Die Schnellboot-Seite
S-Boats in the Kriegsmarine 1935 - 1945
War-Zones of the S-Boats
Baltic Sea 1945
The 1. S-School-Flotilla transferred in January 1945 with "S 62" (Oblt.z.s. Hermann Rost), "S 79" (Oblt.z.S. Herbert Zeiler), "S 90" (Lt.z.S. Gärbers, and "S 133" (Lt.z.S. Günter Schiersmann) with tender "Adolf Lüderitz" to Kristiansand. "S 89" (Oblt.z.s. Jasper Osterloh) stayed KB at Swinemünde, "S 109" (Lt.z.S.d.Res Kopperneck) was getting new propellers at Stettin. The flotilla as "Einsatzgruppe Egersund" was to stay at immediate readiness in all nights other than nights with no German traffic between Kristiansand and Stavanger and nights not permitting S-boat-actions.
At the same time four boats ("S 24", "S 25", "S 105" and "S 118" transferred to Copenhagen. The school-boats "S 97", "S 107", "S 108", "S 113", "S 115", "S 122,m "S 123" and "S 68" stayed at Swinemünde. "S 21", "S 22", "S 50" "S 101", "S 103", "S 95" "S 120" and "S 82" was for different reasons in the shipyard at Stettin (Szczecin).
The newly formed 1. SFltl (Korv.Kpt. Büchting) had been provided with the newly built "S 225" (Oblt.z.S. Behrens), "S 707" (Oblt.z.S. Neumeier), and "S 216" (Kptlt. Seevers) at the outset of the new year. In January 1945 followed "S 708" (Obl.z.S. Karl Silies), "S 218" (Oblt.z.S. Günther Lutherer), and "S 217" (Oblt.z.S. von Dülong). In March followed "S 226" (Lt.z.S. d.Res. v. Glasenapp).
In the evening of the March 6th 1945 Saßnitz became target of a RAF air attack, 191 Lancaster-bombers and seven Misquitos attacked harbour and roads. On the roads the destroyer "Z 28", the subchasers "UJ 1109" and "UJ 1119" were sunk, the fully engaged hospital transport ship "Robert Möhring" burned out. Also the base installations of the 11. SFltl were hit by bombs, the Fltlt-Ing and an administrations officer were killed. The attack caused totally more than 500 dead and 300 wounded.
Early March the first boats of the 1. SFltl were fully trained and "S 707", "S 218", "S 216", and "S 225" transferred from Kiel via Gjedser to Saßnitz on 12.03.1945. On March 18th 1945 "S 217", "S 708", and "S 226" (Lt.z.S.d.Res. von Glasenapp) folowed.
On March 18th 1945 a pair ("S 64" and "S 81") of the 2. S-School-Fltl was on a patrol off Libau (Liebája). It bumped into a group of Soviet S-boats. "TK-66" was sunk in gun fight. "TK-195" was damaged.
On March 22nd 1945 "S 216" and "S 218" brought Gen.Adm. Kummetz, Kpt.z.S. Junge, Kpt.z.S. Liebeschütz, Freg.Kpt. Dominik, and Freg.Kpt. Heydel to Hela (Hel). En route they were joined by "S 217", "S 226", and "S 225". At Hela (Hel) additionally Adm. Buchardi embarked for the voyage to Pillau (Baltijsk).
On March 25th 1945 engine problems occurred on "S 216", "S 708", and "S 217" which could only be solved at a shipyard, therefore, from the 1. SFltl only "S 707" and "S 218" were ready for action.
On the German side the remaining bigger warships were used as floating artillery of the army. Therefore, the war at sea was left to the few S-, U-, and R-boats.
The Soviet Baltic Fleet consisted of:
| Battleship | 1 |
| Cruiser | 2 |
| Destroyer | 12 |
| Coastdefence Ships (T-Boats) | 5 |
| Submarines | 28 |
| S-boats | 78 |
| Minesweepers | 73 |
| Small Minesweepers | 204 |
| Armoured Boats | 47 |
The Maritme Aircraft of the Baltic Fleet were at its disposal:
| Fighter Aircraft |
365 |
| Torpedo Aircraft | 87 |
| Bombers | 74 |
| Ground Attack Aircraft | 176 |
| Recce Aircraft | 66 |
| Artillery Support Aircraft | 13 |
On March 27th 1945 the boats "S 64" (ObStrm. Deckert), "S 69" (Lt.z.S. Runge), and "S 81" (Oblt.z.S. Wülflng) of the 2. S-School-Fltl patrolled west of Libau (Liepája). In the course thereof they bumped into nine Soviet S-boats. In a gun fight "TK-166" and "TK-181" were sunk. "S 64" captured the damaged "TK-199". An attempt to tow it failed. 11 men were rescued. Besides of that "TK-16", "TK-60", "TK-136", and "TK-200" were damaged.
