German submarine U-38 (1938)

Unterseeboot 38 (U-38) was a German Type IX U-boat of the Kriegsmarine.

Her keel was laid down April 15, 1937, by AG Weser of Bremen. She was commissioned October 24, 1938 with "Kapitänleutnant" Heinrich Liebe in command.

"U-38" conducted eleven patrols, as part of several flotillas. On May 5, 1945, U-38 was scuttled west of Wesermünde. Throughout the war, "U-38" had no loss of life on board the ship.

1st Patrol

"U-38" left the port of Wilhelmshaven, with Kapitänleutnant Heinrich Liebe in command, on August 19, 1939. The ship operated off the coast of Lisbon, prior to returning to port on September 18, 1939. During this four week long patrol, "U-38" sunk two British ships. The British steam freighter SS|Manaar was sunk on September 6.The Irish-flagged tanker SS|Inverliffey was shelled and sunk on September 11. The "U-38" towed the lifeboats away from the blazing oil.

2nd Patrol

After nearly two months ashore, "U-38" again left Wilhelmshaven, with Heinrich Liebe in command, on November 12, 1939. This second patrol of the boat was to operate off the waters northwest of Norway. During this patrol, "U-38" would sink three ships, two British and one Greek. The British steam freighter SS|Thomas Walton was sunk on December 7. The Greek steam freighter SS|Garoufalia was sunk on December 11, and the British steam freighter SS|Deptford was sunk on December 13. After an operation period of four and one half weeks, "U-38" returned to port in Wilhelmshaven on December 16.

3rd Patrol

Once again, "U-38" would spend considerable time ashore, prior to leaving port on February 26, 1940, again with Heinrich Liebe in command, for operations in the Western Approaches. During this patrol, Liebe sunk six ships. First sunk was the neutral Irish steam trawler SS|Luekos on March 9, with a single shell, off Tory Island, all 11 crew were lost. [Forde, Frank, "The Long Watch" (New Island Books, 2000) isbn 1902602420] Followed by the Danish motor freighters SS|Argentina (March 17), SS|Algier (March 21) and SS|Christiansborg (March 21). The Norwegian motor freighter MV|Cometa was sunk on March 26. The sixth and final ship sunk during this third patrol was the Finnish steam freighter SS|Signe on April 2. After nearly six weeks on the high seas, Liebe returned home again to Wilhelmshaven on April 5, 1940.

4th Patrol

Again, "U-38" would leave its home port of Wilhelmshaven with Heinrich Liebe in command. "U-38" departed port on April 8, 1940. "U-38" would patrol the waters off of Norway, supporting the occupation of Norway by Nazi troops. During this patrol, "U-38" reported problems with its torpedoes, as the HMS Effingham was fired upon with no damage taken. "U-38" would return to port on April 27, 1940.

5th Patrol

For her fifth patrol, "U-38" would again depart from Wilhelmshaven with Heinrich Liebe in command on June 6. "U-38" was to patrol the waters off southern Ireland. During this patrol, Liebe would hit six ships, two of which were sailing in convoy at the time. On June 14, the Greek steam freighter SS|Mount Myrto. The next day, U-38 sunk two ships, both sailing as part of the HX-47 convoy, sailing from Halifax to England. First sunk was the Canadian steam freighter SS|Erik Boye, followed by the Norwegian motor tanker MV|Italia. Five days later, June 20, the Swedish steam freighter SS|Tilia Gorthon was torpedoed and sunk. The Belgian steam freighter SS|Luxembourg was sunk on June 21, followed by the Greek steam freighter SS|Neion on the following day. After three weeks at sea, "U-38" returned to Wilhelmshaven on July 2, 1940.

During this patrol, "U-38" was able to land Karl Simon, a Nazi agent, at Dingle Bay in Ireland on June 12. Not realising that the passenger services of the Tralee and Dingle Light Railway had closed 14 months earlier, he asked when was the next train to Dublin. He was arrested and interned in the Curragh for the duration of the war. [Boyle, Sean, "Leukos blown out of the water" Journal of the Maritime Institute of Ireland Spring 1987]

6th Patrol

"U-38" would depart Wilhelmshaven for the last time on August 1, 1940, again with Heinrich Liebe in command. On this month long patrol off the western coast of Ireland, "U-38" would hit and sink three ships, all of which were in convoy at the time of attack. On August 7 the Egyptian steam freighter SS|Mohamed Ali El-Kebir was sunk while traveling with HX-61, from Halifax to England. The British steam freighter SS|Llanfair was hit and sunk, traveling as part of convoy SL-41 from Sierra Leone to England. The third and final ship hit on the sixth patrol of "U-38" was the British steam freighter SS|Har Zion, while traveling with the convoy OB-225, from Liverpool to the United States. After his four weeks at sea Liebe returned "U-38" to its new home port of Lorient, France on September 3, 1940.

