German submarine U-101 (1940)

Unterseeboot "101" was a German Type VIIB U-boat that had a highly successful career with the Kriegsmarine during the Second World War.

Construction and commissioning

She was ordered on 15 December 1937 and was laid down on 31 March 1939 at Germaniawerft, Kiel, becoming 'werk 595'. She was launched on 13 January 1940 and commissioned under her first commander Kptlt. Fritz Frauenheim on 23 September of that year. Frauenheim commanded her for her work ups with the 7. Unterseebootsflottille between 11 March until 18 November 1940. She then became the front boat of 7. Flottille and set out from Kiel to Trondheim on her first war patrol on 28 April 1940 in the North Sea. [http://uboat.net/boats/u101.htm Career] ]

Early patrols

Based at Kiel

Her first patrol took her to Trondheim and back to Kiel, and was largely uneventful. She sailed again from Kiel on 21 May on a second patrol that was to last 36 days and be highly successful, taking her around the waters of the British Isles, from the Bay of Biscay to the Norwegian coast. She sank a total of seven ships, for a total tonnage of 42,022 tons. [http://uboat.net/boats/patrols/patrol_3679.html Second Patrol] ] On 22 May she sighted an enemy submarine. On 23 May she again sighted either the original enemy craft or another one. A torpedo track was seen, but it passed 50 metres across her bow and she continued her journey. On 29 May, at 16.30 hours she was spotted and attacked by an aircraft, which dropped two bombs as "U-101" was west of the English Channel. She suffered minor damage in this attack.

Her first victim was the British merchant SS "Stanhall" on 30 May. The next day she sank the British SS "Orangemoor", but following this attack she was hunted by convoy escorts for four hours, which dropped 34 depth charges. When the "U-101" risked rising to periscope depth she was spotted by an armed trawler, which dropped another seven depth charges at 22.00 hours, causing some damage. "U-101" survived this and went on to sink SS "Polycarp" on 2 June. She was attacked again on 4 June at 20.14 hours, this time by an aircraft which dropped a bomb as "U-101" sailed west of the English Channel. She escaped damage.

On 11 June she torpedoed and sank the Greek SS "Mount Hymettus" and on 12 June she claimed the British SS "Earlspark". The final two success came when she sank the Greek SS "Antonis Georgandis" on 14 June followed by the British SS "Wellington Star" on 16 June. Between 12 June and 15 June "U-101" operated as part of wolf pack "Rösing". She was again attacked on 23 June at 04.08 hours whilst in the North Sea returning to base, when an aircraft dropped three bombs, damaging the periscope. She returned to Kiel on 25 June.

Based at Lorient

Her next patrol was less successful, but still claimed three merchants, totalling 2,311 tons. [http://uboat.net/boats/patrols/patrol_3680.html Second Patrol] ] She left Kiel on 9 August, passed north of the British Isles and the north west coast of Ireland and arrived at Lorient 39 days later on 16 September. She sank the British SS "Ampleforth" on 19 August, the Finnish SS "Elle" on 28 August and the Greek SS "Efploia" on 1 September. Whilst searching for a convoy west of Ireland on 3 September "U-101" was attacked by an escort with depth charges in five separate attacks. She suffered considerable damage and began to flood, but which was controlled by the crew.

"U-101" sailed again on 5 October for a shorter war patrol lasting 20 days. She operated in the North Atlantic, working to intercept convoys sailing to Britain. She sank the Canadian SS "Saint Malo" on 12 October, before being one of a number of U-boats to launch a successful wolf pack attack on the ill-fated convoy SC-7. She damaged the SS "Blairspey" and sank the SS "Creekirk" on 18 December, and the following day sank the SS "Assyrian" and the SS "Soesterberg". Whilst carrying out a last attack she was spotted by one of the merchants, which shelled her. She was able to fire her last torpedoes and escape the shells which fell behind her. The merchant had turned away and begun zig-zagging, and so escaped without being hit. "U-101" returned to Lorient having sunk four ships totalling 14,562 tons, and damaged another for 4,155 tons. [ [http://uboat.net/boats/patrols/patrol_3681.html Fourth Patrol] ] On his return Frauenheim was replaced by Kptlt. Ernst Mengersen.

