1st U-Flotilla

Formed: 27th September 1935 as the "Weddigen" Flotilla. designation changed in January 1940 to 1st U-Flotilla. 

Disbanded: 3rd September 1944

Bases: Kiel (1935 to 1941)    Brest (1941 to 1944). The flotilla headquarters were within the ex-French Naval Academy, atop the hill behind Lanninon where construction was undertaken of concrete U-boat bunkers. 

Commanders:
    Fregattenkapitän Karl Dönitz (27th September 1935 to 1st January 1936)
    Kapitän S. Loycke (2nd January 1936 to September 1937
     Kapitänleutnant Hans Günther Looff (October 1937 to September 1939)
     Korvettenkapitän Hans Eckermann (September 1939  to 10th October 1940)
     Kapitänleutnant Hans Cohausz (11th October 1940 to 14th February 1942)
     Kapitänleutnant Heinz Buchholz (15th February to 17th July 1942)
     Korvettenkapitän Werner Winter (18th July 1942 to 3rd September 1944)

U-Boats assigned to the 1st U-Flotilla between 1935 and 1945:
U7, U8, U9, U10, U11, U12, U13, U14, U15, U16, U17, U18, U19, U21, U22, U23, U24, U56, U57, U58, U59, U60, U61, U62, U63, U79, U80, U81, U83, U84, U86, U116, U117, U137, U138, U139, U140, U141, U142, U143, U144, U145, U146, U147, U149, U150, U201, U202, U203, U204, U208, U209, U225, U238, U243, U263, U268, U271, U276, U292, U301, U305, U306, U307, U311, U331, U336, U353, U354, U370, U371, U372, U374, U379, U392, U394, U396, U401, U405, U413, U415, U418, U422, U424, U426, U435, U439, U440, U441, U456, U471, U556, U557, U558, U559, U561, U562, U563, U564, U565, U566, U574, U582, U584, U597, U599, U603, U625, U628, U629, U632, U637, U643, U651, U653, U656, U665, U669, U722, U731, U732, U736, U740, U741, U743, U754, U767, U773, U821, U925, U963, U987, U1107, U1199, UB1, UD1.

During its existence the 1st U-Flotilla comprised 138 different U-boats (including UB1 and UD1 and U7, U8, U10 – U12 the latter Type IIs only briefly on Flotilla strength).

 

LINK:

This, the premier U-boat unit of the Kriegsmarine, is the subject of a book published by Pen & Sword/ Leo Cooper. Released in January 2002 the book is called "First U-Boat Flotilla" and is closely based on the actual War Diary, using many other primary sources of information about that unit's part in the U-boat war. An accompanying group of pages has been posted to hold information that supports the text of the book, but for reasons of space or direct relevance was not included. To access this part of the site please click the picture below.