| Unit Name: | Wolfpack West |
| Dates: | 8 May - 20 June 1941 |
| Branch: | Kriegsmarine |
| Size: | 23 submarines |
| Battles: | Convoy OB 317 Convoy OB 318 Convoy OB 322 Convoy OB 327 Convoy OB 328 Convoy OB 329 Convoy OB 330 Convoy SC 30 Convoy HX 126 Convoy HX 128 |
| Notable Commanders: | Gerhard Bigalk Engelbert Endrass Robert Gysae Eitel-Friedrich Kentrat Wilhelm Kleinschmidt Claus Korth Herbert Kuppisch Fritz-Julius Lemp Wolfgang Lüth Ernst Mengersen Adalbert Schnee Klaus Scholtz Heinrich Schonder Herbert Schultze Robert Gysae Karl Thurmann Helmut Rosenbaum Herbert Wohlfarth Robert-Richard Zapp |
West was a wolfpack of German U-boats that operated during the World War II Battle of the Atlantic from 8 May 1941 to 20 June 1941.[1]
This wolfpack was responsible for sinking 33 ships and damaging a further four ships, making it one of the most successful wolfpacks of World War II.
| Date | U-boat | Name of ship | Nationality | Tons | Convoy | Comments | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 May 1941 | Ramillies |  United Kingdom | 4,553 | OB 317 | Sunk | ||
| 9 May 1941 | Bengore Head | United Kingdom | 2,609 | OB 318 | Sunk | ||
| 9 May 1941 | Empire Cloud | United Kingdom | 5,969 | OB 318 | Damaged | ||
| 9 May 1941 | Esmond | United Kingdom | 4,976 | OB 318 | Sunk | ||
| 9 May 1941 | Gregalia | United Kingdom | 5,802 | OB 318 | Sunk | ||
| 10 May 1941 | Aelybryn | United Kingdom | 4,986 | OB 318 | Damaged | ||
| 10 May 1941 | Empire Caribou | United Kingdom | 4,861 | OB 318 | Sunk | ||
| 10 May 1941 | Gand |  Belgium | 5,086 | OB 318 | Sunk | ||
| 13 May 1941 | HMS Salopian | 10,549 | SC 30 | Sunk | |||
| 13 May 1941 | Somersby | United Kingdom | 5,170 | SC 30 | Sunk | ||
| 20 May 1941 | British Security | United Kingdom | 8,470 | HX 126 | Sunk | ||
| 20 May 1941 | Cockaponset | United Kingdom | 5,995 | HX 126 | Sunk | ||
| 20 May 1941 | Darlington Court | United Kingdom | 4,974 | HX 126 | Sunk | ||
| 20 May 1941 | Harpagus | United Kingdom | 5,173 | HX 126 | Sunk | ||
| 20 May 1941 | John P. Pedersen |  Norway | 6,128 | HX 126 | Sunk | ||
| 20 May 1941 | Norman Monarch | United Kingdom | 4,718 | HX 126 | Sunk | ||
| 20 May 1941 | Rothermere | United Kingdom | 5,356 | HX 126 | Sunk | ||
| 20 May 1941 | San Felix | United Kingdom | 13,037 | OB 322 | Damaged | ||
| 21 May 1941 | Elusa |  Netherlands | 6,235 | HX 126 | Sunk | ||
| 21 May 1941 | Marconi | United Kingdom | 7,402 | OB 322 | Sunk | ||
| 22 May 1941 | Barnby | United Kingdom | 4,813 | HX 126 | Sunk | ||
| 29 May 1941 | Empire Storm | United Kingdom | 7,290 | HX 128 | Sunk | ||
| 2 June 1941 | Michael E. | United Kingdom | 7,628 | OB 327 | Sunk | ||
| 3 June 1941 | Eibergen | Netherlands | 4,801 | OB 327 | Sunk | ||
| 3 June 1941 | Inversuir | United Kingdom | 9,456 | OB 327 | Damaged | ||
| 3 June 1941 | Inversuir | United Kingdom | 9,456 | OB 327 | Sunk | ||
| 4 June 1941 | Trecarrell | United Kingdom | 5,271 | OB 327 | Sunk | ||
| 5 June 1941 | Wellfield | United Kingdom | 6,054 | OB 328 | Sunk | ||
| 6 June 1941 | Tregarthen | United Kingdom | 5,201 | OB 329 | Sunk | ||
| 6 June 1941 | Yselhaven | Netherlands | 4,802 | OB 328 | Sunk | ||
| 8 June 1941 | Baron Nairn | United Kingdom | 3,164 | OB 328 | Sunk | ||
| 8 June 1941 | Dirphys |  Greece | 4,240 | Sunk | |||
| 8 June 1941 | Pendrecht | Netherlands | 10,746 | OB 329 | Sunk | ||
| 9 June 1941 | Trevarrack | United Kingdom | 5,270 | OB 329 | Sunk | ||
| 10 June 1941 | Christian Krohg | Norway | 1,992 | OB 329 | Sunk | ||
| 10 June 1941 | Mercier | Belgium | 7,886 | OB 330 | Sunk | ||
| 13 June 1941 | Tresillian | United Kingdom | 4,743 | OB 330 | Sunk |
Of the 23 U-boat commanders, 19 were either, or went on to become, recipients of the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross.
| U-boat | Commander | From | To | Notes | |
| Wolfgang Lüth | 17 May 1941 | 16 June 1941 | |||
| Engelbert Endrass | 19 May 1941 | 6 June 1941 | |||
| Herbert Schultze | 2 June 1941 | 8 June 1941 | |||
| Robert-Richard Zapp | 24 May 1941 | 5 June 1941 | |||
| Helmut Rosenbaum | 31 May 1941 | 16 June 1941 | |||
| Eitel-Friedrich Kentrat | 13 May 1941 | 22 May 1941 | |||
| Helmuth Ringelmann | 2 June 1941 | 20 June 1941 | |||
| Heinrich Schonder | 6 June 1941 | 20 June 1941 | |||
| Claus Korth | 8 May 1941 | 26 May 1941 | |||
| Herbert Kuppisch | 8 May 1941 | 29 May 1941 | |||
| Udo Heilmann | 8 May 1941 | 27 May 1941 | |||
| Robert Gysae | 8 May 1941 | 27 May 1941 | |||
| Ernst Mengersen | 2 June 1941 | 20 June 1941 | |||
| Klaus Scholtz | 2 June 1941 | 20 June 1941 | |||
| Hans-Georg Fischer | 13 May 1941 | 23 May 1941 | |||
| Fritz-Julius Lemp | 9 May 1941 | 9 May 1941 | U-boat was lost | ||
| Wilhelm Kleinschmidt | 13 May 1941 | 5 June 1941 | |||
| Adalbert Schnee | 8 May 1941 | 13 May 1941 | |||
| Walter Kell | 5 June 1941 | 16 June 1941 | |||
| Karl Thurmann | 13 June 1941 | 20 June 1941 | |||
| Herbert Wohlfarth | 10 May 1941 | 20 May 1941 | |||
| Ottokar Arnold Paulssen | 25 May 1941 | 20 June 1941 | |||
| Gerhard Bigalk | 16 June 1941 | 20 June 1941 |