Wolfpack Seewolf

Seewolf was a wolfpack of German U-boats that operated during the Battle of the Atlantic in World War II.

Seewolf was the name of three separate wolfpacks that operated in 1941, 1943 and 1945, respectively.

1941
This wolfpack operated in the North Atlantic, from 2 September 1941 to 15 September 1941, and comprised the following boats:-

U-Boats Involved
5 merchant ships were sunk for a total of 20,396 GRT.

1943
This wolfpack operated in the North Atlantic, from 21 March 1943 to 30 March 1943, and comprised the following boats:-

U-Boats Involved
No ships were sunk or damaged

1945
Seewolf was formed in March 1945 in an effort to re-establish the U-boat offensive in American waters; it was the last wolfpack of the Atlantic campaign. 7 of the 9 boats that sailed to the Americas were in Seewolf; a further 2 sailed independently.

Coincidentally, Allied Intelligence formed the view that the Germans were planning to mount a missile attack on the United States, using V-1 or V-2 missiles adapted for launch at sea by submarines. This led to a vigorous response by the United States Navy, code-named Operation Teardrop, to find and destroy the Seewolf boats. This was successful; Of the 5 boats in American waters by April (2 boats had returned to base for repairs, and were still in transit at the end of April) 4 boats were sunk during the month:

Seewolf boats had one success; U-546 sank USS Frederick C. Davis (DE-136), shortly before she herself was sunk.

The fifth boat GS U-881 was detected and destroyed on 6 May 1945, the last boat in American waters to be destroyed. The 2 boats in transit when Germany surrendered were given up to the USN on 8 May 1945.

U-Boats Involved
1 US warship was sunk by this wolfpack.