#U boot german series#
In addition, two smaller coastal U-boats of the series M/ XV of the “Malyukti”-Class were planned to be given by the Soviets. For training purposes it was planned to take over ex Kriegsma-rine Type VII U-boats from the Soviet Navy (Listed: U 1057, U 1058, U 1064, U 1231 and U 1305), which were given to the Soviets in 1945 as prize and which were operated by them since. With that a look at the third aspect of the history of U-boats in the GDR shall be taken: Arms planning and measures associated with it. Following a six months basic training further practical training on board U-boat was planned, which were to be ceded by the Soviets for that purpose. In the Summer of 1953 already a personnel strength of some 180 staff and 480 students is reported. 1/53 of 04 January 1953 by the then Head of Sea Police, General Inspector (equivalent to Vice Admiral) Waldemar Verner, a trained window dresser, but a man of merit in the communist resistance, training at the ULA started in January 1953.
Nevertheless, at the end of 1952 at least a core of teaching and administration staff could be assembled for to prepare the intake of students, supported by a considerable advisory group of Soviet U-boat specialists. The one and only officer ever commanding the establishment, Commander Heinrich Jordt, had served during the last period of World War II as Petty Officer (Engines) on board a Kriegsmarine minesweeper. Reading the biographies of the officers heading the establishment eventually is somewhat peculiar, as no one of these has ever served on a U-boat of the Kriegsmarine.
#U boot german plus#
Overall aim was to operate in the end a training establishment for about 50 officers in four courses (Commanding Officers course, plus courses for watch officers, torpedo officers and engineering officers), as well as courses for 150 Petty Officers and 280 Ratings. The buildup of personnel for the training organization was not easy because the search for and the approach of ex U-boat men with war experience and being not incriminated by a National Socialistic past turned out to be very disappointing. Now, what are the facts about U-boats in East Germany?
And, the raising of two Kriegsmarine U-boats in the Baltic Sea and their transfer to East German shipyard for restoration need to hold out as evidence of the concrete introduction of U-boats to the East German Naval Forces.Īlthough there are facts and figures presented about U-boats in East Germany since the Spring of 2011 at the homepage of the German U-boat Museum, we should, nevertheless, put together again the facts to qualify the myths around this period of Naval history in Germany as such. Particularly, in internet fora contributors tell of first sea training of East German U-boat crews on board Soviet ex Kriegsmarine U-boats, others put forward the alleged urge by the Soviets viv-á-vis the GDR to build up a U-boat Force in East Germany, which such demands going on well beyond the abandoning of the initial preparations in 1953. Although historical research has clearly proven that there were indeed plans and first preparations to create a U-boat Force in East Germany, rumors pop up occasionally, nevertheless, claiming those preparations to have been much more advanced than so far assumed.
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