Submarine warfare in the Black Sea in World War II during 1943 involved engagements between submarines of the Soviet Black Sea Fleet attacking Axis merchantmen defended by Romanian and German naval warships, as well as and German U-boats attacking Soviet merchants on the eastern Black Sea. These engagements were a part of the Black Sea campaigns between Axis and Soviet naval forces.

Background As during the first 1941 campaign and the following year campaign, the Soviet Navy sent submarines against the Axis supply lines along the western coast of the Black Sea. Once again, Axis defenses primarily consisted of Romanian-laid fields of mines. At the beginning of the year the Soviet navy had 18 operable submarines (and 11 on refit), and organized them into "wolf packs" of groups of 3 with an attempted coordination with aircraft (though reports were often late). At first Soviet results were reduced due to effective German interception and the shallow drafts of many targets, however better results were scored after the summer with introduction of new torpedo fuses. John F. O'Connell, Submarine Operational Effectiveness in the 20th Century: Part Two (1939–1945), 2011, p. 200 German U-boats of the 30th U-boat Flotilla operated on the eastern site of the Black Sea, attacking Soviet targets.

Engagements On 13 February, the German submarine U-24 was attacked by 4 aircraft off Gelendzhik. 2 depth charges caused minor damage.U-19 on uboat.net On 31 March, the German submarine U-24 torpedoed and damaged the Soviet tanker "Kreml'" off Gagra.Kreml' on uboat.net On 20 April, the Soviet submarine S-33 torpedoed and sunk the Romanian merchant "Suceava" (6876 GRT).S-33 on uboat.net On 23 May, the Soviet submarine L-4 damaged the German landing craft F-329 off Yalta with gunfire, but it later was repaired.L-4 on uboat.net On 15 June, the German submarine U-24 torpedoed and sunk the Soviet minesweeper Tszcz-411 "Zashchitnik" (Fugas-class) off Sukhumi.BTSC-411 Zashchitnik (No 26) on uboat.net On 26 June, the German submarine U-20 attempted to attack a Soviet submarine chaser off Tuapse, but she received depth charges in return: further attacks by aircraft in the next four hours forced the submarine to stay submerged and eventually return to base after mechanical failures.U-20 on uboat.net On 18 July, the Soviet submarine M-111 torpedoed and sunk the Romanian barge "Dunarea-I" (505 GRT) off Fedosiya.M-111 on uboat.net On 22 July, the Soviet submarine L-4 sunk the Turkish sailing vessels "Hudayi Bahri" (29 GRT) and "Tayyari" (409 GRT) off the Bosporus with gunfire. On 23 July, the Soviet submarine L-4 sunk the Turkish sailing vessel "Gurpinar" (100 GRT) off the Bosporus with gunfire.L-4 on uboat.net On 30 July, the German submarine U-24 torpedoed (two hits) the Soviet tanker "Emba" (7886 GRT) while she was moored off Sukhumi Lighthouse as a stationary storeship (engine room was not operative after a previous Luftwaffe attack). The tanker was a total loss.Emba on uboat.net On 6 August, the Soviet submarine ShCh-216 torpedoed and damaged the German tanker "Friederike" (7327 GRT) off the Bosporus.ShCh-216 on uboat.net On 11 August, the Soviet submarine D-4 torpedoed and sunk the German merchant "Boy Federsen" (6686 GRT) off the Tarkhankut peninsula; the ship having already been torpedoed by aircraft on the previous day.D-4 on uboat.net On 20 August, the Soviet submarine D-4 torpedoed and sunk the Bulgarian merchant "Varna" (2141 GRT) off the Tarkhankut peninsula.D-4 on uboat.net On 22 August, the German submarine U-24 attacked the Soviet patrol boat SKA-0188 on surface with 20mm artillery. The patrol boat returned fire and dropped the lines of landing crafts DB-36 and DB-37 before escaping undamaged. U-24 sunk both the landing crafts with gunfire, hand grenades and demolition charges after taking 6 prisoners.D-37 on uboat.net On 24 August, the German submarine U-23 sunk on surface action the Soviet patrol boat "Shkval" with hand grenades and explosive charges.Shkval on uboat.net On 26 August, the Italian