List of all U-boats

U-23

Type

IIB

 
Ordered2 Feb 1935
Laid down11 Apr 1936 F. Krupp Germaniawerft AG, Kiel (werk 553)
Launched28 Aug 1936
Commissioned24 Sep 1936 
Commanders
1 Sep 1936 - 3 Jan 1938  KrvKpt. Eberhard Godt
1936/37 - 30 Sep 1937   Hans-Günther Looff
1 Oct 1937 - 1 Apr 1940  Kptlt. Otto Kretschmer (Knights Cross)
8 Apr 1940 - 19 May 1940  Kptlt. Heinz Beduhn
20 May 1940 - 30 Sep 1940  Oblt. Heinrich Driver
1 Oct 1940 - 20 Mar 1941  Oblt. Kurt Reichenbach-Klinke
21 Mar 1941 - 23 Sep 1941  Oblt. Ernst-Ulrich Brüller
24 Sep 1941 - 26 Mar 1942  Oblt. Ulrich Gräf
27 Mar 1942 - 19 Jun 1944  Kptlt. Rolf-Birger Wahlen
20 Jun 1944 - 10 Sep 1944  Oblt. Rudolf Arendt
Career
16 patrols
1 Sep 1936-1 Aug 1939  1. Flottille (active service)
1 Sep 1939-31 Dec 1939  1. Flottille (active service)
1 Jan 1940-30 Jun 1940  1. Flottille (active service)
1 Jul 1940-30 Sep 1942  21. Flottille (school boat)
1 Oct 1942-10 Sep 1944  30. Flottille (active service)
Successes7 ships sunk, total tonnage 11,179 GRT
2 warships sunk, total tonnage 1,410 tons
1 auxiliary warship damaged, total tonnage 1,005 GRT
1 warship damaged, total tonnage 56 tons
3 ships a total loss, total tonnage 18,199 GRT
Fate

Scuttled at 2210hrs on 10 Sept, 1944 off the coast of Turkey in the Black Sea in position 41.11N, 30.00E.

Loss position

See the 14 ships hit by U-23 - View the 16 war patrols

Attacks on this boat

14 Oct 1939
The British submarine HMS Sturgeon (Lt. G.D.A. Gregory, RN) fired three torpedoes at U-23 in the Skagerrak some 20 nautical miles west-north-west of Skagen, Denmark in position 57º49N, 09º59E. All three missed their target.

1 recorded attack on this boat.

General notes on this boat

7 Feb 2008. The 3 boats, U-19, U-20 and U-23, scuttled in September 1944 off the Turkish coast have been located. They are reported to be in excellent condition.

Men lost from U-boats

Unlike many other U-boats, which during their service lost men due to accidents and various other causes, U-23 did not suffer any casualties (we know of) until the time of her loss.

U-boat Emblems

We have 2 emblem entry for this boat! See the emblem page for this boat or view each one below.


Media links


U-Boat Attack Logs
Daniel Morgan and Bruce Taylor


U-Boat Adventures
Wiggins, Melanie


U-Boat Operations of the Second World War - Vol 1
Wynn, Kenneth


German U-Boat Losses During World War II
Niestle, Axel


Hitler's U-boat War, Vol II
Blair, Clay


Hitler's U-boat War
Blair, Clay

There was another U-23 in World War One
That boat was launched from its shipyard on 12 Apr 1912 and commissioned into the Imperial Navy on 11 Sep 1913. The Naval war in WWI was brought to an end with the Armistice signed on 11 Nov, 1918. Read about the U 23 during WWI.