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 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defeats of May 1943, and the devastating losses incurred by the U-boat Arm (U-Bootwaffe, UBW) then, Admiral Dönitz had withdrawn from attacks on the North Atlantic route while awaiting tactical and technical improvements.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 ( U-229, U-338, and U-341) 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
Date U-boat Commander Name of ship Nationality Tons Convoy Fate20 September 1943Horst HeppFrederick Douglass7,176ON 202Damaged20 September 1943Otto Ferro Frederick Douglass7,176ON 202Sunk20 September 1943Rudolf Bahr1,190ON 202Sunk20 September 1943Paul-Friedrich Otto 1,370ON 202Total loss20 September 1943Horst HeppTheodore Dwight Weld7,176ON 202Sunk21 September 1943Oskar Curio925ON 202Sunk23 September 1943Horst HeppFort Jemseg7,134ON 202Sunk23 September 1943Herbert Engel1,370ON 202Sunk23 September 1943Oskar CurioJames Gordon Bennett7,176ON 202Damaged23 September 1943Horst HeppOregon Express3,642ON 202Sunk23 September 1943Horst HeppSkjelbred5,096ON 202Sunk23 September 1943Oskar CurioSteel Voyager6,198ON 202Sunk
U-boats U-boat Commander From To NotesRobert Schetelig15 September 194323 September 1943Destroyed; depth-charge, gunfire and ramming by HMS KeppelHorst Hepp15 September 194324 September 1943Returned to baseHubertus Purkhold15 September 194324 September 1943to group RossbachPaul-Friedrich Otto15 September 194323 September 1943Returned to baseHelmut Bork15 September 194324 September 1943to group RossbachRudolf Bahr15 September 194324 September 1943to group RossbachManfred Kinzel15 September 194320 September 1943Destroyed; Liberator F/120Sqdn, HMCS DrumhellerDietrich Epp15 September 194319 September 1943Destroyed; depth-charge by Liberator A/10Sqdn RCAFGerhard Kluth15 September 194322 September 1943Returned to baseErich Mäder15 September 194324 September 1943to group RossbachFritz Albrecht15 September 194321 September 1943Returned to baseSiegfried von Forstner15 September 194324 September 1943to group RossbachWolfgang Poeschel15 September 194324 September 1943Returned to base; destroyed en route 4 October 1943Joachim Deecke15 September 194324 September 1943to group RossbachRudolf Baltz15 September 194324 September 1943to group RossbachHorst Rendtel15 September 194324 September 1943to group RossbachOtto Ferro15 September 194324 September 1943to group RossbachHerbert Engel15 September 194324 September 1943to group RossbachWerner Techand15 September 194324 September 1943to group RossbachHelmut Manseck15 September 194324 September 1943to group RossbachOskar Curio15 September 194324 September 1943to group Rossbach
The name The name "Leuthen" was a reference to the battle of Leuthen fought by Frederick the Great during the Seven Years' War.
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