1st U-boat Flotilla

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1st U-boat flotilla
ActiveRaised 1935, Dissolved 1944
Country Nazi Germany
BranchKriegsmarine
TypeU-boat flotilla
BaseKiel, Brest
Nickname(s)Weddigen flotilla
Commanders
Notable
commanders
Fregattenkapitän Karl Dönitz

The 1st U-boat flotilla (German 1. Unterseebootsflottille) also known as the Weddigen flotilla, was the first operational U-boat unit in Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine (navy). Founded on 27 September 1935 under the command of Fregattenkapitän Karl Dönitz,[1] it was named in honor of Kapitänleutnant Otto Weddigen. Weddigen, a U-boat commander during World War I, died on 18 March 1915 after his submarine U-29 was rammed by the British battleship HMS Dreadnought in the North Sea.[2]

The flotilla at first only consisted of U-9, a Type IIB boat commissioned on 21 August 1935. Later, boats U-1 to U-12 were included in the flotilla, but U-1 to U-6 were only used as training boats and were attached to the U-boat training school in Neustadt.[3] Originally based in Kiel from September 1935 – May 1941, it was moved to Brest, France in June 1941. In September 1944, the flotilla was disbanded and its remaining boats were distributed to other flotillas.

Flotilla commanders[edit]

Duration Commander
September 1935 – October 1936 Kpt. z. S. Karl Dönitz
October 1936 – September 1937 Kpt. z. S. Otto Loycke
October 1937 – September 1939 Kptlt. Hans-Güther Looff
September 1939 – December 1939 Kptlt. Hans Eckermann m.d.F.b.
January 1940 – October 1940 K.Kapt. Hans Eckermann
November 1940 – February 1942 K.Kapt. Hans Cohausz
February 1942 – July 1942 Kptlt. Heinz Buchholz i.V.
July 1942 – September 1944 K.Kapt. Werner Winter

U-boats assigned to the flotilla[edit]

U-boat pens at Brest
U-7 U-8 U-9 U-10 U-11 U-12 U-13
U-14 U-15 U-16 U-17 U-18 U-19 U-20
U-21 U-22 U-23 U-24 U-56 U-57 U-58
U-59 U-60 U-61 U-62 U-63 U-79 U-80
U-81 U-83 U-84 U-86 U-116 U-117 U-137
U-138 U-139 U-140 U-141 U-142 U-143 U-144
U-145 U-146 U-147 U-149 U-150 U-201 U-202
U-203 U-204 U-208 U-209 U-213 U-225 U-238
U-243 U-247 U-263 U-268 U-271 U-276 U-292
U-301 U-304 U-305 U-306 U-311 U-331 U-336
U-353 U-354 U-371 U-372 U-374 U-379 U-392
U-394 U-396 U-401 U-405 U-413 U-415 U-418
U-422 U-424 U-426 U-435 U-439 U-440 U-441
U-456 U-471 U-556 U-557 U-558 U-559 U-561
U-562 U-563 U-564 U-565 U-566 U-574 U-582
U-584 U-597 U-599 U-603 U-625 U-628 U-629
U-632 U-637 U-643 U-651 U-653 U-654 U-656
U-665 U-669 U-722 U-731 U-732 U-736 U-740
U-741 U-743 U-754 U-767 U-773 U-821 U-925
U-956 U-963 U-987 U-1007 U-1199

Notes and references[edit]

  1. ^ 1. Unterseebootsflottille Archived 16 July 2006 at the Wayback Machine. Uboatnet.de. Retrieved 21 July 2006.
  2. ^ 1st Flotilla. Uboat.net. Retrieved 21 July 2006.
  3. ^ Gordon Williamson. Wolf Pack: The Story of the U-Boat in World War II, Osprey Publishing, 2005. ISBN 1-84176-872-3

External links[edit]

  • uboat.net – comprehensive website dedicated to U-boat history.