="left" |to group Rossbach

align="center"|{{GS|U-7582}}

|align="left" |Helmut Manseck{{cite web|url=http://www.uboat.net/men/commanders/783.html|title= Helmut Manseck|publisher=u-boat.net|access-date=31 May 2015}}

|align="right" |15 September 1943

|align="right" |24 September 1943

|align="left" |to group Rossbach

align="center"|{{GS|U-9522}}

|align="left" |Oskar Curio{{cite web|url=http://www.uboat.net/men/commanders/180.html|title= Oskar Curio|publisher=u-boat.net|access-date=31 May 2015}}

|align="right" |15 September 1943

|align="right" |24 September 1943

|align="left" |to group Rossbach

The name

The name "Leuthen" was a reference to the battle of Leuthen fought by Frederick the Great during the Seven Years' War.

References

{{Reflist}}

Bibliography

  • {{cite book|last=Showell|first=Jak P M|title=U-Boat Warfare: The Evolution of the Wolf-Pack|year=2002|publisher=Ian Allan |isbn=0-7110-2887-7}}

{{Uboat}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Leuthen}}

Category:Wolfpacks of 1943

Wolfpack Leuthen