BACK TO HOME PAGE

SHARKHUNTERS International
History of the German submarine U-3

Much of this information, the data, the photos etc. comes directly from the veterans, the veterans' organizations and is the most accurate available anywhere..............much of this information is not even known elsewhere.

The conning tower emblems worn by U-3
        
 

                    No men lost

U-3 was commanded by Fregettenkapitän Hans Meckel who went on to command U-19.  The next Skipper was Korvettenkapitän OTTO von BÜLOW (305-+-1987) who went on to command U-404 seen below with his Obersteuermann lighting up their cigars on the bridge of U-404 after a successful Feindfahrt.
       

Other Skippers who trained aboard U-2 include:
   Korvettenkapitän Ernst-Günther Heinicke who also commanded U-51, U-53 and U-2561;
   Kapitänleutnant Joachim Zander who also commanded U-311 where he was KIA;
   Kapitänleutnant Joachim Schepke who also commanded U-100 where he was KIA;
   Kapitänleutnant Gerhard Schreiber who also commanded U-95;
   Kapitänleutnant Hans Trojer who also commanded U-221 where he was KIA;
   Oberleutnant zur See E. Hartmann;
   Oberleutnant zur See Herbert Zoller who also commanded U-315;
   Oberleutnant zur See Neumeister who also commanded U-291.
NOTE - Sharkhunters Member's names appear in bold capital letters followed by their Membership Number..

         
                       Schepke                                        Trojer

In June 1940, U-3 was transferred from combat duty with the 1st U-Bootflottile, then based at Kiel, to the 21st U-Bootflottille where she became a schulboot (school boat).  U-3 was decommissioned on 1 August 1944 at Neustadt and was apparently used for cannibalization of parts for other boats.  She was surrendered in May 1945 and broken up by the Allies after the war.

During combat operations in the North Sea, U-3 sank the freighter VENDIA and picked up six survivors.  On 16 April 1940 there was an engagement with an unknown British submarine with no damage to either and it is believed that it was HMS PORPOISE.

                  SHIPS SUNK BY U-3 (Schepke commanding)

                      ___________________________________

Click on our emblem here to see all the benefits of Membership including a FREE photo that has been hand-signed by the veteran.  Almost 100 veterans, all Sharkhunters Members, hand-signed 100 each of their photos for us to give to new Members.  Most of these are not available anywhere else in the world.  Don't miss your opportunity - join now.

Sharkhunters Members get all this information and a whole lot more including a monthly Magazine with facts, veteran's memories and stories you cannot get anywhere else - and when you join, you may select one of our hand-signed photos of veterans of the war as your free gift.  Send us an email at sharkhunters@earthlink.net with your name, and request a FREE sample of our KTB Magazine.  You will love it - and there is NO obligation!

                             BACK TO HOME PAGE                                 

                         BACK TO U-BOAT HISTORY PAGE

SPECIAL NOTE; MORE INFORMATION - There is much more information on this boat and others in our book "The Rare Types".  CLICK HERE for more information on this boat.


Many thanks to our friend and Sharkhunters Member since 1987 GEORG HÖGEL for all the conning tower emblems used in our monthly KTB Magazine and also here on the pages of our website.  GEORG was radioman aboard U-30, the first boat into combat, the first to sink a ship (the liner ATHENIA) and the first into an occupied French port.  When that Skipper (Lemp) took command of U-110, GEORG was one of the former crew to transfer to the new boat under Lemp.  After the war, he was Professor of Art at a major German university.