On March 30th 1945 "S 707" and "S 217" got the order to torpedo the battleship "Gneisenau" having been sat on ground on March 27th 1945 off Gotenhafen (Gdynia), since the battle mast was used as a artillery observation platform by the Soviets. The effect of the torpedohits on the battle mast were equal to zero.
End of March 1945 the new boats of the 1. SFltl after rectification of shortcomings were ready for action. The flotilla transferred with seven boats ("S 216", "S 217", "S 218", "S 225", "S 226", "S 707" und "S 708") in thick fog to Hela (Hel) on April 6th 1945 with the installed FuMG (Radar) permitting a perfect navigation.
The harbour of Hela was already under fire of Soviet artillery. The auxiliary "Franken" and the submarinechaser "UJ-301" were sunk on April 8th 1945. The 1. SFltl rescued 98 survivors.
The 5. SFltl (Kptlt. Holzapfel) having been withdrawn from the Baltic in December 1944 got the order on April 2nd 1945 at Den Helder to transfer via Kiel to Swinemünde (Świnoujście) . Main base of the flotilla became Laboe by order of the Admiral Western Baltic (Admiral Westliche Ostsee) but the flotilla was ordered to transfer to Rønne/Bornholm.
On April 9th 1945 occurred four air attacks against the harbour of Hela (Hel). The S-boats could avoid the attack by alarm-start. M/S "Albert Jensen" fully occupied by refugees was hit, "S 707" and "S 225" went alongside and took over the survivors. Shortly thereafter the ship sank. "S 226" was damaged by fragments. The Flak on "S 216" fell out because of a barrel explosion.
"S 216" went into the shipyard at Swinemünde until April 19th 1945 for installation of a new 3,7-cm-gun and towed thereafter a new built S-boat to Saßnitz ("S 710"?). "S 226" went also into the shipyard and did not return to the flotilla.
During the night April 9th/10th 1945 "S 708" and "S 225" operated off Gotenhafen (Gdynia). They sank erroniously the little steamer "Neuwerk", which had not answered an identification request, by torpedo with 13 crew, 854 wounded, 60 railwaymen, 7 orderlies, and about 100 refugees on bord. Only 78 persons could be rescued by a S-boat.
On April 15th 1945 the 5. SFltl entered Rønnne/Bornholm with seven boats. At this point in time it consisted of "S 48" ((Lt.z.S.d.Res. Rudolf Schepers), "S 67" (Lt.z.S. Heiko Buddeke), "S 85" (lt.z.S. Hans-Ludwig Reimers), "S 92" (Oblt.z.S. Fritz Schey), "S 98" Lt.z.S. HEinrich Horkisch), "S 65" (Oblt.z.S. Hans Schmölzer , "S 127" (Oblt.z.S. Hinrich Ahrens), and "S 132" (Lt.z.S. Heinz Deppe)
.On April 30th 1945 High Command of the Navy (Oberkommando der Marine - OKM) issued a message concerning selfdestruction of warships. In it it was ordered that upon codeword "Regenbogen" all ships of the line, cruisers, destroyers, torpedoboyts of newer build, S-boats and U-boats were to be scuttled resp. selfdestructed, on all other ships the weapons had to be destroyed, craft which were to be used in civilian context or in minesweeping service were to be maintained. Codeword "Regenbogen" can be ordered for single areas.
Order of OKM "Regenbogen" - Kirchspielarchiv Steinberg
On May 1st 1945 "S 216", "S 208", and "S 217" entered Rønne. On 04.05.1945 "S 216" and "S 217" sailed to Hela, took over Vizeadmiral Thiele and brought him to Libau (Liepāja).
In the meantime the 5. SFltl had performed several voyages to the Pommeranian coast and to Rügen, to take over blocked off troops.
On May 3rd 1945 boat "S 201" after a British airattack on Kiel was scuttled in the harbour of Kiel.
The same day "S 226" and "S 170" were on march from Travemünde to Flensburg when they were attacked several times by Typhoon fighterbombers. The commanding officer "S 226" (Lt.z.S.d.Res. von Glasenapp) decided to scuttle his boat near Heiligenhafen while the commanding officer of "S 170" (Lt.z.S. d.Res. Arnhardt) tried to leave the scene with maximum speed and firing from all barrels. The whereabouts of the boat are not clear. It is likely that at sank approx. 2 miles northwest of Kelds Nor/Langeland (in this position a wreck of a boat type 38 or 100 has been located).
