Wolfpack West


West was a wolfpack of German U-boats that operated during the World War II Battle of the Atlantic from 8 May 1941 to 20 June 1941.
This wolfpack was responsible for sinking 33 ships and damaging a further four ships, making it one of the most successful wolfpacks of World War II.

Raiding Summary

DateU-boatName of shipNationalityTonsConvoyComments
8 May 1941Ramillies4,553OB 317Sunk
9 May 1941Bengore Head2,609OB 318Sunk
9 May 1941Empire Cloud5,969OB 318Damaged
9 May 1941Esmond4,976OB 318Sunk
9 May 1941Gregalia5,802OB 318Sunk
10 May 1941Aelybryn4,986OB 318Damaged
10 May 1941Empire Caribou4,861OB 318Sunk
10 May 1941Gand5,086OB 318Sunk
13 May 194110,549SC 30Sunk
13 May 1941Somersby5,170SC 30Sunk
20 May 1941British Security8,470HX 126Sunk
20 May 1941Cockaponset5,995HX 126Sunk
20 May 1941Darlington Court4,974HX 126Sunk
20 May 1941Harpagus5,173HX 126Sunk
20 May 1941John P. Pedersen6,128HX 126Sunk
20 May 1941Norman Monarch4,718HX 126Sunk
20 May 1941Rothermere5,356HX 126Sunk
20 May 1941San Felix13,037OB 322Damaged
21 May 1941Elusa6,235HX 126Sunk
21 May 1941Marconi7,402OB 322Sunk
22 May 1941Barnby4,813HX 126Sunk
29 May 1941Empire Storm7,290HX 128Sunk
2 June 1941Michael E. 7,628OB 327Sunk
3 June 1941Eibergen4,801OB 327Sunk
3 June 1941Inversuir9,456OB 327Damaged
3 June 1941Inversuir9,456OB 327Sunk
4 June 1941Trecarrell5,271OB 327Sunk
5 June 1941Wellfield6,054OB 328Sunk
6 June 1941Tregarthen5,201OB 329Sunk
6 June 1941Yselhaven4,802OB 328Sunk
8 June 1941Baron Nairn3,164OB 328Sunk
8 June 1941Dirphys4,240Sunk
8 June 1941Pendrecht10,746OB 329Sunk
9 June 1941Trevarrack5,270OB 329Sunk
10 June 1941Christian Krohg1,992OB 329Sunk
10 June 1941Mercier7,886OB 330Sunk
13 June 1941Tresillian4,743OB 330Sunk

U-Boats

Of the 23 U-boat commanders, 19 were either, or went on to become, recipients of the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross.
U-boatCommanderFromToNotes
Wolfgang Lüth17 May 194116 June 1941
Engelbert Endrass19 May 19416 June 1941
Herbert Schultze2 June 19418 June 1941
Robert-Richard Zapp24 May 19415 June 1941
Helmut Rosenbaum31 May 194116 June 1941
Eitel-Friedrich Kentrat13 May 194122 May 1941
Helmuth Ringelmann2 June 194120 June 1941
Heinrich Schonder6 June 194120 June 1941
Claus Korth8 May 194126 May 1941
Herbert Kuppisch8 May 194129 May 1941
Udo Heilmann8 May 194127 May 1941
Robert Gysae8 May 194127 May 1941
Ernst Mengersen2 June 194120 June 1941
Klaus Scholtz2 June 194120 June 1941
Hans-Georg Fischer13 May 194123 May 1941
Fritz-Julius Lemp9 May 19419 May 1941U-boat was lost
Wilhelm Kleinschmidt13 May 19415 June 1941
Adalbert Schnee8 May 194113 May 1941
Walter Kell5 June 194116 June 1941
Karl Thurmann13 June 194120 June 1941
Herbert Wohlfarth10 May 194120 May 1941
Ottokar Arnold Paulssen25 May 194120 June 1941
Gerhard Bigalk16 June 194120 June 1941