German submarine U-703
VII C
H. C. Stülcken son, Hamburg
July 16, 1941
October 16, 1941
13 patrols
- 5 merchant ships ( 29,532 GRT)
- 1 auxiliary warship (500 GRT)
- 1 warship ( 1,870 t)
U 703 was a German U- Boat Type VII C of the Navy, which was used during the Second World War, mainly against Allied convoys in the Arctic Ocean.
History
U 703 was built on the Stülcken shipyard in Hamburg. It was put into service in October 1941 and undertook under the command of Heinz Biel Kptlt field training cruises and diving tests in the Baltic Sea. In April 1942 the boat was assigned to its first use in combat to Narvik in Norway.
Inserts
On his trip to Norway put U 703 in Helgoland and Stavanger, until it finally arrived in Bergen on 13 April. From here started commander Biel field on his first patrol during the boat as part of the submarine group shrub Knight operated on the Nordmeergeleitzug QP 11. Successes during the patrols:
- On May 29, 1942 16, the U.S. merchant ship Syros is sunk from Convoy PQ.
- On 5 July 1942, the British merchant ship Empire Byron is sunk from the dissolved Convoy PQ 17.
- On 5 July 1942, the British merchant ship sunk River Afton is out of the former convoy PQ 17.
- On September 20, 1942 will be seriously damaged from the convoy QP 14, the British destroyer HMS Somali, he falls four days later.
- On 30 July 1943, the Soviet Navy trawler T -911 is sunk.
- On 1 October 1943, the Soviet merchant ship Sergei Kirov is sunk.
- On 3 April 1944, the British merchant ship Empire Tourist is sunk.
Downfall
In spring 1944 U 703 received the new task of exposing of weather balloons in the Arctic waters. During one of these missions, the boat disappeared suddenly at 25 September 1944. It had left Narvik on 14 September on his 13th deployment to suspend a weather balloon. Due to the bad weather and the heavy swell during this technically demanding applications, it is assumed that U 703 the adverse conditions fell victim. From the boat and its 54 - member crew no trace was found.