On May 4th
1945
"S 103" (Oblt.z.S. Heckel) of the 3.
S-SchulFltl at Svendborg had received orders to reconnoitre whether the
British had already come to Flensburg. He left harbour with a totally
inexpirenced crew and was attacked by British Typhoon-fighterbombers
of RAF Squadron 193 with rocketbombs and had to take two direct hits. The
boat sank at position 54o
The same day "S 18" was sunk by British fighterbombers off the island Omø.
On May 4th 1945 High Command of the Armed Forces (Oberkommando der Wehrmacht - OKW) ordered that from 05.05.1945 08.00 armistice against the troops of Field Marschal Mongomery will be in force. Troops have to stay in their positions. Transport movements of the Kriegsmarine at sea shall be continued. No selfdestructions, scuttlings, or demonstrations are to be carried out. Obedience and disciplin are to be maintained with iron strength.
Order of OKW of 04.05.1945 - Kirchspielarchiv Steinberg
From a report of Oblt.z.S. a.D. Gunnar Kelm, at that time commanding officer of "S 305", it is known that boats "S 191" (Kptlt. Horst Weber) and "S 301" (Lt.z.S. d.Res. Benja) were attacked from the air at the east-entrance of Femern Sound on May 5th 1945. The boats were severely damaged and the commanding officers decided to scuttle their boats. Probably that happened already the day before 1945 because on May 5th 1945 no air attacks were carried out by the British. In the war diary of OKM the boats were noted as missed since May 3rd 1945. In the fighting reports of RAF Squadron 193 attacks against 17 boats thereamoung S-boats off Femern on May 4th 1945 are stated.
On May 6th 1945 "216" and "S 707" brought Vizeadmiral Thiele back to Hela (Hel).
S-Boats in the harbour of Røne/Bornholm early May 1945 - Picture: Henry Pedersen
On May 5th 1945 in Rønne the German capitulation in the western area became known.
Thereupon agreed the commander of the 5. SFltl and the CO of torpedoboat "T 28" to leave to the west in the night to the May 6th 1945, to land the crews and to scuttle the boats. However, "T 28" got the order to take part in the evacuation of the peninsula Hela. The commander of the 5. SFltl decided to take part in the evacuation of Kurland. At the muster of the crews he requested from everybody to step forward if they did not want to take part and to stay with the staff. Nobody stepped forward. The march of the seven ready for sea boats "S 127", "S 65", "S 67", "S 85", "S 92", "S 98", and"S 48" to Libau (Liepája) passed without incidents. The flotilla entered harbour in the morning of the May 7th 1945. It was welcomed by the commander of the 2. S-School-Fltl, Kptlt. H.H. Klose. Also the 1. SFltl was moored in the harbour.
In the early morning of the May 5th 1945 the U-boats anchored in Gelting Bay received the codeword "Regenbogen", which before the part-capitulation became binding at 08.00 resulted in the U-boats to scuttle. For the S-boats and tenders the order did not apply.
The eye-witness Hans-Niko Diederichsen reported, that in the morning of the May 5th 1945 when he wanted to look what the reason was for the explosions in the bight he observed that only the S-boats and their tenders and some minesweepers still were there, the U-boats had disappeared. On the beach of Norgaardholz a S-boat had stranded. Our researches proved that it was "S 108". The people living close to the bight started soon to canibalize the boat, the deck and hull were used as firewood. The remains were removed in 1948 when clearing the bight from wracks was started.
"S 108" stranded at Norgaardholz - Picture: Walter Schöppe (Kirchspielarchiv Steinberg)
Obviously the only keepsake of "S 108" is the middle section of a torpedo-tube which has been salvaged from Flensburg Fjord by divers.
Middle-Section of a Torpedotube from "S 108" - Picture: K. Scheuch
Also on May 5th 1945 "S 65" (Kptlt. Detlefsen, Fltl-Commander) and "S 68" (OFhr.z.S. Lohse) of the 3. S-School-Fltl stopped minesweeper "M 612" at the entrance to the Flensburg Fjord, the complement of which had mutinied when they heard that they were to go to Reval (Tallinn) to save soldiers of the army. They were under way to Flensburg instead. The S-boats threatened to fire torpedoes and boarded the boat. The boats authorities were freed and the mutineers were arrested. The boat was accompanied to Sønderborg where the 11 mutineers were court-martialed, sentenced to death and executed on board a ship in the Alsensund. At Sønderborg/Alsen a memorial stone for the mutineers was erected on September 9th 2020.
