This is an exceptional example of a collectors’ diorama of the Second World War German submarine service.
The top of the display reveals a general U-Boat service badge, seven flotilla badges, one badge for U-858 and the seahorse badge associated to the following submarines: U97, U267, U416, U708, U776, U1231 and U3011.
Here is some brief information about these flotillas and submarines.
The 1st U-boat flotilla
Was founded on 27 September 1935 under the command of Fregattenkapitän Karl Dönitz. It was named in honor of Kapitänleutnant Otto Weddigen, a U-boat commander during World War I. He died on 18 March 1915 after his submarine U-29 was rammed by the British battleship HMS Dreadnought in the North Sea.
The flotilla consisted Type IIB and Type VII Submarines and was originally based in Kiel (from September 1935-May 1941) and moved to Brest, France in June 1941.
The 2nd U-boat Flotilla
Based in Kiel later moved to Wilhelmshaven, moved to Lorient in France until it was disbanded in August 1944.
The 3rd U-boat Flotilla
Also known as Lohs Flotilla under the command of Kapitänleutnant Hans Eckermann. In October 1941 the flotilla was moved to La Pallice, La Rochelle in France and from January 1942 at Lorient.
The 9th U-boat Flotilla
Formed in October 1941 in Brest. The flotilla operated mostly various marks of the Type VII U-boat and it concentrated its efforts mainly in the North Atlantic, against convoys to and from Great Britain.
The symbol of the 9th Flotilla, Der lachende Schwertfisch or the “laughing Swordfish” became the unit symbol after Lehmann-Willenbrock assumed command. It has previously been the conning tower emblem on his previous command. U-96, the boat of Willenbrock became world known due to one of the best films about submarines, “Das Boot”.
Fregattenkapitän Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock ranks sixth of the most successful U-boat commanders in the Battle of the Atlantic against the Allies.
The 10th U-boat Flotilla
Formed in January 1942 at Lorient under the command of Korvettenkapitän Günther Kuhnke, recipient of the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross. He is responsible for sinking a total of 42,252 gross register tons.
Kuhnke took command of U-853 on 27 August 1944 to sail to Flensburg, being the last U-boat of the flotilla to leave Lorient.
A more notable action of U-853 was the unsuccessful attack of the RMS Queen Mary on 25 May 1944.
The 12th U-boat Flotilla
Formed in October 1942 at Bordeaux under the command of Korvettenkapitän Klaus Scholtz, a recipient of the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves.
The 29th U-boat Flotilla
Formed in December 1941 in La Spezia in Italy and comanded by Korvettenkapitän Franz Becker. It operated mostly various marks of the Type VII U-boat and it concentrated its efforts mainly in the Mediterranean Sea, against convoys.
In August 1943, the flotilla moved to Toulon.
The German submarine U-858
A Type IXC/40 launched on 30 September 1943 Kapitänleutnant Thilo Bode. It was sent by Germany at the end of the war to cause havoc along the East Coast of the US, in an attempt to repeat the success of Operation Drumbeat with no success.
Her captain surrendered her on 14 May 1945 at Fort Miles, Delaware USA.
Sea horse badge
U97 – a Type VIIC – 13 patrols. It sank sixteen ships and damaged a seventeenth. She was a member of two wolfpacks.
U267 – a Type VIIC – She took part in seven patrols between
U416 – a Type VIIC – the submarine that sunk twice – U-416 was sunk on 30 March 1943 by a mine laid by the Soviet submarine L-3 on 26 August 1942 near Bornholm (eastern Denmark). She was raised on 8 April 1943 and after repairs, used for training. She was in collision with the German minesweeper M 203 and sank on 12 December 1944 northwest of Pillau, (Balltiysk) in Russia.
U708 – a Type VIIC – Used for training purposes
U776 – a Type VIIC – Commissioned under the command of Kapitänleutnant Lothar Martin on 13 April 1944
U1231 – a Type IXC/40 – Was launched on 18 November 1943 and had a very long service life even after the war, where it operaten in the North Atlantic. In November 1945, U-1231 was allocated to the Soviet Union as war booty and was transferred to Libau via Copenhagen between 24 November and 5 December 1945. Renamed N-26 the U-boat was commissioned into the Soviet Navy and served with the Red Banner Baltic Fleet. On 29 December 1955, having been re-designated B-26, the U-boat was decommissioned and placed into reserve and used for training purposes. Struck from the list on 31 January 1968 and sold for scrap the U-boat was later broken up in Riga.
U3011 – a Type XXI U-boat – She was launched on 20 October 1944, and commissioned under the command of Kapitänleutnant Otto Tinschert, on 21 December 1944.
One hundred and eighteen were completed, with four being combat ready. During the war only two were put into active service and went on patrols, but these were not used in combat.
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