7th Patrol

For her first patrol from Lorient, France, and her seventh career patrol, "U-38" would again be under the command of Heinrich Liebe. "U-38" departed on September 25, for operations in the Northwest Approaches. Liebe would hit five ships on this patrol, sinking four of them. On October 1, the British motor freighter MV|Highland Patriot was torpedoed and sunk. After two weeks of no attacking, "U-38" sunk the Greek steam freighter SS|Aenos on October 17, sailing as part of convoy SC-7, from Sydney, Nova Scotia to England. The following day, the British steam freighter SS|Carsbreck was damaged, but not sunk, while traveling with the convoy SC-7 from Sydney to Grimsby, England. The following day, October 19, two ships were hit, both sailing as part of the convoy HX-79: the Dutch SS|Bilderdijk and the British steam freighter SS|Matheran. "U-38" returned to Lorient on October 24, 1940.

8th Patrol

Again, "U-38" would depart Lorient with Liebe in command on December 18, 1940. This eight patrol of her career took her again for operations in the Northwest Approaches. During this patrol, Liebe would hit and sink two ships, one of which was in convoy at the time. On December 27, "U-38" attacked and sunk the British ship SS|Waiotira, and on December 31 she attacked and sunk the Swedish motor freighter SS|Valparaiso, sailing as part of the convoy HX-97 from Halifax to Glasgow. "U-38" returned to port on January 22, 1941.

9th Patrol

"U-38" would spend two and one half months at home in port, before leaving for operations off the western coast of Africa on April 9, 1941, with Heinrich Liebe yet again in command. This would prove to be "U-38"'s most successful patrol, sinking eight ships. On May 4, the Swedish steam freighter SS|Japan was torpedoed and sunk while traveling with convoy OB-310 from England to the United States. The following day, the British motor freighter MV|Queen Maud was torpedoed and sunk. On May 23, the Dutch motor freighter SS|Berhala was sunk while traveling with the convoy OB-318, from England to America. The British steam freighter SS|Vulcain was torpedoed and sunk on May 24. Six days later, on May 29, the British steam freighter SS|Tabaristan was hit and sunk. The following day another British ship was sunk, the steam freighter SS|Empire Protector was sunk. On May 31, the Norwegian steam freighter SS|Rinda was torpedoed and sunk. The eighth, and final ship sunk in this patrol was the British steam freighter SS|Kingston Hill on June 8. "U-38" returned to port in Lorient on June 29, 1940, after spending eleven and one half weeks at sea.

10th Patrol

For the first time in her short career, "U-38" would head to sea with a new commander, Kapitän zur See Heinrich Schuch. "U-38" left on August 6, for a a five week patrol in the North Atlantic. One ship was hit, the Panamanian steam freighter SS|Longtanker on August 18. "U-38" returned to Lorient on September 14, 1941.

11th and 12th Patrols

"U-38" would for the last time depart from Lorient on October 15, again with Heinrich Schuch in command, for operations in the North Atlantic. During this five week patrol, no ships were hit, and "U-38" returned to port in Bergen, Norway on November 21. She would depart Bergen on November 23 and arrive in Stettin on November 29, 1941.

Life after active duty

From December 1941 through November 1943, "U-38" was used as a training boat in the 24. Unterseebootsflottille and 21. Unterseebootsflottille. After her two years as a training boat, "U-38" was used as a testing boat, until she was scuttled on May 5, 1945.

References

External links

* [http://www.uboat.net/boats/u38.htm uboat.net webpage for "U-38"]
* [http://www.ubootwaffe.net/ops/boat.cgi?boat=38 ubootwaffe.net webpage about "U-38"]
* [http://www.u-boot-archiv.de/dieboote/u0038.html u-boot-archiv.de webpage for "U-38"]

"See Also: List of U-boats"