The Stealthy U-Boat Attack That Crippled Britain
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 13 ต.ค. 2024
- Under the cover of night in October 1940, German U-99 submarines ambushed an Allied convoy en route to Britain with supplies. Beyond the tragic aftermath, this stealthy strategy had a lasting impact on nautical warfare.
From: HELL BELOW: Wolf Pack
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He wasn't just a decisive captain, he was an honorable one.. He was an honorable one... Before the wolfpack attacks, when attacking lone ships, he was generous to the crews of the sunken ships, making sure they would survive.. Even taking one lone survivor who was stranded on a raft, aboard until he could be transferred to the lifeboat of another of Kretschmer's takedowns..... when it was his turn for his ship to be sunken, he made sure that every member of his crew that was alive got off the uboat to safety... Until he couldn't even save himself, and had to be carried onto the capturing destroyer's deck by a British crewman..
It makes one proud to share a name with him.
David Kreschmer shows once again that only a small percentage of germans in the war were asshole nazis and those were mostly higher ups anyway. I hate it when ppl say all german soldiers were nazis bc thats not true and implies these were all inhuman beasts and not just normal soldiers.
agreed with you there where not all nazi and stuff, they just ad to.... Do the job so yeah...
Absolutely Hilarious You're rather presumptuous, aren't you?
Studying WWII naval history you find that honor more often than you might expect. German Q-ship captains would run in to an attack position, tell merchant crews they were going to sink the ship, let them get off, then get on with sinking the ship. I seem to recall some of them even taking on survivors and running them in to ports. Just because the leader was a horrid demagogue doesn't mean all the people were, and that's especially worth remembering in this day and age.
Unfortunately he survived the war until 1998. However he was killed in a boating accident whilst celebrating his 50th Wedding Anniversary so at least he got see the his country lose the war and divided by the iron curtain
In those days submariners earned double the amount a normal sailor would earn, that's why so many volunteered to join the U-boats. Also you were out there on the front line risking your life which is why the pay was so good if you were on a U-boat.
They also had a casualty rate of over 90%
Yea over the course of the war. It was so horrible back then that it should have been a war crime to have a submarine branch in the navy.
The submarine branch had the highest casualties among all the major powers' military. Having it alone is kind of like having a kamikaze force, almost certain death but sure to cause a lot of damage.
Roger Rabbit, You wrote "I know Germany started the war". In reality Germany and red USSR started WW2 in Europe. NAZIonal Germany and red InterNAZIonal USSR are allies against Poland. They together divided Poland.
Jack, Formally you are right, Britain and France declared war on Germany on 3 September. And why Britain and France did not declare war on red USSR after 17 September when red USSR started to liberate white Poland from whites.
Cool stuff, wish history channel, discovery channel and the other "learning" channels still maintained this sort of quality
TLC - the learning channel
The military History channel does good stuff
I wish this documentary was accurate and not yet more anti British nonsense. Britain won the Battle of the Atlantic, this attack did not cripple the UK, it's silly to say it did.
@@jamespennington7919 - That is true. The Germans lost the Battle of the Atlantic. This battle, over many years, was pivotal in defeating Germany during WWII. And the real heroes of this battle were the civvy-sailors embarked upon corvettes...not destroyers. And lest we forget those who gave the ultimate sacrifice as members of the Merchant Marine, who had the cahunas to do their jobs facing death every day and night, and the RCNR and RCNVR who "filled in the gaps" of not having RN and RCN "professionals"...
I'll never look at a reservist or a merchant sailor again as I used to do, given it was these groups that won the Battle of the Atlantic...and more. They remain the unsung heroes of WWII. Yet, without them, no victory would have been possible.
@@jamespennington7919 You can win a several years long battle while your forces are crippled at phases of the battle. During this phase the British Navy was crippled by the U Boat attacks.
During one patrol in the first two months of 1940, he sank three British armed merchant cruisers, two in one night. He was known for only taking one torpedo to sink his prey, exemplary conduct and helping the survivors of the ships he sank with supplies and given them bearings to the nearest land.
