List of Wolfpacks

What is a Wolfpack?

Short overview of the Wolfpack concept.

Wolfpack names explained

Simple page explaining the various names of the Wolfpacks of WWII.

U-boats in Wolfpacks

List of all U-boats we know to have belonged to a Wolfpack.

Wolfpacks listed by years

This is listing all Wolfpacks we have in the database.

NameFormedDisbanded

1940

Rösing
Operated west of Spain.
12 Jun 194015 Jun 1940
Prien
Operated south of Ireland.
12 Jun 194015 Jun 1940
Without name
Operated South of Ireland.
13 Aug 194016 Aug 1940
Without name
Operated West of Ireland.
30 Aug 19409 Sep 1940
Without name
Operated West of Ireland.
20 Sep 194022 Sep 1940
Without name
Operated West of Ireland.
17 Oct 194019 Oct 1940
Without name
Operated West of Ireland.
19 Oct 194020 Oct 1940
Without name
Operated in the North Atlantic.
1 Dec 19403 Dec 1940

1942

Hecht (Pike)
7 May 194218 Jun 1942
Pfadfinder (Pathfinder)
23 May 194227 May 1942
Endrass
12 Jun 194221 Jun 1942
Hai (Shark)
8 Jul 194221 Jul 1942
Wolf
13 Jul 194221 Jul 1942
Steinbrock
1 Aug 19427 Aug 1942
Blücher
This group was named after Gebhardt Leberecht von Blücher (1742 - 1819). He was a German Cavalry General in the wars against Napoleon.
12 Aug 194220 Aug 1942
Lachs (Salmon)
15 Aug 194227 Sep 1942
Eisbär (Polar Bear)
This group was formed to operate in the South Atlantic off Cape Town which was considered by U-boat Command to be "virgin waters". This group included some of the most experienced commanders available such as Gelhaus (U-107), Harteinstein (U-156) and Emmermann (U-172).
23 Aug 194229 Aug 1942
Vorwärts (Let's go!)
27 Aug 194226 Sep 1942
Stier (Bull)
2 Sep 194214 Sep 1942
Iltis (Polecat)
9 Sep 194223 Sep 1942
Pfeil (Arrow)
13 Sep 194225 Sep 1942
Letzte Ritter (Last Knight)
30 Sep 19422 Oct 1942
Luchs (Lynx)
1 Oct 19427 Oct 1942
Tümmler (Dolphin)
Tümmler was a group that was sent into the Mediterranean from their French bases, all of them got through the Straits of Gibraltar safely during 10-11th October 1942.
1 Oct 194211 Oct 1942
Wotan (A German God)
8 Oct 194216 Oct 1942
Panther (Panther)
8 Oct 194214 Oct 1942
Leopard
8 Oct 194214 Oct 1942
Kreuzotter (Common viper)
8 Oct 194219 Oct 1942
Puma
16 Oct 194230 Oct 1942
Veilchen (Violet)
24 Oct 19426 Nov 1942
Streitaxt (Battle Axe)
24 Oct 19421 Nov 1942
Natter
1 Nov 19428 Nov 1942
Delphin (Dolphin)
10 Nov 194217 Nov 1942
Westwall
25 Nov 194225 Dec 1942
Drachen (Kites)
25 Nov 19422 Dec 1942
Panzer (Tank)
29 Nov 194211 Dec 1942
Draufgänger (Daredevil)
1 Dec 194211 Dec 1942
Ungestüm (Vehemence)
14 Dec 194223 Dec 1942
Raufbold (Brawler, Rowdy)
15 Dec 194222 Dec 1942
Spitz (Pomeranian)
24 Dec 194231 Dec 1942
Falke (Falcon)
31 Dec 194222 Jan 1943

