S-Boats in the Kriegsmarine 1935 - 1945

War-Zones of the S-Boats

Mediterranean Sea 1941

The war at sea in the Mediterranean Sea took an unfavourable course for the Axis-Powers. Since the captured Jugoslavian warships (four destroyers, two submarines, six S-boats, one minelayer, and six minesweepers) had been claimed by Italy, the German Naval Warfare Leadership (Seekriegführung) saw only one way, to transfer vessels to the Mediterranean Sea, which could be transferred via the rivers and channels. Otherwise only submarines could get into the Mediterranean Sea via the Strait of Gibraltar.

SKL (Seekriegsleitung = Naval Warfare Command) informed the OKW  (Oberkommando der Wehrmacht = Supreme Command of the Armed Forces) on 05.08.1941 about its intention to transfer one flotilla S-boats and one flottilla  fast minesweepers in accordance with the "Führerweisung" (Directive by the Leader) after the end of the Baltic Sea operations to the Mediterranean Sea. The amount of time needed for shipyard overhaul, passage from Rotterdam via Rhein, Rhine-Rhône-Canal and Rhône to La Spezia was estimated with 2 ½ to 3 months. Chosen were the 3. SFltl (Kptlt. Kemnade) and the 6. R-flotilla. Decisive for the choise of the 3. S-Flotilla was the size of the boats of type "S 30", since for the locks of the Rhine-Rhône-Channel were too short and too narrow (38,5 x 5,05 m) for other types of boats. The 3. SFltl was to serve for the "direct and indirect protection of the transport lane Sicily/Tripolis and operations along the Northafrican coast". 

With a sortie of "S 54" and "S 33" from  von Windau the 3. SFltl ended its operations in the Baltic Sea during the night September 22nd/23rd 1941. The two boats transferred together with tender "Adolf Lüderitz" to Swinemünde. The other boats of the flotilla transferred after escorting battleship "Tirpitz" and the heavy cruiser "Admiral Scheer" to Wilhelmshaven, where the flotilla with tender moored on September 28th 1941. 

The French state leader (Marschall Petain) consented with the transfer of the S- and the R-flotilla to the Mediterranean Sea and so the first group with "S 33" (Oblt.z.S. Karl-Heinz Stolzenburg), "S 31" (Llt.z.S. Heinz Haag), "S 34" (Oblt.z.S. Erwin Lüders), "S 61" (Oblt.z.S. Axel von Gernet), and S "35" (Lt.z.S. Horst Weber) transferred to Rotterdam, were it moored on October 8th 1941 in the S-boat-bunker. On 09.10.1941 the transfer of  the boats "S 61", "S 31", and "S 35"  up the river Rhine began. On October 12th 1941 the boats secured at Mannheim, on October 14th 1941 Strasbourg was reached. There the tanks in the rear of the boats were emptied and the collision-spaces were flooded so that the boats were nose-heavy in order to get the propellers through the channels undamaged. 

Black Boats for the Transfer to the Mediterranean Sea - Picture: Archives Förderverein

With this Lowwater only Punting helps - Picture: Archives Förderverein

French Liason-Officer - Picture: Archives Förderverein

All are wearing "civilian" Dress - Picture: Archives Förderverein

She does not look like a Man of War -Picture: Archives Förderverein

The first five Boat in a Lock - Picture: Archives Förderverein

Transfer on the Rhône-River - Picture: Archives R. Krokowski

Installation of the Torpedotubes at La Spazia - Picture: Archives R. Krokowski

Precise Installation of the Tubes is necessary - Picture: Archives R. Krokowski

Officers of the 3. SFltl 1941 with italian Officers at La Spezia, from left: Oblt.z.S. Lüders, Lt.z.S. Haag, Oblt.z.S. Stolzenburg, Lt.z.S. Weber, Kptlt. Kemnade (civilian), Oblt.z.S. von Gernet und Oblt.z.S. (Ing.) Bielitzer - Picture: Archives Oblt.z.S. a.D. Backhaus

 On November 21th 1941 Tenente der Vascello (Kptlt.) reported with his two assistants, Sotto Tenentes Mario Barone (son of Adm. Barone) and de Tomasi. The three officers co-operated distinctly with the flotilla in preparation of the later S-boat-bases at Augusta and Porto Empedocle.

On November 28th 1941 they transferred to Gaeta. Bad weather stopped them there for two days. Then the boats were transferred to Augusta on the eastcoast of Sicily were they arrived on December 1st 1941. Augusta was a warship harbour of the Italian navy, which should serve as base for the boats. 

How much value Italy saw in the dispatching of German S-boats to the Mediterranean, can be seen in the fact, that the Italian King, Victor Emanuel III., visited the 3. SFltl already on December 3rd 1941 and inspected the assembled crews of the boats.

The Italian King visiting the 3. SFltl - Picture from Kemnade: "Die Afrikaflottille"

"S 59" and an unknown S-boat at Augusta 1942 - Picture: Archives 5. SGschw

The operation of the 3. SFltl with five boats during the night December 12th/13th 1941 was directed against Malta, which was a permanent threat for the supply transport to Northafrica. The air reconaissance had reported cruisers and destroyers in the harbour of La Valetta. The operation of the folotilla was without results since the British units did not leave harbour.

During the next night another resultless operation with four boats was conducted against Malta, no targets came into sight. Since it appeared the no ships were entering or leaving harbour at night the commander 3. SFltl proposed to lay mines off La Valetta. During the night December 16th/17th 1941 a minebarrier consisting was laid by "S 33", "S 35", "S 61", and "S 31", carrying three TMA, one UMA and four blasting-buoys and one ripping-buoy each, outside the harbour. After three days of heavy weather the flotilla laid a joining barrier during the night 21./22.12.1941, in the night thereafter another one and in the night 25./26.12.1941 with two boats (one boat of the original three boats had to return due to engine failure) another one.