Alfred Manhardt von Mannstein

Fregattenkapitän (Crew 25)

Successes
3 ships sunk, total tonnage 23,117 GRT
2 ships damaged, total tonnage 6,908 GRT

Born	9 Mar 1908		Laurut, Galicia, Poland
Died	13 May 1943	(35)	North Atlantic

KrvKpt. Alfred Manhardt von Mannstein at La Pallice on 25 June 1942

Ranks

16 Nov 1925		Seekadett
1 Apr 1927		Fähnrich zur See
1 Oct 1929		Leutnant zur See
1 Jul 1931		Oberleutnant zur See
1 Sep 1935		Kapitänleutnant
1 Nov 1939		Korvettenkapitän
1 May 1943		Fregattenkapitän

U-boat Commands

U-boat	From	To
U-753	18 Jun 1941	13 May 1943 (+)	7 patrols (252 days)

Alfred Manhardt von Mannstein joined the Reichsmarine in 1925. He was a Naval Signals Officer (South) from March 1938 to June 1940, and then in the South-West zone from July to Oct 1940. He went through U-boat training from Oct 1940 to May 1941 (Busch & Röll, 1999).

In May 1941 Alfred Manhardt von Mannstein began U-boat construction familiarization (Baubelehrung) in preparation for his own command, and on 18 June 1941 he commissioned the new type VIIC U-boat U-753 at Wilhelmshaven (Busch & Röll, 1999). The next six months were spent working up boat and crew in the Baltic.

First War Patrol

On 24 Dec 1941 von Mannstein brought the boat out for its first war patrol. During the next 18 months he went on seven patrols, spending 252 days at sea (Busch & Röll, 1997). He sank three ships (23,117 GRT) and damaged two (6,908 GRT) (Rohwer, 1998).

Black May 1943

Alfred Manhardt von Mannstein and his entire crew of 47 were lost when the boat was sunk on 13 May 1943 by by depth charges from the Canadian corvette HMCS Drumheller, the British frigate HMS Lagan and from a Canadian Sunderland flying boat (RCAF Sqdn. 423/G) (Niestlé, 1998). This was during the massive convoy battles in the North Atlantic in May 1943 when the fortunes of war turned decisively against the U-boats, never to return.

Sources

Busch, R. and Röll, H-J. (1999). German U-boat commanders of World War II.
Busch, R. and Röll, H-J. (1997). Der U-Bootkrieg 1939-1945 (Band 2).
Niestlé, A. (1998). German U-boat losses during World War II.
Rohwer, J. (1998). Axis Submarine Successes of World War Two.

Patrol info for Alfred Manhardt von Mannstein

	U-boat	Departure		Arrival
1.	U-753	24 Dec 1941	Kiel	30 Dec 1941	Kiel	Patrol 1,	7 days
2.	U-753	17 Jan 1942	Kiel	1 Feb 1942	St. Nazaire	Patrol 2,	16 days
3.	U-753	26 Feb 1942	St. Nazaire	26 Mar 1942	La Pallice	Patrol 3,	29 days
4.	U-753	22 Apr 1942	La Pallice	25 Jun 1942	La Pallice	Patrol 4,	65 days
5.	U-753	1 Sep 1942	La Pallice	4 Sep 1942	La Pallice	Patrol 5,	4 days
6.	U-753	20 Sep 1942	La Pallice	8 Dec 1942	La Pallice	Patrol 5,	80 days
7.	U-753	28 Jan 1943	La Pallice	10 Mar 1943	La Pallice	Patrol 6,	42 days
8.	U-753	5 May 1943	La Pallice	13 May 1943	Sunk	Patrol 7,	9 days
7 patrols, 252 days at sea

Ships hit by Alfred Manhardt von Mannstein

Date	U-boat	Name of ship	Tons		Convoy
20 May 1942	U-753	George Calvert	7,191	am
22 May 1942	U-753	E.P. Theriault (d.)	326	br
25 May 1942	U-753	Haakon Hauan (d.)	6,582	nw
27 May 1942	U-753	Hamlet	6,578	nw

22 Feb 1943	U-753	N.T. Nielsen-Alonso	9,348	nw	ON-166
			30,025
3 ships sunk (23,117 tons) and 2 ships damaged (6,908 tons). Legend We have a picture of this vessel. (d.) means the ship was damaged.