Bi-lingual Memorial Stone for the Executed of "M 612" at Sønderburg/Alsen - Picture: Rudi Hansen
May 6th 1945 an unknown boat was scuttled about 2 miles northwest of Rødbyhavn/Laaland after it had been attacked by fighterbombers. The survivors (19 of 23 men) went ashore under command of the commanding officer with the undamaged livesaving equipment at Kramnitze and reported at the Nakskov police station.
On May 7th 1945 tenders "Tanga" and "Buea" and the 3. S-School-Fltl transferred from Svendborg to Gelting Bight. Here were already tender "Hermann von Wissmann" and the remaining boats of the 8., the 9. and the 10. SFltl.
On May 8th 1945 the complements of the boats of the 8., 9. 10. Schnellbootsflotillas and of the 3. Schnellbootsschoolflotilla as well as the tenders and "S 306" of the 1. SFltl, which had been commissioned on 11.04.1945, gathered in the Gelting Bay, fell in for a lasts muster. The F.d.S., Kommodore Petersen, on board "Hermann von Wissmann" remembered of the successes achieved and the losses suffered, commemmorated the killed in action and remenbered to keep op order and diszipline. Then the flags were hauled down in a ceremony. The command-sign remained flying.
Muster in the Gelting Bay May 8th 1945 - Picture: H.F. Nitsche (Kirchspielarchiv Steinberg)
Muster in the Gelting Bay May 8th 1945 - Picture: Walter Schöppe (Kirchspielarchiv Steinberg)
In the morning of the May 8th 1945 the boats of the 1. SFltl, the 5. SFltl and the 2. S-SchulfFltl initially took 100 army soldiers on board each, when ceasefire was ordered the S-boats enlarged the number of soldiers to be transported to 165. In the evening minesweepers and small minesweepers, harbour defence boats, tugs, coasters, and tender "Tsingtau" left harbour with approximately 14.400 soldiers on board, alone "Tsingtau" transporting 2.000 wounded. After nightfall the 1. SFltl with "S 208", "S 216", "S 217", "S 218", "S 225", "S 707", and "S 707" the 5. SFltl with "S 48", "S 65", "S 67", "S 85", "S 92", "S 98", "S 127", and "S 132" and the 2. S-School-Fltl with "S 64", "S 69", "S 76", "S 81", "S 83", "S 99", "S 117", and "S 135". The 23 boats had totally about 2.000 army soldiers on board. Left behind was the mayority of the Kurland-Army: 42 generals, 8038 officers, 181.032 petty officers and ratings as well as 14.000 Latvian volunteers became Soviet POWs.
On May 9th 1945 the last court-martial of the S-boat-forces took place against the deserters of the S-Boat-School-Divison, Matrose Fritz Wehrmann, Obergefreiter Martin Schilling, Marinefunker Alfred Gail and Matrose Kurt Schwalenberg, on bord "Buea" ancored in Gelting Bay. The thre defendants, Wehrmann, Schilling und Gail were sentenced to death, Matrose Schwalenberg as a fellow traveller to a long enprisonment.
The 19 S-boats of the so called "Kurland-Flotillas" (1. SFltl, 5. SFltl, 2. S-School-Fltl) entered Gelting Bight without incidents in the evening of the May 9th 1945.
"S 216" (Kptlt. Seevers) had stayed behind at Hela (Hel). He took 99 soldiers on board and left harbour together with two small minesweepers. They escorted the ex-passenger-ship "Rugard" with 1300 people on board on her way to the west for a time. In the afternoon of the May 9th 1945 about 35 groud attack aircraft attacked a convoy of war fishery boats west of Christiansø. Some pairs also attacked "S 216" with bombs, rockets and machine guns. One bomb penetrated the forecastle without detonating. On board there were two men killed in action, 13 severely wounded and seven slightly wounded among the embarked soldiers. On May 10th 1945 the boat moored at Kappeln/Schlei and disembarked the killed and the unharmed soldiers then the boat continued to Schlewig to disembark the wounded.
The base personnel of the 5. SFltl having remained on the island Bornholm chartered two fishing kutters with owners and could thus arrive at the Bight of Gelting.
