Wolfpack (naval tactic)
In May 1918, six U-boats under the command of KL Rucker operated in the English Channel. They attempted to gather merchant ships into a single target area for attack. The strategy required boats to stay in contact via radio while waiting for a convoy to appear. This plan proved disastrous when U-103 made contact with a troop convoy but was rammed and sunk by the troopship before she could fire her torpedoes. UB 72 was caught on the surface by British submarine and torpedoed. During this short period of operation, nineteen homeward and eleven outward convoys passed through the patrol area without loss. Two U-boats, representing one-third of the force, had been destroyed.
Karl Dönitz developed co-ordinated attack tactics based on Hermann Bauer's earlier plan during the interwar years. Trials of these new tactics in 1936 proved successful despite German naval restrictions. When the Second World War broke out, the U-boat Arm found success from pre-war trials created some complacency. An attempt in October 1939 known as Hartmann's wolfpack failed completely. Hartmann found he was unable to exercise any tactical control from his boat at sea. Three U-boats were lost in that initial operation. A second attempt the following month also failed, leading to a re-think of German tactics.
The revised approach saw Dönitz micromanaging operations at sea from his headquarters in occupied France. He relied on the supposedly unbreakable Enigma code to transmit orders and coordinate movements. U-boat movements were controlled by U-boat Command from Kerneval. Boats usually patrolled separately, often strung out in lines across likely convoy routes. They were ordered to congregate only after one located a convoy and alerted the command center. This pack tactic consisted of as many U-boats as could reach the scene of the attack. If their number was sufficiently high compared to the expected threat of escorts, they would attack.
Most notably, wolfpacks required extensive radio communication to coordinate the attacks. This left the U-boats vulnerable to a device called the High Frequency Direction Finder or Huff-Duff. Allied naval forces used this tool to determine the location of enemy boats transmitting and attack them. Effective air cover from long-range aircraft with radar allowed U-boats to be spotted while shadowing a convoy. Escort groups developed group tactics against U-boat attack, gaining an advantage. As packs got larger, risks increased such as overlapping attacks or collision incidents. In May 1943, two U-boats stalking a Gibraltar convoy collided, resulting in the loss of both vessels.
In the Pacific, the United States Navy used individual patrol and pack tactics depending on the region. The South West Pacific command under Rear-Admiral Ralph Christie favored the individual patrol. The Central Pacific command under Rear Admiral Charles Lockwood at Pearl Harbor used the pack tactic instead. American wolfpacks usually comprised three boats that patrolled in close company. They organized before leaving port under the command of the senior captain of the three. Swede Momsen devised these tactics and led the first American wolfpack composed of USS Gato, USS Sealion, and USS Growler from Midway on the 1st of October 1943.
Wolfpacks fell out of use during the Cold War as the role of the submarine changed. With trade returned to peacetime conditions and the end of convoying, the submarine ceased to be a commerce raider. It moved to a range of more traditional military roles like scouting and intelligence-gathering. The USN deploys its attack submarines on individual patrols with rare exceptions for carrier strike groups. To date, the world's navies continue to deploy their submarines on individual patrols rather than coordinated packs.
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Common questions
When did Karl Dönitz develop coordinated attack tactics for wolfpacks?
Karl Dönitz developed coordinated attack tactics based on Hermann Bauer's earlier plan during the interwar years. Trials of these new tactics in 1936 proved successful despite German naval restrictions.
What happened to U-boat operations under KL Rucker in May 1918?
Six U-boats under the command of KL Rucker operated in the English Channel and attempted to gather merchant ships into a single target area for attack. The strategy failed when U-103 was rammed and sunk by a troopship before firing torpedoes, and UB 72 was torpedoed by a British submarine.
How did Allied forces counter the radio communication used by wolfpacks?
Most notably, wolfpacks required extensive radio communication to coordinate attacks which left them vulnerable to High Frequency Direction Finder or Huff-Duff devices. Allied naval forces used this tool to determine the location of enemy boats transmitting and attack them while effective air cover allowed U-boats to be spotted.
Who led the first American wolfpack composed of USS Gato USS Sealion and USS Growler?
Swede Momsen devised these tactics and led the first American wolfpack composed of USS Gato USS Sealion and USS Growler from Midway on the 1st of October 1943. This pack organized before leaving port under the command of the senior captain of the three.
Why did wolfpacks fall out of use during the Cold War era?
Wolfpacks fell out of use during the Cold War as the role of the submarine changed with trade returning to peacetime conditions and the end of convoying. The submarine ceased to be a commerce raider and moved to traditional military roles like scouting and intelligence-gathering.