Can you identify the Uboat?

[partisan]

Hi,
I founded in Italy these photos... can you help me to identify the Uboat?
It's strange that I see two different emblems on the same uboat...
1: a sword in a shield and a circle
2: two dancing red devils with torches





Thank you for help.
partisan

[Sir Sinkalot]

U boats

The Devil boat is Erich Topps boat ..the U 552

[Sir Sinkalot]

U boats

As far as the other one, there were three U boats to use this emblem.....see here... http://www.uboat.net/special/emblems/u734.html

[amiklic1]

The second one can only be U-81 as other two, U-731 and U-734 never sunk a single ship.

U-81 operated in Mediterranean and is sunk outside Pola in Adriatic sea.

[amiklic1]

So, pennants show
6000
1600
? (question mark followed by ??? and than "T")
sailing ship
sailing ship
sailing ship


Based on the archives, U-81 sunk
4 sailing ships on 11th of February 1943 (10th patrol)
2 sailing ships on 20th of March 1943 (11th patrol)
one sailing ship on 26th of June 1943 (12th patrol)

[compressore]

? Brt

? BRT

Question Mark Brutto Register Tonnen
So size not known

Regards
Christian

[amiklic1]

It's probably "? BRT" based on the "ghost writing" visible when magnified.

It mignt, also, be her 5th war patrol, from
4 Apr 1942 (La Spezia) till 25 Apr 1942 (Salamis), when she sunk 7 ships of which 5 sailboats.

Amongst other ships there are:
- British steam tanker Caspia of 6018 BRT
- French French A/S trawler FLL Vikings (P41) (and they could miss the tonnage for that one, writing 1600, that happened quite often).

[partisan]

Thank you very much!!!!!
How many informations... Thanks again!
I founded 5 photos, I'll post the others later...
Partisan

[partisan]

...Excuse me, but why that strange caps?
Partisan

[amiklic1]

It was not uncommon for Uboot men to wear all kind of such hats.
Iwas more of a fashion than need.

Pith helmets were used often, also, of different manufacturers and origins, also.

[partisan]

Here is th other photos. Is it possible identify the captain and the boat?







Thanks
partisan

[partisan]

can someone identify the captain and the boat of this last 3 photos?

Thanks in advanced
Partisan

[JAndrew]

Partisan,
The bottom photo is the U-552 again. It was taken August 13, 1942 when the boat returned to the pens at St. Nazaire. Note the through and through holes at the front of the conning tower compliments of the Canadian corvette Sackville. The Captain is Topp who can be seen leaning over with the megaphone in his hand.

The top photo looks like there is a single 37mm on the lower platform and a quad 20mm on the upper platform. The only boats I am aware of with this configuration were the "Flak Trap" modifications to U-256, U-441, U-621 and U-953. They were converted in May 1943 and converted back to original configuration November, 1943.
During that period U-256 was commanded by Oblt. Wilhelm Brauel. U-441 by Kptlt. Götz von Hartmann and later by Kptlt. Klaus Hartmann, U-621 by Oblt. Max Kruschka and U-953 by Oblt. Karl-Heinz Marbach. I cannot tell which boat is pictured but I don't see a boat's captain in the photo.

I am not sure what boat it is with the prow of the Viking dragon ship on the side of the tower. That emblem was used by 6th flotilla but all the ones I have seen have a black sub across the bottom which I do not see here.

JAndrew

[partisan]

Thank you very much JAndrew!

partisan

[JAndrew]

You are very welcome. I regret that I could not give you better answers.
JAndrew