German submarine U-18 (1935)

German submarine U-18 was a Type IIB U-boat of the Nazi German Kriegsmarine during World War II. It was laid down 10 July 1935 and commissioned on 4 January 1936. It served in many U-boat flotillas during its service.

Fate
While a training boat, U-18 sank at 0954 hrs on 20 November 1936 in Lübeck Bay, after a collision with T-156. Eight men died and 12 survived. It was raised on 28 November 1936. It returned to service on 30 September 1937 when it served in the 30th U-boat Flotilla, after being transported overland and via the Danube to the Black Sea.

On 20 August 1944, in a Soviet air raid on the Romanian harbor of Constanţa in the Black Sea, U-18 was damaged and as a result was deemed not seaworthy and was scuttled on the 25th.

The boat was raised by the USSR in late 1944. It was sunk for target practice by the Soviet submarine SOVIET SUBMARINE M-120 on 26 May 1947 off Sevastopol (also sunk that day was the former GS U-24 (1936)).

Service history

 * 4 January 1936 – 20 November 1936: 1st U-boat Flotilla (front boat)
 * 30 September 1937 – 1 November 1939: 3rd U-boat Flotilla (front boat)
 * 1 November 1939 – 1 June 1940: U-Training Flotilla (front boat, then training)
 * 1 July 1940 – 17 December 1940: 24th U-boat Flotilla (training)
 * 6 May 1943 – 25 August 1944: 30th U-boat Flotilla (front boat)

Commanders

 * Hans Pauckstadt, 4 January 1936 – 20 November 1936
 * Kapitanleutnant Heinz Beduhn, 30 September 1937 – 31 October 1937
 * Kptlt. Max-Hermann Bauer, 1 November 1937 – 24 November 1939
 * Oberleutnant Ernst Mengersen (Knights Cross), 24 November 1939 – 2 September 1940
 * Kptlt. Hans-Heinz Linder, 3 September 1940 – 17 December 1940
 * Kptlt. Ernst Vogelsang, 18 December 1940 – 6 May 1941
 * Oblt. Hans-Achim von Rosenberg-Gruszcynski, 7 May 1941 – 31 May 1942
 * Oblt. Friedrich-Wilhelm Wissmann, 1 June 1942 – 18 August 1942
 * Oblt. Karl Fleige (Knights Cross), 3 December 1942 – 25 August 1944
 * Oblt. Hans-Jürgen Bartsch, 2 May 1944 – 25 May 1944
 * Oblt. Rudolf Arendt, 25 May 1944 – 7 June 1944
 * Oblt. Friedrich Baumgärtel, 22 December 1944 – 6 February 1945