Wolf pack Seewolf
Encyclopedia
Seewolf was a wolf pack of German
U-boat
s that operated during the Battle of the Atlantic in World War II
.
Coincidentally, Allied Intelligence formed the view that the Germans
were planning to mount a missile attack on the United States, using V-1
or V-2 missiles adapted for launch at sea by submarines.
This led to a vigorous response by the United States Navy
, code-named Operation Teardrop
, to find and destroy the Seewolf boats.
This was successful;
Of the 5 boats in American waters by April ( 2 boats had returned to base for repairs, and were still in transit at the end of April)
4 boats were sunk during the month:
Seewolf boats had one success; U-546 sank USS Frederick C. Davis
, shortly before she herself was sunk.
The fifth boat U-881
was detected and destroyed on 6 May 1945, the last boat in American waters to be destroyed
.
The 2 boats in transit when Germany surrendered
were given up to the USN on 8 May 1945.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
U-boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
s that operated during the Battle of the Atlantic in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Service history
Seewolf was formed in March 1945 in an effort to re-establish the U-boat offensive in American waters; it was the last wolfpack of the Atlantic campaign. 7 of the 9 boats that sailed to Americas were in Seewolf; another 2 sailed independently.Coincidentally, Allied Intelligence formed the view that the Germans
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
were planning to mount a missile attack on the United States, using V-1
V-1 flying bomb
The V-1 flying bomb, also known as the Buzz Bomb or Doodlebug, was an early pulse-jet-powered predecessor of the cruise missile....
or V-2 missiles adapted for launch at sea by submarines.
This led to a vigorous response by the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
, code-named Operation Teardrop
Operation Teardrop
Operation Teardrop was a United States Navy operation of World War II conducted during April and May 1945 to sink German U-boats that were believed to be approaching the United States east coast armed with V-1 flying bombs. Two large U.S. Navy anti-submarine warfare task forces succeeded in...
, to find and destroy the Seewolf boats.
This was successful;
Of the 5 boats in American waters by April ( 2 boats had returned to base for repairs, and were still in transit at the end of April)
4 boats were sunk during the month:
Seewolf boats had one success; U-546 sank USS Frederick C. Davis
USS Frederick C. Davis (DE-136)
The USS Frederick C. Davis was an Edsall-class destroyer escort built for the United States Navy during World War II. Named for Ensign Frederick Curtice Davis , she was the first U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name.Frederick C...
, shortly before she herself was sunk.
The fifth boat U-881
German submarine U-881
German submarine U-881 was a Type IXC/40 U-boat built for and operated by the Kriegsmarine during World War II. The ship was ordered on 26 April 1942, laid down on 7 August 1943, and launched on 4 March 1944. She was commissioned into the Kriegsmarine under the command of Kplt. Dr. Karl-Heinz...
was detected and destroyed on 6 May 1945, the last boat in American waters to be destroyed
Actions of 5/6 May 1945
The last actions of the Battle of the Atlantic in American waters took place on 5/6 May 1945.There were two such actions, against U-853 off the Rhode Island coast, and U 881, south of Cape Race, both sunk during the same period.-Background:...
.
The 2 boats in transit when Germany surrendered
End of World War II in Europe
The final battles of the European Theatre of World War II as well as the German surrender to the Western Allies and the Soviet Union took place in late April and early May 1945.-Timeline of surrenders and deaths:...
were given up to the USN on 8 May 1945.
U-boats involved
- U-518
- U-546German submarine U-546German submarine U-546 was a Type IXC/40 U-boat operated by the German Kriegsmarine during World War II. U-546 was responsible for the last combat sinking of a United States Navy vessel in the Atlantic Theatre, during Operation Teardrop, under the command of Kapitänleutnant Paul Just.-Service...
- U-805
- U-858
- U-880
- U-881German submarine U-881German submarine U-881 was a Type IXC/40 U-boat built for and operated by the Kriegsmarine during World War II. The ship was ordered on 26 April 1942, laid down on 7 August 1943, and launched on 4 March 1944. She was commissioned into the Kriegsmarine under the command of Kplt. Dr. Karl-Heinz...
- U-1235