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U Boat 344 From information supplied by
Ray Holden & U Boat.net http://uboatarchive.net/U-344/KTB344-1.htm On August 21st 1944, U344 came across HMS Kite, on Russian convoy escort duty, travelling at 6 knots on a straight course and put two torpedoes into her sending her to the bottom with the loss of 217 lives. The reasoning behind this apparently suicidal course and speed can be read by clicking on HMS Kite, which is also on my domain. A totally avoidable unnecessary loss but, without which, these pages would not have been written. Small recompense for relatives but at least here they can find out how their loved ones died. Only 14 sailors where picked up by HMS Keppel, of which 5 died on her decks. It would be easy to be bitter against those officers and men pictured below but, like our lads, they were only doing their job. The following day, a Fairey Swordfish, from the Escort Carrier HMS Vindex spotted the U344 on the surface and, using depth charges, dispatched it to the bottom with the loss of all hands. (50 men). Of a total of 40,000 German sailors in WW2 who left port in the u boats, 30,000 never returned. The vast majority of these sailors were ordinary sailors with no particular political affiliation just like our own sailors.
Information taken from
www.uboat.net.
All links in the above table are to uboat.net.
Biography on the Commander of
U344. (From Ray Holden).
One August Morning. The date is 21 August 1944. Kapitanleutnant Ulrich Pietsch of the submarine U-344 together with his comrades in the Trutz Group have deployed themselves across the route of Arctic Convoy JW.59. In those latitudes at this time of year there is continuous daylight which means that there is little respite for the submarines from the ever—vigilant eyes of the aircraft and the escort vessels protecting the merchantmen. The Allies are, however, not the only people to have eyes in the air. A twin-engined Junkers Ju88 has reported the convoy east of Jan Mayen Island, and the Trutz Group goes in for the attack, firing a salvo of Gnat torpedoes at the convoy. Although it is not usual for the German submarines to attack escort vessels, the Escort Group presents a target of opportunity for U—344. The white feather caused by the periscope of U—344 is barely visible in the spray and spume of the Greenland Sea as the submarine closes up to the small ice—covered warships heaving in the freezing seas. There is a tense atmosphere in the control room of the submarine, as bearings and ranges are tersely reported. Then, in a moment, a salvo of pattern—running torpedoes bubbles its way toward the little warships. A moment’s wait, and then the muffled sound of torpedoes striking home. One of the little escorts has been hit by two torpedoes; blown apart she is sinking fast. Little hope now for the 226 men on board as the green sea climbs higher and higher over the wreckage of the ship. In some 90 seconds all is over, save for a few, too few, life—jacketed sailors bobbing in the unforgiving sea. The little warship is HMS Kite. Taken from: The Price of Admiralty by C J Thompson MA. A copy of which can be purchased from Braintree Museum.
See HMS Kite Thanks to Ray Holden, here is a complete crew list for the U344 courtesy of:
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