I read the title "The Stealthy U-Boat Attack That Crippled Britain"
My brain translated it into "The Germans sunk a freighter loaded with tea"
Churchill said that nothing frightened him more than the U-boat threat.
Last dialogue was like,"works done, beers on me"
That's so smart to get in side of the convoy
Yes. Once, I did exactly the same.
Καπτεν Χαρλοκ AHAHAHAHAHAAH
Igor Tereshchenko i think he meant in a game.
The hard part of being inside the convoy is getting away from the escorts. If you attack from father away your chances of survival go up.
Silent Otto and his brilliant masterpiece night attack. But that kind of attack was only possible in early years of war 1939-41. After that, those damn radars totally ruined all the game. It was absolutely impossible to sneak inside the convoy like that.
Once radar was available to the Royal Navy from early 1941 then German submarine attacks on the surface at night tailed off.
Capt. Donald MacIntyre, of HMS Walker, one of the most successful U-boat hunters of the war, was involved in the sinking of U-99 in March 1941 - Kretchsmer was captured.
Captain walker
Indeed Macintyre wrote a fascinating book about his service in WW2 , He did not have that high an opinion of Kretschmer and kept his binoculars as a trophy.
@@persilbran - he gave the binoculars back after the war.
The end of the first "Happy Times" for the U-boats was marked by the quasi-simultaneous destruction of three aces: U-47 (Prien), U-99 (Kretschmer), and U-100 (Schepke)
@@alfredovilla8560 Otto Kretchsmer was captured and survived the war as a POW.
U-boats were nearly impossible to detect at night on the surface, until radar was fitted into the escorts.
Great U Boat Captain.
RIP Sir.
That was a ballsy strategy! Torpedo los!!!!
As Phillips Payson O'Brien has written that German U-boats were much much bigger concern for Allied war leaders than some garrison style German infantry soldiers gaping in Eastern Front. In early 1942 relatively tiny group of German U-boats sunk so much bauxite at Atlantic and Caribbean that US aircraft production went down some 20%. Just think about if Germans would have had their XXI generation new U-boats in 1942 or even 1943.
Germany had limited resources. They needed to concentrate their limited resources in effective weapons and strategy at the decisive Schwerpunkt. They needed 300 submarines of higher underwater endurance and speed than Type VII or IX at the beginning of the war with long range high altitude air reconnaissance. These subs would have shut down British supply lines. Germany lacked a technological advantage in the air. They had developed the basics of turbojets early… but did not pursue development. In both WW 1, 2 Germany lacked a Grand Strategy to win these wars… or even better, avoid both wars.
Keep in mind this was at the start of the war when conveys were defenceless . Things quickly improved and losses were lower.
Coupled with the fact the Allies deciphered the german enigma code.
The wolf pack was badass
Would you like to be one of them
Dantick09 I would like to be u 480 with its Albright coating
Dantick09 if you want a game like this download silent hunters on pc
WoWS plz Add Subs
u 505 or U 96 only.
You really got good actors. Also, I really love that Wolfpack tactic. And I can't believe Kretchmer managed to sneak in and successfully complete the mission
Adm. E King USN refused to learn the lessons from the early U Boat campaign leading to the outstanding success of Op. Drumbeat.
'Happy Time' for the U-boatmen was short lived, literally. They reveled in their time but superior allied technology caught up with them. They sustained the highest mortality rate of any of the armed forces, Allied or Axis.
Cheers Papa... I wasn't aware of that. Very disturbing.
During this "happy time" red inter NAZI onal USSR and white NAZI onal Germany are allies - double side attacks on white Poland. Japan does not belong Axis - no any militant actions against Britain, USA, France.
Therefore without mention exact time period the notions Allies and Axis is stupidism. WW2 is enough complicated event.
