U-Boat Operations

U-238	Type VIIC
Feldpost Number	M 50 141
Construction Yard	F.Krupp Germaniawerft AG, Kiel-Gaarden
Yard Number	668
Ordered	20th Jan 1941
Keel laid	21st Apr 1942
Launched	7th Jan 1943
Commissioned	20th Feb 1943
Baubelehrung	1.KLA, Kiel
Training, Flotillas and Duties
02.43 - 07.43	5.U-Flottille, Kiel Ausbildungsboot (under training)
08.43 - 02.44	1.U-Flottille, Brest Frontboot (operational)
Commanders
02.43 - 02.44	OL Horst Hepp see also: U-272

Operations information for U-238

12.08.1943 - 16.08.1943
First Sailing
U-238 left Kiel under the command of Horst Hepp on 12th Aug 1943 and arrived at return on 16th Aug 1943 after four days.

24.08.1943 - 26.08.1943
Second Sailing
On the 24th Aug 1943, U-238 left Bergen under the command of Horst Hepp and after two days arrived at return on 26th Aug 1943.

05.09.1943 - 08.10.1943
Third Sailing - active patrol
U-238 departed under Horst Hepp from Trondheim on 5th Sep 1943 for operations in the North Atlantic and arrived at return on 8th Oct 1943 after more than four weeks.
Horst Hepp hit five ships on this patrol and all of them were in convoy, all of them from convoy ON-202.

On 20th Sep 1943 he sank the American 7,176 ton Theodore Dwight Weld, sailing with convoy ON-202.
On 20th Sep 1943 he damaged the American 7,176 ton Frederick Douglass, a member of convoy ON-202.
On 23rd Sep 1943 he sank the Norwegian 3,642 ton Oregon Express, part of convoy ON-202.
On 23rd Sep 1943 he sank the Norwegian 5,096 ton Skjelbred, from convoy ON-202.
On 23rd Sep 1943 he sank the British 7,134 ton Fort Jemseg, sailing with convoy ON-202.

U-238 operated as part of the Leuthen group.You can read more about the Norwegian ships listed for this patrol at www.warsailors.com.
Click the links for more information on Oregon Express and Skjelbred.

11.11.1943 - 12.12.1943
Fourth Sailing - active patrol
U-238 left Brest under the command of Horst Hepp on 11th Nov 1943 for operations in the North Atlantic and after four and a half weeks arrived at return on 12th Dec 1943.U-238 operated as part of the Schill 2 group, which was then merged into the Weddigen group.

Air Attacks this patrol

On 27th November U-238 saw an aircraft crash into the sea and rescued 2 aircrew from Wellington 'O' (HF153) 172 SQN based at Lagens in the Azores. The Wellington had attacked U-764 at 2013 while flying escort for convoys SL-140 and MKS-31.

Hepp's decision to rescue and interrogate the airmen brought bad luck. Hepp radioed his interrogation report and was DF'd by the Allies. U-764 and U-238 were to rendezvous, with the homebound U-764 to take on the airmen. Instead, U-764 was attacked on November 29 by aircraft, then destroyers hunted it for 16 hours before making good its escape. 2 aircraft from USS Bogue - an Avenger (LT J E Ogle) and a Wildcat - found U-238, and in their attack killed 2 of U-238's crew, wounding Hepp and four others. U-238 survived to return with the 2 airmen who went into captivity.

27.01.1944 - 09.02.1944
Fifth Sailing
On the 27th Jan 1944, U-238 left Brest under the command of Horst Hepp for operations W of Ireland and arrived at return on 9th Feb 1944 after nearly two weeks.U-238 operated with the Igel 2 group.

Notes for U-238

U-238 was located on the morning of 9th February 300 miles WSW of Fastnet (49.44N, 16.07W) near the combined convoy MKS-38 and SL-147. The 2 sloops HMS Kite and HMS Magpie of Capt. Johnny Walker's B2 group closed on U-238 which dived and fired a Gnat torpedo. Kite dropped a single depth charge which countermined the Gnat nearby, giving the sloop a lucky escape. Both the sloops conducted creeping attacks until noon when Walker arrived in HMS Starling.

Hepp had conducted a skillful defence for hours, until Starling directed a Hedgehog attack by Magpie. Walker admitted later it was a fluke result - 2 underwater explosions were followed up by Starling dropping 10 more D/Cs, producing debris. A total of 262 depth charges had been dropped and 8 hedgehog attacks made. All 50 crew were lost.

We have 55 crew names for this boat. click here for crew names of U 238
You can perform other crew searches here. Note that the number of names we give possibly includes prior crew members.

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