Wolfpack Leuthen


Leuthen was the given name to a wolfpack of German U-boats that operated during the World War II Battle of the Atlantic in 1943 from 15 September 1943 to 24 September 1943

Service history

Leuthen was formed in September 1943 and was established to renew the attack on the North Atlantic route.
Following the defeats of May 1943, and the devastating losses incurred by the U-boat Arm then, Admiral Dönitz had withdrawn from attacks on the North Atlantic route while awaiting tactical and technical improvements.
By September 1943 these were ready.
Leuthen operated against convoys ONS 18 and ON 202, which were travelling together; U-boats from Leuthen sank 6 ships of and 3 escorts in this battle, but lost 3 boats destroyed, and 3 forced to return with damage, in attacks by aircraft and surface vessels.
Leuthen was disbanded after this assault, at the end of September; of the remaining 15 boats, 3 returned to base and 12 formed the core of a new patrol line, code-named Rossbach.

Raiding History

DateU-boatCommanderName of shipNationalityTonsConvoyFate
20 September 1943Horst HeppFrederick Douglass7,176ON-202Damaged
20 September 1943Otto FerroFrederick Douglass7,176ON-202Sunk
20 September 1943Rudolf Bahr1,190ON-202Sunk
20 September 1943Paul-Friedrich Otto1,370ON-202Total loss
20 September 1943Horst HeppTheodore Dwight Weld7,176ON-202Sunk
21 September 1943Oskar Curio925ON-202Sunk
23 September 1943Horst HeppFort Jemseg7,134ON-202Sunk
23 September 1943Herbert Engel1,370ON-202Sunk
23 September 1943Oskar CurioJames Gordon Bennett7,176ON-202Damaged
23 September 1943Horst HeppOregon Express3,642ON-202Sunk
23 September 1943Horst HeppSkjelbred5,096ON-202Sunk
23 September 1943Oskar CurioSteel Voyager6,198ON-202Sunk

U-boats

The name

The name "Leuthen" was a reference to the battle of Leuthen fought by Frederick the Great during the Seven Years' War.