General Discussions
This is the place to discuss general issues related to the U-boat war or the war at sea in WWII.
The fate of U4, U6 and U10. New discoveries.
Posted by:
u1
()
Date: March 30, 2013 06:43AM
The new issue (118) of the Polish magazine “Okrety Wojenne” brings the article that clarifies the fates of type II U-boats U4, U6 and U10.
Until now we were sure that all three boats (U4, U6 and U10) were stricken 1 Aug. 1944 and then were captured by the Russians (U4 and U6 in Gdynia/Gotenhafen and U10 in Gdansk/Danzig) in March 1945. Most authors were sure that these boats were scraped in 1945; some others suggested that Russians have sunk these wrecks in Zatoka Gdanska during the operation of clearing Gdynia harbor.
Now – thanks to the new documents from Polish and Russian archives as well as the analysis of the old photographs published by the “Okrety Wojenne” - we can be sure that since March/April 1945 U4, U6 and U10 were present in Stolpmünde (now Ustka, Poland) harbor. There were in pretty good condition and were considered “Russian prizes” (trofiei) by the Polish authorities. Later (Dec. 1945) all three boats sunk because lack of proper maintenance. They were raised (March 23, May 8, and July 11, 1951) by the Polish salvage company “PRCiP” in and then scraped in situ in the late 1951 or even early 1952.
But there is some more mysteries – it is not clear whether those boats were transferred to Stolpmünde by the Germans (as a part of Gotenhafen Arsenal evacuation) just before this city was captured by the Russians (March 8) or - maybe – the convoy with U4, U6 and U10 on tow was intercepted by the Russians and forced to enter Stolpmünde. Or – it is also possible – these subs were transferred to new location by the Soviets after they took Gdynia (March 28). Some more researches are needed.
It is also worth to mention that there were article published in previous issue (117) of “Okrety Wojenne” about the action taken (in 1959!) by the Polish Navy to locate and raise the wrecks of German U-boats; with the aim to repair them and to commission them into Polish Fleet (as Germans did with U-2365,U-2367 and U-2540).
Until now we were sure that all three boats (U4, U6 and U10) were stricken 1 Aug. 1944 and then were captured by the Russians (U4 and U6 in Gdynia/Gotenhafen and U10 in Gdansk/Danzig) in March 1945. Most authors were sure that these boats were scraped in 1945; some others suggested that Russians have sunk these wrecks in Zatoka Gdanska during the operation of clearing Gdynia harbor.
Now – thanks to the new documents from Polish and Russian archives as well as the analysis of the old photographs published by the “Okrety Wojenne” - we can be sure that since March/April 1945 U4, U6 and U10 were present in Stolpmünde (now Ustka, Poland) harbor. There were in pretty good condition and were considered “Russian prizes” (trofiei) by the Polish authorities. Later (Dec. 1945) all three boats sunk because lack of proper maintenance. They were raised (March 23, May 8, and July 11, 1951) by the Polish salvage company “PRCiP” in and then scraped in situ in the late 1951 or even early 1952.
But there is some more mysteries – it is not clear whether those boats were transferred to Stolpmünde by the Germans (as a part of Gotenhafen Arsenal evacuation) just before this city was captured by the Russians (March 8) or - maybe – the convoy with U4, U6 and U10 on tow was intercepted by the Russians and forced to enter Stolpmünde. Or – it is also possible – these subs were transferred to new location by the Soviets after they took Gdynia (March 28). Some more researches are needed.
It is also worth to mention that there were article published in previous issue (117) of “Okrety Wojenne” about the action taken (in 1959!) by the Polish Navy to locate and raise the wrecks of German U-boats; with the aim to repair them and to commission them into Polish Fleet (as Germans did with U-2365,U-2367 and U-2540).
The fate of U4, U6 and U10. New discoveries.