1943

Habicht
12 Jan 194319 Jan 1943
Jaguar
12 Jan 194323 Jan 1943
Rochen
The pack was formed on Jan 22 and was gradually strengthened. The pack was replenished after Feb 10 by U-118 and disbanded after operations against convoy UC-1.
22 Jan 194325 Feb 1943
Haudegen
On 15 Feb 5 U-boats leave the pack and form wolfpack Nordsturm to attack convoy SG-19. Some of those boats rejoin the pack afterwards. On 9 Feb the pack is reformed as some boats leave for port while others leave for the attack against SC-118.
22 Jan 194315 Feb 1943
Landsknecht
22 Jan 194328 Jan 1943
Nordstürm
2 Feb 19439 Feb 1943
Pfeil (Arrow)
Several boats are damaged and probably abort and leave the pack sooner than its disbandment.
2 Feb 19439 Feb 1943
Hartherz
4 Feb 19437 Feb 1943
Ritter (Knight)
14 Feb 194326 Feb 1943
Taifun
This group was formed from wolfpack Haudegen of boats who did not need replenishment from U-460.
15 Feb 194317 Feb 1943
Robbe
U-437 leaves the group on 20 Feb in order to escort the prize tanker Herborg and U-569 and U-382 leave the group in order to attack convoy UC-1 along with wolfpack Rochen.
16 Feb 194313 Mar 1943
Knappen
18 Feb 194326 Feb 1943
Neptun
18 Feb 19433 Mar 1943
Stürmbock
21 Feb 194325 Feb 1943
Wildfang
25 Feb 19437 Mar 1943
Burggraf
On 6 March some boats join the Westmark wolfpack while the remaining boats disband on 7 March and join pack Raubgraf.
26 Feb 19437 Mar 1943
Tümmler
On 4 March some boats replenish from tanker U-461.
27 Feb 194319 Mar 1943
Neuland
8 boats leave to join group Ostmark on 8 March but on the same day Neuland is reforced with another 8 boats.
6 Mar 194312 Mar 1943
Westmark
6 Mar 194311 Mar 1943
Raubgraf
After operations against convoy ON-170 on 14 March many boats leave the group.
7 Mar 194320 Mar 1943
Ostmark
8 Mar 194311 Mar 1943
Unverzagt
12 Mar 194322 Mar 1943
Wohlgemut
12 Mar 194322 Mar 1943
Dranger
14 Mar 194320 Mar 1943
Stürmer
14 Mar 194320 Mar 1943
Seeteufel (Sea Devil)
8 boats form the group on 21 March and 7 more boats join it after that.
21 Mar 194330 Mar 1943
Seerauber
22 Mar 194330 Mar 1943
Seewolf
25 Mar 194330 Mar 1943
Lowenherz
3 Apr 19437 Apr 1943
Adler (Eagle)
7 Apr 194312 Apr 1943
Lerche
11 Apr 194313 Apr 1943
Meise
Already on 11 April this group had been formed with 7 boats and until the 20th 13 more boats joined the pack.
20 Apr 194327 Apr 1943
Amsel
This group was split into 'Amsel I' and 'Amsel II' on May 4.
25 Apr 19434 May 1943
Specht
Gruppe first formed with 17 boats on 22 Apr to intercept convoy SC-127 but without success. The pack is then regrouped with 20 boats on 27 Apr in order to attack HX-235. On 4 May most of the boats go to gruppe Fink to attack ONS-5.
27 Apr 19434 May 1943
Star
Nearly all boats leave to join gruppe Fink on 4 May.
27 Apr 19434 May 1943
Drossel
The pack was formed on 30 April to operate against convoy SL-128 and then against HX-237.
30 Apr 194313 May 1943
Amsel I
4 May 19436 May 1943
Amstel II
4 May 19436 May 1943
Fink
Several boats from this pack are sunk during the night of 5/6 May.
4 May 19436 May 1943
Rhein
This pack was formed out of the Amsel I and Amsel II boats.
8 May 194311 May 1943
Elbe I
11 May 194313 May 1943
Elbe II
11 May 194313 May 1943
Trutz
Formed out of boats withdrawing from the North Atlantic and deployed against convoy GUS-7A, replenished by U-488 between 7 and 13 june and then split up in 3 smaller packs (Trutz I, Trutz I and Trutz III).
1 Jun 194316 Jun 1943
Trutz I
Formed out of replenished Trutz boats in order to operate against convoy GUS-8.
16 Jun 19432 Jul 1943
Trutz II
Formed out of replenished Trutz boats and the newly arrived U-135 in order to operate against convoy GUS-8.
16 Jun 19432 Jul 1943
Trutz III
Formed out of replenished Trutz boats and the newly arrived U-193 in order to operate against convoy GUS-8.
16 Jun 19432 Jul 1943
Geier I
Formed out of Trutz boats operating in the central Atlantic.
2 Jul 194315 Jul 1943
Geier II
Formed out of Trutz boats operating in the central Atlantic.
2 Jul 194315 Jul 1943
Geier III
Formed out of Trutz boats operating in the central Atlantic.
2 Jul 194315 Jul 1943
Leuthen
This group was formed (probably on Aug 23) and was formed of 21 U-boats (18 experienced and 3 new). The group was mostly involved in convoy action around convoy ON-202 in late Sept, 1943.

The boat's joining dates are either the group forming or the boat's sailing date - whichever is later.

U-341 was sunk enroute to the group, U-274 and U-963 suffered ice damage and had to turn back. U-413 then suffered mechanical problems and aborted.

23 Aug 194324 Sep 1943

See this list ordered by Wolfpack names