Under Mengersen

Mengersen undertook one last war patrol during 1940, sailing from Lorient on 24 November. Despite only lasting 14 days, this was another successful cruise. On 31 November the British SS "Aractaca" was sunk. The following day "U-101" attacked convoy HX-90, sinking the SS "Appalachee" and damaging the SS "Loch Ranza" on 1 December. The following day she sank a further two ships from the convoy, the SS "Kavak" and the SS "Lady Glanely". "U-101" returned to Lorient on 7 December having sunk 22,483 tons of shipping and damaged a further 4,958 tons. [ [http://uboat.net/boats/patrols/patrol_3682.html Fifth Patrol] ]

Her next patrol started on her departure from Lorient on 23 January. Despite spending 28 days at sea, this was one of "U-101"’s less successful cruises. Whilst attempting to attack convoy SC-19 at 04.16 hours on 29 January an escorting destroyer fired on her, forcing her to dive. The destroyer then dropped three depth charges, but these failed to cause any damage. "U-101" later sank two ships, the SS "Holystone" on 14 February and the SS "Gairsoppa" on 17 February. She arrived back at base on 19 February having accounted for a further 10,699 tons of allied shipping. [ [http://uboat.net/boats/patrols/patrol_3683.html Sixth Patrol] ] She sailed again on 24 March for her longest war patrol, lasting 40 days. This took her deep into the North Atlantic in search of enemy shipping. On 23 April she encountered a British submarine which fired two torpedoes at her, but both missed. "U-101" returned to base on 2 May without having sunk or damaged any enemy ships. [ [http://uboat.net/boats/patrols/patrol_3683.html Seventh Patrol] ]

Her next cruise began on 28 May and was slightly more successful. Whilst operating further to the south of her previous patrol she located the convoys OB-327 and 329 and sank the British merchants SS "Trecarrell" and SS "Trevarrack" on 4 June and 9 June respectively. Also on 4 June she lost a man, Matrosenobergefreiter Horst Jackl, overboard. She returned to base on 4 July having accounted for 10,541 tons of shipping. [ [http://uboat.net/boats/patrols/patrol_3684.html Eighth Patrol] ]

Her next patrol took her from Lorient on 7 August. On 24 August at 09.53 hours she was attacked by an aircraft whilst off Rockall. Two bombs were dropped but failed to damage her. Despite this "U-101" was forced to crash dive another five times that day and the next to avoid aircraft operating in the area. She then attempted to attack convoy OS-4 on 28 August but was forced to dive by a destroyer at 03.03 hours. She was hunted to three hours by several of the convoy's escorts, which dropped 30 depth charges. Despite the accuracy of these attacks, the only serious damage sustained was a disabled periscope. "U-101" put into Saint Nazaire on 4 September after 29 days at sea during which she had not been able to sink or damage any ships. [ [http://uboat.net/boats/patrols/patrol_3685.html Ninth Patrol] ]

Final war patrol

"U-101"’s final patrol took her from Saint Nazaire back to Kiel around the British Isles. She departed Saint Nazaire on 11 October. Whilst outward bound through the Bay of Biscay on 13 October she was attacked at 10.45 hours by a twin-engined aircraft. Three bombs were dropped. Some damage must have been visible on the surface as she was again attacked whilst submerged with a further three bombs at 16.42 hours. She carried out an attack on convoy SC-48 on 18 October, during which she torpedoed and sank the convoy escort HMS "Broadwater". She did not have any further success and arrived in Kiel on 16 November having spent 37 days at sea. This marked the end of her active wartime career. She had sunk 22 merchant ships, totalling 112,618 GRT, and a warship totalling 1,190 tons, and had damaged a further two for a total of 9,113 GRT.

As a training boat

Oblt. Karl-Heinz Marbach briefly took over command of "U-101" on 1 January 1942, serving as such until 3 February. Friedrich Bothe then took over until 31 March. On 1 March "U-101" was part of 26. Unterseebootsflottille for crew training, finishing this at the end of March. Between 1 April and 31 August she became a school boat for 21. Unterseebootsflottille. On 1 September she joined 24. Unterseebootsflottille, again in a training capacity, terminating these duties on 31 August 1943. Between May, 1942 and 25 October 1942 she was commanded by Ernst von Witzendorff. He was replaced by Oblt. Helmut Münster who commanded "U-101" until she was decommissioned. She was moved to the 23. Unterseebootsflottille on 1 September 1943 until 21 October 1943. She was then decommissioned at Neustadt. She was laid up until being scuttled on 3 May prior to the German surrender. The wreck was later broken up.

References

* [http://uboat.net/boats/u101.htm Unterseeboot 101's career at Uboat.net]
** [http://uboat.net/boats/patrols/u101.html U-101's war patrols]
** [http://uboat.net/boats/successes/u101.html Ships lost to U-101]