Die Schnellboot-Seite
S-Boats in the Kriegsmarine 1935 - 1945
War-Zones of the S-Boats
Polandcampaign 1939
Just before outbreak of the Polandcampain the three ready for sea Polish destroyers, "Grom"," Blyskawica", and "Burza", escaped from the Baltic Sea.Since hostilities had not yet been opened the four German d´estroyers which were tracking them let them escape. The remainder of the Polish Fleet consisted now only of the minelayer "Gryf", the destroyer "Wicher", the torpedoboats "Mazur" and "Kujawiak", the gunboats "General Haller" and "Kommandant Pilsudski" as well as the submarines "Sep", "Orzel", "Rys", "Wilk" and "Sbik".
1. SFltl (Kptlt. Sturm)
The Flotilla with "S 11" (Oblt.z.S. Schultze-Jena), "S 12" (Oblt.z.S. Kecke) , "S 18" (Oblt.z.S. Frhr von Mirbach), "S 19" (Oblt.z.S. Grund), "S 20" (Oblt.z.S. Wuppermann, "S 21" (Oblt.z.S. Klug), and "S 23" (Oblt.z.S. Christiansen) was subordinate to CinC East (Seebefehlshaber Ost - KAdm. Lütjens) and was earmarked for minelaying in the Bight of Danzig (Zatoka Gdańska).
When the Polish were laying extensive minefields themselves, it was ordered to take over duty to guard the gaps in the Polish minefields. In so doing a small Polish craft was sunk by artillery. Then the flotilla was ordered to proceed into the Northsea to take over escort duties for cruisers and minelayers.
On September 1sr 1939 "S 19", "S 21", "S 20", and "S 22" carried out controlvoyafes in the bight of Danzig and were then employed as depecheboats for Führer der Zerstörer (F.d.Z.). "S 12" and "S 23" carried out one voyage to Pillau (Baltijsk) and back as depecheboats for F.d.Z. each. "S 12" had an enginedamage on her way back.
"S 11" (Oblt..z.S. Schultze-Jena) on September 1st 1939 belonged to the 1. SFltl, however, she did not take part in teh operation of the 1, SFltl in the Bight of Danzig and was given over to the 2. SFltl on September 9th with commanding officer and crew. "S 24" and "S 25" werestil in the shipyard rsp. in the Navy Arsenal for final equipping.
On September 2nd 1939 the flotilla transitted with "S 12", "S 19, "S 20", "S 21", "S 22", and "S 23" because of the bad weather to (Baltijsk) , from where the next day an inspection voyage in the bight of Danzig was performed and in the night September 3rd/4th 1939 the flotilla transitted to Saßnitz. In so doing the boats performed submarineprotection of tedner "Tsingtau".
"S 18" had to perform a depeche-voyage from Swinemünde (Świnoujście) to Pillau (Baltijsk) on September 3rd 1939 and transitted as a single boat from Pillau (Baltijsk) to Saßnitz during the night September 3rd/4th 1939.
On September 5th 1939 the flotilla with "S 12", "S 18", "S 19",, "S 20", "S 21", and "S 23" transitted from Saßnitz to Kiel, to transit without "S 22", which had a break in the wheelbox and stayed at ´Kiel until September 9th for repairs, to Wilhelmshaven.
With that the operation of the flotilla in the Polandcampain was come to an end.
On September 25th 1939 "S 12" with commanding officer and crew was handed over to the 2. SFltl.
OnSeptember 29th 1939 the flotilla transitted back to the Baltic Sea to go through a planned for period in the shipyard until March 1940.
2. SFltl (Kptlt. Petersen)
At the outset of the war the flotilla wiith "S 9" (Oblt.z.S. Obermaier), "S 10" (???), "S 14" (Oblt.z.S. Birnbacher), "S 15" (Oblt.z.S. Rebensburg, Bernd), "S 16" (Oblt.z.S. Opdenhoff), and S 17" (Oblt.z.SD. Schultze-Jena, Hans) performed reconnaissance in the area around Heligoland. In so doing "S 17" suffered from such a heavy sea damage, that she had to be decommissioned.
Because of the bad weather the flotilla stayed in harbour for the next days and transitted on September 10th 1939 with "S 9", "S 10", "S 11" (Oblt.z.S. Schultze-Jena, Hans), "S 14", "S 15", and "S16" to Kiel. "S 11" had been handed over from the 1. to the 2. SFltl the same day with complete crew and commanding officer..
On September 19th 1939 the flotilla transitted to Saßnitz. Under teh transit "S 9" had an engine failure and was decommissioned on September 29th 1939 but was left as a spare-boat with the flotilla.
On September 25th 1939 "S 12" (Oblt.z.S. Kecke) was transfered from the 1. to the 2. SFltl, so that the flotilla now had control of eight boats.
On October 2nd 1939 Oblt.zS. Babbel took command of "S 13 and on 4th took Oblt.z.S. Koscky command of "S 14", and Oblt.z.S. Zimmermann of "S 15". Therefore, in the afternoon "S 13", "S 14", and "S 15" left harbour for an exercisevoyage for the new commanding offiscers. On October 5th "S 13", "S 14", and "S 15" sailed from Saßnitz to Swinemünde (Świnoujście) and back. "S 14" and "S 15" carried out a control-voyage to the barrier in the Sound on October 7th without any particular results. The barrier was i.a. prevent the Polish submarine "Orzel" which weas interned in Estsuvia from escaping from the Baltic. Like the submarine "Wilk" she could escape unnotized and sail to Scapa Flow.
On October 10th, 13th, 16th, 17th, 26th and 27th 1939 torpedo and attack exercises were carreid out with tender "Tanga" as target.
With beginning of the icing of the Baltic the flotilla went back to the Northsea. Also it went into a planned shipyard overhaul period until early March 1940.