Facts U-673 Additional Information.   Table of Contents Topic: Stats on the U-673 Topic: VIIC 1940 Profile Topic: VIIC 1944 Profile Topic: Bridge profiles, including U-673's Type VI Topic: St. Nazaire Naval Base Topic: Bergen Naval Base Topic: Trondheim Naval Base Topic: Narvik Naval Base Topic: Howaldtswerke, Hamburg - builder Topic: Commanders Topic: Commanders Topic: Credits Statistics To be added later............

U-673 History 20 Jan, 1942 Keel laid on this date at the Howaldtswerke, Hamburg. 8 May, 1943 U-673 was commissioned. The ship was received by Oblt. Gerhard Haelbich. After which she was assigned to the 5 Flottille to under go tranning. The 5. Flottille, Ausbildungsflottille (Training Flotilla) 06.41 - 05.45 Kiel, was a traning base. 14 Aug, 1944 On August 14 1943, in a further strengthening of the anti-aircraft armament, tests were ordered of an additional anti-aircraft platform forward of the bridge. These Bridge Conversions V and VI (different versions for the forward platform) provided: aft above, two twin 2cm M38; aft below, one 3.7cm M42; and the forward platform, a twin 2cm or a further 3.7cm M42. The first two test boats, U973 and U673 (Conversion VI) were intended for the Polar regions. Additionally, U362 (Conversion V) was similarly fitted out. The added structure did not prove satisfactory, however, and had an adverse effect on stability. Finally, as Bridge Conversion VII, around the bridge itself a raised platform was provided, on which two anti-aircraft guns were placed side by side forward of the bridge, and a similar two abaft it. Sometime after this date the U-673 along with U-973 received a bridge modification. The modification, typr VI, is see in the photo above. Kptlt. Gerhard Haelbich is replaced by Oblt. Heinz-Gerd Sauer. Oblt. Sauer takes command of U-673 on 15 Aug, 1943. 15 Feb,1944 U-673 is transfered to the 14. Flottille at Narvik, leaves Kiel, Germany and heads for Bergen, Norway 18 Feb, 1944 U-673 arrives at the Naval Base at Bergen, Norway. 20 Feb, 1944 After two days in port, the U-673 leaves Bergen, is assigned to the 'Hartmut' group and is ordered toward convoy JW.57. On 20 Feb convoy JW.57 sets out from Loch Ewe with 42 ships. Convoy is located on 23 Feb by a Ju 88 of the Air Officer Commanding North (West) and for more than 10 hours a FW200 maintains contact. The 'Werewolf' U-boat group )U956, U674, U425, U601,U362, U739, 713,U313, U312, and U990) is deployed and in addition, the 'Hartmut' group (U472, U315, U673, and U366) set out. 24 Feb, 1944 On 24 Feb a FW 200 keeps contact in spite of attacks by Martlets from carrier 'Chaser', and brings up U425, U601, U739 and U713 onto the convoy. U-713 is sunk by the 'Keppel'. By the evening of the 25 Feb the U-boats are driven off. 27 Feb, 1944 U-673 arrives in Narvik for replenishment. 29 Feb, 1944 U-673 leaves in Narvik for the Kola Inlet, Russia. On 28 Feb the convoy arrives in the Kola Inlet, observed by air reconnaissance. The remaining boats (U739, U307, 315 and U472) are formed into 'Boreas' group to operate against the expected west-bound convoy and the boats U361, U959, U278, U973, U366, U673, U288,and U354 join the formation in some cases, after brief replenishment. 2 Mar, 1944 U-673 arrives in Trondheim for replenishment/repairs and leave for the crew. 24 Mar, 1944 After twent-two days in port the U-673 sets off, returning to Narvik. 26 Mar, 1944 The U-673 arrives into port and is refueled. 27 Mar, 1944 U-673 sails out of Narvik for patrol in the artic shipping lanes. 1 Apr, 1944 U-673 is under attack and damaged by a convoy escort (convoy number unknown at this time), forcing the u-boat to return to the base at Narvik. 4 Apr, 1944 U-673 arrives at Narvik. 