List of all U-boats

U-968

Type

VIIC

 
Ordered5 Jun 1941
Laid down14 May 1942 Blohm & Voss, Hamburg (werk 168)
Launched4 Feb 1943
Commissioned18 Mar 1943Ltnt. Otto Westphalen (Knights Cross)
Commanders
18 Mar 1943 - 9 May 1945  Oblt. Otto Westphalen (Knights Cross)
Career
7 patrols
18 Mar 1943-29 Feb 1944  5. Flottille (training)
1 Mar 1944-8 May 1945  13. Flottille (active service)
Successes2 ships sunk, total tonnage 14,386 GRT
1 warship sunk, total tonnage 1,350 tons
1 ship damaged, total tonnage 8,129 GRT
1 ship a total loss, total tonnage 7,200 GRT
1 warship a total loss, total tonnage 1,350 tons
Fate

Surrendered on 9 May 1945 at Narvik, Norway (Waller & Niestlé, 2010).

Transferred to Loch Eriboll, Scotland, on 19 May 1945 and later to Loch Ryan via Lisahally.

Operation Deadlight (post-war Allied operation, info)
Sunk on 29 Nov, 1945 in position 55.24N, 06.22W.

Final location

See the 6 ships hit by U-968 - View the 7 war patrols

The U-boats that were in the Narvik area at the end of the war were all moved to the Skjomenfjord upon Allied orders to avoid conflicts with the Norwegians on 12 May. On 15 May, a German convoy of five ships (the fleet tender Grille with the staff of FdU Norwegen aboard, the fleet oiler Kärnten, the repair ship Kamerun and the depot ships Huascaran and Stella Polaris) and 15 U-boats (U-278, U-294, U-295, U-312, U-313, U-318, U-363, U-427, U-481, U-668, U-716, U-968, U-992, U-997 and U-1165) left for transfer to Trondheim, but was intercepted after two days by the 9th Escort Group off the Norwegian coast and officially capitulated. While the ships were allowed to proceed to Trondheim, the U-boats were escorted to Loch Eriboll, Scotland, arriving on 19 May. All U-boats were later that month transferred to Lisahally or Loch Ryan for Operation Deadlight.

Wolfpack operations

U-968 operated with the following Wolfpacks during its career:
   Hammer (17 Mar 1944 - 1 Apr 1944)
   Dachs (1 Sep 1944 - 5 Sep 1944)
   Zorn (26 Sep 1944 - 1 Oct 1944)
   Grimm (1 Oct 1944 - 2 Oct 1944)
   Panther (16 Oct 1944 - 10 Nov 1944)
   Rasmus (7 Feb 1945 - 13 Feb 1945)
   Hagen (13 Mar 1945 - 21 Mar 1945)

Attacks on this boat and other events

19 Jul 1944
11.40 hrs, Norwegian Sea west of Narvik, outbound: U-968 was depth charged twice by a British B-24 Liberator (RAF Sqdn 86/R, pilot F/L W.F.J. Harwood), causing minor damage. Strafing killed one AA gunner and wounded six more [Bootsmaat Werner Hahne]. The boat returned to Bogenbucht for repairs and to replace the casualties. (Sources: Franks)

1 recorded attack on this boat.

Men lost from the boat

19 Jul 1944
11.40 hrs, Norwegian Sea west of Narvik, outbound: U-968 was depth charged twice by a British B-24 Liberator (RAF Sqdn 86/R, pilot F/L W.F.J. Harwood), causing minor damage. Strafing killed one AA gunner and wounded six more [Bootsmaat Werner Hahne]. The boat returned to Bogenbucht for repairs and to replace the casualties.

  Related: For more info on such losses see - Men lost from U-boats -

U-boat Emblems

We have 2 emblem entries for this boat. See the emblem page for this boat or view emblems individually below.


13 Flotilla

13

Media links


U-Boat Attack Logs

Daniel Morgan and Bruce Taylor


amazon.co.uk
(£ 38.25)


The Grey Wolves of Eriboll

David M. Hird


The Royal Navy and German Naval Disarmament, 1942-1947

Madsen, Chris


amazon.com
($ 58.77)


U-Boat Operations of the Second World War - Vol 2

Wynn, Kenneth


Hitler's U-boat War, Vol II

Blair, Clay


German U-Boat Losses During World War II

Niestle, Axel




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