U-703

Type

VIIC

Ordered

9 Oct 1939

Laid down

9 Aug 1940

H C Stülcken Sohn, Hamburg (werk 762)

Launched

18 Jul 1941

Commissioned

16 Oct 1941

Oblt. Heinz Bielfeld

Commanders

16 Oct 1941	-	5 Jul 1943		Kptlt. Heinz Bielfeld (German Cross in Gold)
6 Jul 1943	-	16 Sep 1944		Oblt. Joachim Brünner

Career
13 patrols

16 Oct 1941	-	1 Mar 1942	6. Flottille (training)
1 Mar 1942	-	30 Jun 1942	6. Flottille (active service)
1 Jul 1942	-	31 May 1943	11. Flottille (active service)
1 Jun 1943	-	16 Sep 1944	13. Flottille (active service)

Successes

5 ships sunk, total tonnage 29,523 GRT
1 auxiliary warship sunk, total tonnage 559 GRT
1 warship sunk, total tonnage 1,870 tons

Fate

Missing since 16 September 1944 in the Norwegian Sea between Iceland and Norway. There is no plausible explanation for its loss. 54 dead (all hands lost).

Loss position

See the 7 ships hit by U-703 - View the 13 war patrols

U-703 sent no radio message after leaving Narvik in order to launch a floating weather buoy east of Greenland and was posted as missing on 6 October 1944.

Wolfpack operations

U-703 operated with the following Wolfpacks during its career:
   Strauchritter (2 May 1942 - 5 May 1942)
   Greif (16 May 1942 - 29 May 1942)
   Trägertod (19 Sep 1942 - 22 Sep 1942)
   Wiking (20 Sep 1943 - 3 Oct 1943)
   Taifun (5 Mar 1944 - 7 Mar 1944)
   Donner (11 Apr 1944 - 20 Apr 1944)
   Donner & Keil (20 Apr 1944 - 3 May 1944)
   Trutz (22 Aug 1944 - 6 Sep 1944)

Attacks on this boat and other events

6 Mar 1944
At 1705hrs the boat was attacked by a Swordfish aircraft (816 Sqn FAA/X) of the British escort carrier HMS Chaser while operating against the convoy RA-57 in the Norwegian Sea. U-703 was surprised by the aircraft that used patchy clouds to stalk it, but opened fire with the quadruple and both twin 20mm AA guns just as it started to dive, strafing the U-boat and firing eight rockets in four salvoes. One rocket was seen to ricochet over the top of the conning tower after it struck the railing. The defensive fire stopped at once when six crew members were wounded, three of them seriously, but they were quickly replaced and the Swordfish kept at distance by very accurate fire until the U-boat was able to escape by crash diving after sustaining only minor damage. However, two of the injured men died after submerging and another died the following day while U-703 was returned to Narvik, where they were buried. [Funkobermaat Paul Kretschmar (died on 7 March), Bootsmaat Erich Junker, Maschinengefreiter Heinz Schade]

1 recorded attack on this boat.