6 Apr, 1944 After two days in Narvik, the U-673 sails off to it's home base at Trondheim 9 Apr, 1944 U-673 arrives at Trondheim for repairs to the damage it sustained on the 1st. 19 May, 1944 U-673 with repairs completed sets sail for the base at Narvik. 21 May, 1944 U-673 arrives at the Naval base in Narvik, Norway. 29 May,1944 U-673 sets out, sent back to Trondheim. 31 May, 1944 U-673 arrives back to Trondheim. Because of the build-up of the 'landwirt' U-boat group in France, and 'Mitte' in Norway as a defense against invasion, only a few weather boats operate in the North Atlantic: until the end of May U736, U955, U385, then U853, U534 and U857 and at the end of June/ beginning July, the experimental boat for a new AA turret VI, U673. In spite of the regular transmission of the weather reports, no losses are sustained. 4 June, 1944 U-673 sets out for the southern tip of Iceland and is on weather-reporting detail and to conduct further tests on the Type VI bridge design. The U-673, commanded by Heinz-Gerd Sauer, age twenty-nine, carried out a weather-reporting patrol south of Iceland partly to battle test his experimental Type VI bridge configuration. Control directed Sauer to return U-673 to Norway, but he did not get this message and proceeded to France. 23 Jul, 1944 Eleven Type VII snort boats survived the intense pre-invasion Allied ASW campaign in Norwegian waters and sailed to join the Atlantic U-boat force in June. Allied forces sank seven of the eleven before they completed these transit patrols. Therefore only four snort boats reached France from Norway and one U-673 came there by mistake. Surprised by arrival of the U-673 off Lorient on July 23, Rosing directed Sauer to put into St. Nazaire. Upon his arrival there July 23, Sauer went to other duty. At this time the U-673 was reassigned to the 6 Flottille, St. Nazaire, France. 14 Sep, 1944 U-673 spent 54 days in port. During this time the type VI bridge was removed from the deck of the U-673. Oblt. Heinz-Gerd Sauer was replaced by Oblt. Ernst-August Gerke. The U-673, commanded by a new commander, Ernst-August Gerke, age twenty-three. She, with the decommissioned/recommissioned U-382, newly fitted with a snort and also commanded by a new skipper, Hans-Dietrich Wilke., age thirty-two, sailed from St. Nazaire on September 14 and La Pallice on September 10, respectively. Both skippers set course direct for Norway via waters well west of the British Isles. 19 Oct, 1944 The U-673 along with U-382 arrive in Bergen. Owning to the air-raid damage and crowded conditions at Bergen, Control directed both boats to proceed to the U-boat base at Scavenger, Norway. 24 Oct. 1944 While making this transit on October 24, Wilke in U-382 rammed and severely damaged the U-673, which flooded and beached in Nerstrandfiord. Wilke in U-382 took off the crew of U-673, and later Germans destroyed the boat. Wilke then sailed the U-382 on to the Baltic, where she patrolled against the Soviet forces under a new skipper. Wilke and Gerke were assigned to command big electro boats. 6th Flotilla "Hundius" U-Boat Net Wolfpack League U-Boat Archive Here are the number of visitors since August 24th, 2002. E-mail: U-673 of the 6th Flotilla for questions concerning this site Please add "U-673" in the subject line. Thanks, Jochen The U-673 Website: U-673 information is provided here for your interest and history of this U-boat, and to fill some of the gaps in U-boat history during WWII. This site does not promote nazism in any form but to enhance the study of the German Navy, in part the U-boats, of WWII. Stats on the U-673 | VIIC 1940 Profile | VIIC 1944 Profile | Bridge profiles, including U-673's Type VI | St. Nazaire Naval Base | Bergen Naval Base | Trondheim Naval Base | Howaldtswerke, Hamburg - builder | Commanders of U-673 | Home page | Copyright ©2002 U-673 reference site, . All Rights Reserved.

Bridge Configurations