List of all U-boats

U-18

Type

IIB

 
Ordered2 Feb 1935
Laid down10 Jul 1935 F. Krupp Germaniawerft AG, Kiel (werk 548)
Launched7 Dec 1935
Commissioned4 Jan 1936Kptlt. Hans Pauckstadt
Commanders
4 Jan 1936 - 20 Nov 1936  Kptlt. Hans Pauckstadt
30 Sep 1937 - 31 Oct 1937  Kptlt. Heinz Beduhn
1 Nov 1937 - 24 Nov 1939  Kptlt. Max-Hermann Bauer
24 Nov 1939 - 2 Sep 1940  Oblt. Ernst Mengersen (Knights Cross)
3 Sep 1940 - 17 Dec 1940  Kptlt. Hans-Heinz Linder
18 Dec 1940 - 6 May 1941  Kptlt. Ernst Vogelsang
7 May 1941 - 31 May 1942  Oblt. Hans-Achim von Rosenberg-Gruszczynski
1 Jun 1942 - 18 Aug 1942  Oblt. Friedrich-Wilhelm Wissmann
6 May 1943 - 1 May 1944  Oblt. Karl Fleige (Knights Cross)
2 May 1944 - 25 May 1944  Oblt. Hans-Jürgen Bartsch
25 May 1944 - 7 Jun 1944  Oblt. Rudolf Arendt
8 Jun 1944 - 25 Aug 1944  Oblt. Karl Fleige (Knights Cross)
Career
14 patrols
4 Jan 1936-20 Nov 1936  1. Flottille (active service)
30 Sep 1937-1 Aug 1939  3. Flottille (active service)
1 Sep 1939-1 Nov 1939  3. Flottille (active service)
1 Nov 1939-1 Mar 1940  U-Ausbildungsflottille (active service)
1 Apr 1940-1 Jun 1940  1. U-Ausbildungsflottille (training)
1 Jul 1940-17 Dec 1940  24. Flottille (training)
18 Dec 1940-18 Aug 1942  22. Flottille (school boat)
6 May 1943-25 Aug 1944  30. Flottille (active service)
Successes2 ships sunk, total tonnage 1,500 GRT
1 auxiliary warship sunk, total tonnage 400 GRT
1 ship damaged, total tonnage 7,745 GRT
1 warship damaged, total tonnage 56 tons
Fate

Scuttled on 25 August 1944 in the Black Sea off Constanza, in position 43.52N, 28.51E, after being badly damaged during a Soviet air raid (VVS VMF) on 20 August 1944.

The wreck was raised by the Soviets in late 1944 and declared a total loss. Sunk on 26 May 1947 by a torpedo from the Soviet submarine M-120 off Sevastopol.

Loss position

See the 5 ships hit by U-18 - View the 14 war patrols

Sank at 0954hrs on 20 November 1936 in the Lübeck Bay, in position 54.07N, 11.07E, after a collision with the German torpedo boat T-156. 8 died but 12 survived. Raised on 28 November 1936, repaired in Kiel and returned to service on 30 September 1937.

Attacks on this boat and other events

25 Apr 1944
U-18 was attacked in error by a German BV-138 flying boat in the Black Sea. Minor damage.

1 recorded attack on this boat.

Men lost from U-boats

Unlike many other U-boats, which during their service lost men due to accidents and various other causes, U-18 did not suffer any casualties (we know of) until the time of her loss.

U-boat Emblems

We have 1 emblem entry for this boat. See the emblem page for this boat or view emblems individually below.


Torpedo smashing through Red Star

Media links


U-Boat Attack Logs
Daniel Morgan and Bruce Taylor


amazon.co.uk
(£ 38.25)


Hitler's U-boat War, Vol II
Blair, Clay


U-Boat Operations of the Second World War - Vol 1
Wynn, Kenneth


German U-Boat Losses During World War II
Niestle, Axel


Hitler's U-boat War
Blair, Clay

There was another U-18 in World War One
That boat was launched from its shipyard on 25 Apr 1912 and commissioned into the Imperial Navy on 17 Nov 1912. The Naval war in WWI was brought to an end with the Armistice signed on 11 Nov, 1918. Read about SM U 18 during WWI.




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