Jack the Gestapo except they didn’t wipe out the Royal Navy, you know pretty much all the ships at D-day were British. You know the British ruled the Mediterranean afterwards
@Jack the Gestapo yeah however the Dutch submarines sunk so much japenese shipping it pretty much made it a moot point
@Jack the Gestapo and the japenese fleet was crippled in a single action at midway where as everyone else recovered and increased their fleets during the war
I like how everyone here is acting like my history teacher
That was a very daring thing to do, slip inside of the convoy. It worked though.
There once was a time Germany brought the world to its knees.
Very debatable
@@shye4700 There once was a time Shye brought the world to its knees.
@@aliasunknown7476 I appreciate it mate o7
But loss it 1945
1944
U boat attacks were supposed to be stealthy, that is the whole point in submarines.
As all should know it: sea warfare has always been much more advanced compared to land warfare. In that perspective war at Pacific and Atlantic made war in Eastern Front looks ridiculously primitive. During WW2 big powers with Soviet U as only exception gave much more resources to air and sea warfare than to land war. German army got only 30-33% of munition production. In UK it was some 20%, in US some 25% and in Japan just 16-18%.
Kretchmer was a stickler for the rules and I'm sure he refused to wear the white cover on his cap which was unofficial anyway.
You can say what you want but from every underwater vessel, do the U Boats look the most coolest
They look like any other WW2-era sub. Personally I prefer modern British subs with their weird hexagonal cross section.
Meh the Gato class or British Subs look so ugly to me. And in modern time I like the Typhoon class and the Alfa and Akula
Perhaps you know understand better why Hitler gave highest priority of warfare until the very end for new generation XXI U-boats. Admiral Dönitz had more influence on Hitler than any Army or Luftwaffe commander. That's the reason why Hitler ordered to defend Kurland in spring 1945 or Holland: to have places for new U-boats to hide and train. U-boats were really the only weapon Germany had to shake allied on its core.
Imagine if Germany had begun Unternehmen Paukenschlag with 50 U-Boats instead of 5
V2 rockets where scary along side those massive tanks they used.
Got ti give them credit, the germans were outstanding warriors
If my memory serves me right, my dad was on a destroyer in that convoy. He told me that they lost 26 merchant ships and 3 escorts. His destroyer escaped unharmed. 😢
I think you'll find that *no* U-Boat attack crippled Britain. The U-Boat *offensive* masterminded by Donitz is what crippled Britain. That, and Air Command's resistance to flying what they saw as "defensive" missions when they could be performing their own sweet Blitz over the cities of Germany.
I've noticed that this channel is practically propaganda, it routinely portrays everyone during WW2 as weaklings with the US as guardian angels, this would be understandable for any other American channel but it's inexcusable for a channel that is related to one of the most prestigious museums on the planet. To purposely skew history over and over again when history is your speciality frankly doesn't say much for the institution.
Except Britain despite major losses of merchant shipping was never crippled. the U-Boat campaign was successful until the capture of the ENIGMA codes, the total coverage by air and surface escorts and improved sensors, tactics and weapons. Coupled with the strategic bombing campaign the Kreigsmarine was unable to replace lost boats. And as much as one can admire the courage and tenacity displayed by both sides, I suggest we cut the U-Boats or whatever forever crap. Warfare is nothing to cheer about. Unless you are some extremist.
The reality of human ingenuity. A painful reality of our contemptible self destructiveness. A species could learn from this nature.
My friend's great grandfather was a German u boat commander in WW2 he commander of u 69
If I had command of a wolfpack, I would have at least one guy targetting all the escorts just before the attack on the shipping began.
Make it someone you didn't like. U-boats generally tried, where ever possible, to avoid tangling with escorts.
A wolf killing sheep from inside the flock. What can the shepherds do but watch in horror?
Can’t wait for Grey Hound to come out! 😄
Mercifully Britain was never crippled, but it was a close run thing.
Vespelian not really. German successes never came close to strangling the supply lines; lend lease made sure of that. In any case, poor strategy, conflicting priorities caused by an ignorance of coalition warfare made sure of the Axis defeat. Plus the British victory in the intelligence battle.
