1st U-boat Flotilla
| 1. Unterseebootsflottille | |
|---|---|
| Active | Raised 1935, Dissolved 1944 |
| Country | Nazi Germany |
| Branch | Kriegsmarine |
| Type | U-boat flottilla |
| Garrison/HQ | Kiel, Brest |
| Nickname(s) | Unterseebootsflottille Weddigen |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Fregattenkapitän Karl Dönitz |
1. Unterseebootsflottille (also known as Unterseebootsflottille Weddigen) was the first operational U-boat unit in the German Kriegsmarine. Founded on 27 September 1935 under the command of Fregattenkapitän Karl Dönitz[1] , it was named in honour 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 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 to 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
| Duration | Commander |
|---|---|
| September 1935 – December 1935 | Kpt. z. S. Karl Dönitz |
| January 1936 – September 1937 | Kpt. z. S. Loycke |
| October 1937 – September 1939 | Kptlt. Hans-Güther Looff |
| September 1939 – October 1940 | Korvkpt. Hans Eckermann |
| November 1940 – February 1942 | Korvkpt. Hans Cohausz |
| February 1942 – July 1942 | Kptlt. Heinz Buchholz |
| July 1942 – September 1944 | Korvkpt. Werner Winter |
Notes
- ^ 1. Unterseebootsflottille. Uboatnet.de. Retrieved July 21 2006.
- ^ 1st Flotilla. Uboat.net. Retrieved July 21 2006.
- ^ Gordon Williamson. Wolf Pack: The Story of the U-Boat in World War II, Osprey Publishing, 2005. ISBN 1-84176-872-3
External links
- uboat.net – comprehensive website dedicated to U-boat history.
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