U-1

Type

IIA

 
Ordered2 Feb 1935
Laid down 11 Feb 1935 Deutsche Werke AG, Kiel (werk 236)
Launched15 Jun 1935
Commissioned29 Jun 1935Kptlt. Klaus Ewerth
Commanders
29 Jun 1935 - 30 Sep 1936   Klaus Ewerth
1 Oct 1936 - 2 Feb 1938  Kptlt. Alexander Gelhaar
29 Oct 1938 - 6 Apr 1940  KrvKpt. Jürgen Deecke
Career2 patrols 1 Jul 1935 - 1 Sep 1939  U-Bootschulflottille (school boat)
1 Sep 1939 - 1 Feb 1940  U-Bootschulflottille (school boat)
1 Mar 1940 - 6 Apr 1940  U-Bootschulflottille (front boat)
SuccessesNo ships sunk or damaged
Fate

The boat was lost around 6 April, 1940 in the North Sea, probably to a British mine in the mine barrage Field No 7. 24 dead (all hands lost).

View the 2 war patrols

Mine barrage Field No 7 was laid by the destroyers HMS Express, HMS Esk, HMS Icarus and HMS Impulsive in the North Sea on 3 March, 1940. It probably accounted for several U-boats on their inbound or return journey.

Another explanation is that she was sunk by a mine laid by the British submarine HMS Narwhal in position 54.37N, 03.35E.

Previously recorded fate
(Last revised by FDS/NHB during December 1993. More on revised fates.

It was believed that U-1 was sunk on 16 April, 1940 in the North Sea southwest of Stavanger, Norway, in position 58.18N, 05.47E, by a torpedo from the British submarine HMS Porpoise. But this attack was against U-3, which escaped unharmed.

Men lost from U-boats

Unlike many other U-boats, which during their service lost men due to accidents and various other causes, U-1 did not suffer any casualties (we know of) until the time of her loss.



U-Boat Operations of the Second World War - Vol 2
Wynn, Kenneth


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Books dealing with this subject include:

German Submarines. Lenton, H.T., 1965.
German U-Boat Losses During World War II. Niestle, Axel, 1998.
Hitler's U-boat War. Blair, Clay, 1996.
Hitler's U-boat War, Vol II. Blair, Clay, 1998.
U-Boat Operations of the Second World War - Vol 1. Wynn, Kenneth, 1998.
U-Boat Operations of the Second World War - Vol 2. Wynn, Kenneth, 1998.
Der U-Bootkrieg 1939-1945 (Band 1). Busch, Rainer and Röll, Hans Joachim, 1996. (transl.)


There was another U-1 in World War One
That boat was launched from its shipyard on 4 Aug 1909 and commissioned into the Imperial Navy on 14 Dec 1906. The Naval war in WWI was brought to an end with the Armistice signed on 11 Nov, 1918. Read about the U 1 during WWI.


Related page:
U-boats Missing in Action.