Vespelian ... Britain had control over vital water ways like Suez and up to some extent Mediterranean .....but they had cast resources and manpower of their colonies from Africa to Asia.....
Snollygoster Demagogues What is this gurgling nonsence? Wow, all this illiterate madness inspired by my little half sentence. I am flatered.
My pithy phrase paraphrsed Arthur Wesley, remember him? I merely echoed Churchill's concerns during the first 'Happy time' of 1941 which certainly felt like one of the darker hours.
However it seems to have inspired you to voluminous prose of purple idiocy of a wonderfully hysterical nature despite the inclusion of the odd obvious fact.
And how, from what little I wrote, you managed, though quite erroneously in fact, to ascertain my nationality is another positive wonder? Calm down old chap. Deep breath a glass of water and your medication and I'm sure you'll be as right as rain. Toodle pip.
mad cobra Que?
Thank Uncle Sam :)
Kretschmer only used 1 torpedo for each ship
14 torpedoes, 7 ships
@@karlk9316 may be he used remaining 7 in his previous attacks his job is to destroy the convoy
You have to refill fuel,ammunation,food only once in a week
@@fabolousnature3873 Did he engage in torpedo attacks after resupply and before this wolf pack attack?
this u boat commander got the balls..
uboat crew, correction
One torpedo one ship!!!
kretchmer: "one torpedo one ship"
also kretchmer (2:17): "torpedo 1 and 2, fire"
The German U-Boats were not real submarines, just submersible submersible torpedo boats. Germany needed 300 Type XXI at the beginning of the war with long range air surveillance and support. Achieve quick sea victory before Allies mobilized and developed countermeasures and Germany ran out of resources.
Sails into the convoy. Stands ontop of the boat
Wtf?
German U Boat Officers & Sailors....Forever.
I cant imagine being sent to war at young age
Wait wait, he was surfaced getting into the middle of that convoy? My SH5 instincts tell otherwise
Edit: well holy hecc, what a bloody mad lad :O
Stop basing facts off a game
Well, not exactly. Kretschmer evaded the escort ships around the perimeter of the convoy, got in amongst the merchant ships, then stayed on the surface until he ran out of torpedoes. Surface attack was the most common night tactic used by the U Boats since a submarine sits very low in the water and the crew can see things around it more clearly than when submerged. When surface search radar became more common on escorts, this tactic no longer worked as well.
Would realy appriciate to watch the series but not available on google store...even your page says it is....
Despite what the commentary says, attacking within the convoy was standard practice at the time. The escorts were outside the convoy, so the logical place to attack was inside.
Smart guy
Ack, this makes me want to play UBOAT all of a sudden. Not even sure why.
How did he get past the destroyers while still maintaining enough speed to get into the convoy from behind? Submerged he could go undetected past the escort, but the type VII U-boat could only go about 9 knots under water, which would make it impossible to catch the convoy.
Sorry no loss of one convoy 'crippled Britain'. Especially as by October 1940 the UK was already decoding German Naval signals traffic (later speeded up by the capture of the first enhanced Enigma machine from U-110 in May '41). For sure the Battle of the Atlantic was the longest battle of WWII and thousands of brave civilian and naval people died (on both sides) but the UK was never dependent on ONE convoy although we made very good use of everything we had purchased (for cash until Lend Lease in '42) from the USA.
Hahaha British looser naval enigma broken in June 1941. Read history than talk
Good job
That's a U boat... U know
Best u boat ace ..
We should have had more U boats in WWI and there would have been no WWII
🧐
Respect for u boats
...super..😊😊😊😊😊
What channel is this on?
R I.P. Sir.
The "happy times" as the nazi's called it early in the war followed later by the " Vat the fuck " times and at the wars finale the "Oh shitzen crapen , glug glug glug " times . Brave men on both sides though you have to give them that .
We all know that when a torpedo swims u are a dead ship
Rommel?
I hate it when I see my country not doing well in something
Just watch or read real history and not this pro American silliness and you'll find it gets easier.
