Hello all!
These days I was preparing an article about U-552's action in the wolfpack Endrass, in June 1942. As a main source I used the submarine's war diary (http://www.uboatarchive.net/KTB552-9.htm).
There is not any doubt that Kptlt. Erich Topp was great submarine commander, capable and brave, and he sank 5 ships from the convoy HG-84. Other submarines from the wolfpack sank nothing.
But, the fact is that U-552 was on the convoy's starboard side, more or less undisturbed by the convoy's escort, the escort and airplanes hunted other submarines, which were on the convoy's port side.
The question is, how many ship Topp would sank if acted alone and not in the wolfpack?
In this case he was able to attack, to sink and to avoid the escort!
By some books Admiral Dönitz decision to lead personally all convoy battles was mistake. I am not agreed.
Wolfpacks were established when it was necessary, usually from the submarines already on the sea. How to select which one of the submarines' commanders will be the wolfpack commander?
And, what if his submarine would be sank, or had to submerge and to escape? Who will inform Dönitz about it? And, how to select another commander?
Actually, there was something like wolfpack commander, it was commander of the contact-keeper, and in the case of the wolfpack Endrass, it was Topp itself, for the most of the time.
Finally, by some books the Germans used their radio too much. Yes, some submarine commanders used radio too much, and it was fatal for more or less all of them, but in the U-552's war diary you will find that they used radio only when it was necessary. Most of the messages were "short signals", i.e. short coded and enciphered messages. They weren't responsible the British found out how to read their messages.
Actually, the allied codebreakers made great job, but it wasn't so simple and easy, and in June 1942, during the operation of wolfpack Endrass, the allies weren't able to read German enciphered messages. One myth more, once when the allies broke Enigma it was "peace of cake". Not, it wasn't, it was hard job until the end of the war!
But of course, there is not simple answer on the question- was the wolfpack tactic good or bad?
I think, it was the best possible answer on the allies' convoy system. Perhaps the only one possible.
Best regards!
Funkmeister