List of all U-boats

U-3

Type

IIA

 
Ordered2 Feb 1935
Laid down11 Feb 1935 Deutsche Werke AG, Kiel (werk 238)
Launched19 Jul 1935
Commissioned6 Aug 1935Oblt. Hans Meckel
Commanders
6 Aug 1935 - 29 Sep 1937  Kptlt. Hans Meckel
30 Sep 1937 - Jul, 1938  Kptlt. Ernst-Günter Heinicke
29 Oct 1938 - 2 Jan 1940  Kptlt. Joachim Schepke (Knights Cross)
3 Jan 1940 - 28 Jul 1940  Kptlt. Gerd Schreiber (German Cross in Gold)
29 Jul 1940 - 10 Nov 1940  Kptlt. Helmut Franzke
11 Nov 1940 - 2 Jul 1941  Kptlt. Otto von Bülow (Knights Cross)
3 Jul 1941 - 2 Mar 1942  Oblt. Hans-Hartwig Trojer (Knights Cross)
3 Mar 1942 - 30 Sep 1942  Oblt. Joachim Zander
1 Oct 1942 - 18 May 1943  Oblt. Herbert Zoller
19 May 1943 - 9 Jun 1944  Oblt. Ernst Hartmann
10 Jun 1944 - 16 Jul 1944  Ltn. Hermann Neumeister
Career
5 patrols
1 Aug 1935-1 Sep 1939  U-Bootschulflottille (school boat)
1 Sep 1939-1 Oct 1939  U-Bootschulflottille (active service)
1 Oct 1939-1 Feb 1940  U-Bootschulflottille (school boat)
1 Mar 1940-1 Apr 1940  U-Bootschulflottille (active service)
1 May 1940-30 Jun 1940  U-Bootschulflottille (school boat)
1 Jul 1940-1 Aug 1944  21. Flottille (school boat)
Successes2 ships sunk, total tonnage 2,348 GRT
Fate

Decommissioned 1 August 1944 in Neustadt and cannibalized for spare parts. On 3 May 1945 hulk captured by British forces at Neustadt and broken up.

See the 2 ships hit by U-3 - View the 5 war patrols

Attacks on this boat and other events

16 Apr 1940
The British submarine HMS Porpoise fired six torpedoes at U-3 about 10 miles southwest of Egersund, Norway and heard a detonation, which was in fact a G7a torpedo fired at HMS Porpoise by the U-boat which had missed and detonated at the end of its run.It was believed for many years that Porpoise had sunk U-1. U-3 escaped unscathed.

(Sources: Dr. Axel Niestlé.)

1 recorded attack on this boat.

Men lost from U-boats

Unlike many other U-boats, which during their service lost men due to accidents and various other causes, U-3 did not suffer any casualties (we know of) until the time of her loss.

U-boat Emblems

We have 3 emblem entries for this boat. See the emblem page for this boat or view emblems individually below.


The Olympic Rings - Crew 36
Crew X/39
Hearts and Torpedo

Media links


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
Blair, Clay

There was another U-3 in World War One
That boat was launched from its shipyard on 27 Mar 1909 and commissioned into the Imperial Navy on 29 May 1909. The Naval war in WWI was brought to an end with the Armistice signed on 11 Nov, 1918. Read about SM U 3 during WWI.




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