Take out the escorts first, and the convoy becomes your prey.
Netflix has a new tv series called “Das Boot.” It just came out via German TV. Check it out!
If it wasn't by churchill the Brits wouldn't have suffered this
How?
2:40, Alastair Cook, what you were doing there???
75% casualty rate for the U Boat sailors
Зачем подводникам ночью включать прожектор? Они бы ещё фейверк пустили и потом удивляются почему нас заметили?
Yea but when I try this in Silent Hunter, I get spotted 3 outside the convoy.
The U boats Could've Kept Destroying the waves of British Ships
But they couldn't because the British developed counter tactics, like "rasberry" and "step aside", and made much better use of Hedgehogs. The losses were falling steeply and U-Boat losses climbing rapidly even before there was much improved aircover from aircraft carriers and long range planes.
Interestingly the best tactics were developed by girls fresh out of school (17/18) playing wargames under the rules set by a chronically ill British naval commander. They were so successful that because these battles would last for days, descriptions of the actions would be relayed back to them to get the latest advice.
Are U boat was so stealthy we didn't even attack
Fortune favors the bold.
What happened to Convoy 92?
"Crippled"...? I must've missed that bit.
Einmal die Geschwindigkeit bitte - 1000 Meter. Who translated this :D
Very dramatic as far as it goes, but it’s pretty well known that Britain wasn’t ‘crippled’ despite severe losses. Once code breaking, radar and ASW warfare caught up the profession of U-Boat crewman became the most dangerous of the war, with 75% killed in action.
Is this what the film Greyhound is based on?
I must have missed this attack that "crippled" Britain. Does this channel know how big the British merchant Fleet was?
Britannia didn't rule the waves that night.
U-99? seriously? i though its just on vehicle simulator only,dayummmm...
He had hus own way of attack.. within the convoy he caused chaos. The escort never think hes actually inside. ... but his tequinque got noticed by sone HMS captain. N they knew it was him. N weren't letting him get out this time think he was forced to surface and rammed . The captain that took him aboard n crew . But took his binoculars as far superior to the captains. Also as a trophy.
A ballzy U Boat Captain
So how did this cripple Britain ?
supplies
@@lolopard99 and Britain became crippled when exactly ?
Torpedo impact!
Here after seeing Greyhound trailer
The nightingale 😊
if only spain and portugal joined the axis. germany would have captured gibraltar malta and the suez canal.
those men did a great job on the allies
Is it legal in war to sink civilian merchant vessels like this?
Simple answer - yes. They were carrying war materials and supplies.
There was another U boat commander who was possibly even better - Gunther Prien.
Why are some of the German sailors in civilian clothes?
Das boot
"Schneller, SCHNELLER!"
The Italian Decima MAS (or Xa MAS) truly crippled Britain at Gibraltar, and Malta
So no one noticed that they had fired 14 torpedos but sunk 20 ships?
Yunggg Nuno I did
The convoy lost 20 ships to all causes. Only 7 were claimed by this specific boat.
U boats have deck guns you know...
A big cannon on the top deck of the sub, they would use it when they didn't want to waste a torpedo on a lone ship.
FoxhoundAK74 not that big
Wondering if submarine hit the escort ship first....omg
they usually avoided those because they didn't deem them worth the tonnage, destroyers were only 1-3k tons while most merchant ships were 7-11k tons including cargo.
I think you over dramatized the title, and are guilty of clickbaiting
Imagine if german navy have U214...
At that time.
There was a U boat type 7 u boat U-214 in fact there was even a type 9 u boat U-850. Dont know if you know but U 99 is the design number not meaning it is the 99th producted u boat. That is why even numbers like 850 existed in the early years of the war.
Cool
Hail 🇩🇪
1 point: if that crippled Britain u would be speaking german
Ewan Bennett wow dude that was good
Ww1 British lost half merchandise ships 4000 ships
The Germans had neither the desire nor capability to conquer the world. All they wanted was hegemony in Europe.
U boats 🔥🔥🔥🔥