midget-submarine CB-4 torpedoed and sunk the Soviet submarine ShCh-203.ShCh-203 on uboat.net"Armando Sibille e il CB 4. L’affondamento del sommergibile sovietico Shch-203", marina.difesa.it, Eleonora Ricci On 28 August, the Soviet submarine M-111 torpedoed and sunk the German tug "Hainburg" (400 GRT) off Cape Lukull.M-111 on uboat.net On 29 August, the German submarine U-18 torpedoed and sunk Soviet minesweeper TSC-11 "Dzhalita" off Poti.TSC-11 Dzhalita on uboat.net On 30 August, the German submarine U-18 attacked and damaged the Soviet patrol boat SKA-0132 with 20mm gunfire but was forced to leave after floodlight from shore. On the same day, Soviet submarine ShCh-215 torpedoed and sunk the German merchant "Thisbé" (1782 GRT) off Bosporus.SKA-0132 on uboat.netShCh-215 on uboat.net On 10 October, the Soviet submarine A-2 torpedoed and sunk the German barge F-474 off Yalta.A-2 on uboat.net On 15 October, the German submarine U-23 torpedoed and damaged the Soviet minesweeper TSC-486 "Sovetskaja Rossija". The submarine had previously tried to attack a steamer that was part of the same convoy but was chased away by gunfire from the escort.TSC-486 Sovetskaja Rossija on uboat.net On 23 October, the German submarine U-23 torpedoed and sunk the Soviet merchant "Tanais" (372 GRT) at anchor off Poti.Tanais on uboat.net On 25 October, the Soviet submarine M-112 torpedoed and sunk the German barge "Tyra-5" (1278 GRT) off Ak Mechet.M-112 on uboat.net On 28 October, the Soviet submarine A-3 was sunk, most likely by German auxiliary anti-submarine ship Schiff 19 at Karkinit Bay A-3 on uboat.net On 31 October, the German submarine U-24 torpedoed and sunk the Soviet patrol boat SKA-088 off Gagra.SKA-088 on uboat.net On 2 November, the Soviet submarine M-35 torpedoed and sunk the German barge SNR-1293 off Ak Mechet.M-35 on uboat.net On 12 November, the Soviet submarine M-111 torpedoed and sunk the German merchant "Theoderich" (3814 GRT) off Cape Burnas.M-111 on uboat.net On 15 November, the Soviet submarine ShCh-215 torpedoed and sunk the German barge "F-592".ShCh-215 on uboat.net On 18 November, the German submarine U-18 torpedoed and damaged the Soviet tanker "Josif Stalin" (7745 GRT) off Sukhumi. The tanker was later moved to Batumi and repaired.Josif Stalin on uboat.net On 23 November, the Soviet submarine D-4 torpedoed and sunk the German merchant "Santa Fè" (4627 GRT) off Yevpatoriya. The ship was carrying materials for the German Army, including 12 StuG III assault guns.D-4 on uboat.netRobert Forczyk, Where the Iron Crosses Grow: The Crimea 1941–44, 2014 On 25 November, the Soviet submarine L-6 torpedoed and sunk the German tanker "Wolga-Don" (965 GRT) off the Crimean coast.L-6 on uboat.net On 29 November, the German submarine U-20 torpedoed the Soviet tanker "Peredovik" (1846 GRT) but the hit was a dud and the target suffered only a small hole in the hull.Peredovik on uboat.net After 1 December, the Soviet submarine D-4 was lost, most likely mined off the Crimea coast.D-4 on uboat.net On 2 December, the Soviet submarine ShCh-209 torpedoed and sunk the German barge F-566 off Yevpatoriya.ShCh-209 on uboat.net On 9 December, the Soviet submarine S-31 torpedoed and sunk the German barge F-580 off Ak-Mechet.S-31 on uboat.net

Outcome Soviet submarines have been estimated to have sunk 20 targets (34,000 GRT) while suffering less losses: a better result compared to the campaigns of 1941 and 1942.Spencer C. Tucker, World War II at Sea: An Encyclopedia, Volume 1, 2011, p. 113 This improvement forced the Germans to create a proper anti-submarine warfare unit: the 1. Unterseebootsjagdflottille, operating since June 1943 with 18 converted trawlers supported by BV-138 flying boats.Robert Forczyk, Where the Iron Crosses Grow: The Crimea 1941–44, 2014

See also Black Sea campaigns (1941–1944) Submarine warfare in the Black Sea campaigns (1941) Submarine warfare in the Black Sea campaigns (1942) Submarine warfare in the Black Sea campaigns (1944)

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