During the last days of war another seven boats were lost by enemy actions:
| Date | Boat | CO | Lost by |
| 03.05.1945 | S 201 | Lt.z.S. (KRO) Kohrt | Air attack at Kiell |
| 03.05.1945 | S 226 | Lt.z.S.d.R. v. Glasenapp | Scuttled north of Heiligenhafen |
| 03.05.1945 | S 170 | Lt.z.S.d.R. Arnhardt | Sunken off Bagenkop/Langeland |
| 04.05.1945 | S 103 | Oblt.z.S. Heckel | Sunken after hits by rocket bombs off Mommark |
| 04.05.1945 | S 191 | Kptlt. Weber | Scuttled after collision in Sound of Femern |
| 04.05.1945 | S 301 | Lt.z.S. Benja | Scuttled after collision in Sound of Femern |
| 05.05.1945 | Herold ex S 18 | ? | Bomb-hit north of Laaland |
| 06.05.1945 | unkn. S-Boat Type S100 | ? | Scutled after hit by bomb off Rødby Havn/Laaland |
The RAF did not fly any attacks after May 5th 1945 08.00 lct., so the last two attacks must have been performed by Soviet aircraft.
After the German capitulation and arrival of the boats from Kurland, the tenders "Hermann von Wissmann", "Tanga", "Tsingtau", "Carl Peters", and "Buea" and 50 S-boats were laying in the Bight of Gelting:
| 1. SFltl | S 208, S 216, S 217, S 218, S 225, S 707, S 708, S 306 |
| 5. SFltl | S 48, S 65, S 67, S 85, S 92, S 98, S 127, S 132 |
| 8. SFltl | S 196 |
| 9. SFltl | S 227 |
| 10. SFltl | S 110, S 215, S 228, S 305 |
| 2. S-School-Fltl | S 64, S 69, S 76, S 81, S 83, S 99, S 117, S 135 |
| 3. S-School-Fltl | S 19, S 20, S 21, S 24, S 25, S 50, S 68, S 82, S 95, S 97, S 101, S 105, S 107, S 108, S 113, S 115, S 118, S 120, S 122, S 123 |
On May 10th 1945 at 16.00 the three ratings of the Schnellboat-School-Division sentenced to death, Matrose Fritz Wehrmann, Obergefreiter Martin Schilling and Marinefunker Alfred Gail, were executed by a firing squad on the quarterdeck of "Buea". A memorial stone was devoted to them in Fischer-Lietzow-Weg at Norgaardholz on July 9th 1999.
Memorial Stone at Norgaardholz - Picture: Bernhard Asmussen
On May 10th 1945 the submariners that had stayed at farms in the vecinity were embarked in S-boats at the pier of Norgaardholz and transported to Flensburg where they were interned an had to stay in "camps" in Eiderstedt for some weeks.
Submariners are embarked in S-boats at Norgaardholz - Picture: Walter Schöppe (Kirchspielarchiv Steinberg)
On May 11th 1945 at 11.00 hours a last ceremonial colours was performed for the "Kurland-Flotillas" in the Bight of Gelting. The F.d.S., Kommodore Petersen, spoke from tender "Tsingtau" to the crews lined up on their boats of 1. SFltl, the 5. SFltl, and the 2. S-School-Fltl. With lowering of the flag the S-boat force had ended to exist.
The S-boat-crews traded fuel and other onboard-stores against food. Fuel was also transported with liquid manure cars. Thus both side were helped, the sailors had something to eat and the farmers had fuel for the next harvest.
Tenders, U-boats and S-boats supply people - Picture: Walter Schöppe (Kirchspielarchiv Steinberg)
On May 14th 1945 tender "Carl Peters" was lost when it by weighing anchor run into a mine and sank. The crew could leave the ship without losses by assistence of the S-boats.
A contemporary witness, the former Mech.ObGefr. (T) Erwin Heller, 95 years old and living at Bestwig/Sauerland, who in those days was sailing in a boat of the 3. S-Schul-Fltl, reported on October 22nd 2020 by telephone, that he, after the British had ordered that the boats had to be deserted, wanted to leave his seabag with a friend on "Carl Peters". When he was in the torpedo-spares-store with his friend at 03-level, an explosion occurred, the ship was shaked, the lights went out, and the ship started to list. His friend and he run toward the upper deck as fast as they could. The boat in which he sailed, the number of it he does not remember, was alongside and they went aboard at once. Shortly after the boat had cast off, "Carl Peters" sank and with her his seabag including his military passbook, what caused problems for him in British captivity again and again.
S-Boats rescueing the Crew of "Carl Peters" - Picture: Jupp Struppe (Kirchspielarchiv Steinberg)
The almost 50 S-boats were laying alongside their tenders in Kielseng Bight/Flensburg Fjord until they were transfered to Wilhelmshaven in Juli 1945. There they were, together with the boats that had been transfered there from other harbours, divided up by the Threepartite Naval Commission among the Allied, Great Britain, UdSSR, and USA.
"Hermann von Wissmann" and "Tsingtau" in the Bight of Kielseng/Flensburg Fjord - Picture: Archives G. Mikolajewicz