In the course of the Russian campaign the Wehrmacht conquered large areas of southern Russia including the Crimea and the Taman Peninsula. The Soviet Black Sea fleet subsequently withdrew to ports in the Caucasus. The OKW was then faced with the problem of powerful Soviet naval forces intervening in land battles and posing a constant threat to supply lines and flanks. On the German side, however, there were no naval units with which to guard the Black Sea, which is greater in area than the Baltic. The OKW bad anticipated this threat before the attack on Russia. At a Fübrer conference on 18 March 1941, consideration was given to sending small submarines to Rumania, however nothing was done. The idea was revived by the naval command in December 1941 and, after a further delay, was made reality in spring 1942. Three Type II B boats (U-19, U-24 and U-9) were initially selected for service in the Black Sea. To conceal what was happening, the boats were taken out of training service and decommissioned. They were then partially disassembled and transported down the Kaiser-Wilbelm Canal to Hamburg and then on to Dresden. From there the boats were transported overland on large flatbed trailers to the port of Ingolstadt on the Danube. From Ingolstadt they were shipped on pontoons down the Danube to Galati, Rumania, where the boats were reassembled and placed back in service. The submarines made the last part of trip down the Danube to its mouth on the Black Sea near Sulina, and from there along the coast to their new base in Constanza, under their own power.
After the success of this first transport, Hitler authorized the transfer of three more Lype II B boats. One of these was the U-18. Taken out of service on 18 August 1942 and shipped, on 11 May 1943 it sailed into Constanza, becoming the 30th Submarine Flotilla’s fourth boat. The boat's captain was 38-year-old Oberleutnant zur See Karl Fleige. Having joined the navy in 1924, it was Fleige’s first command. In 1940-41 Fleige bad served on U-20 and U-123, both commanded by Kapitänleutnant Moeble, as senior helmsman. In August 1941, again under Moeble’s command, he assumed the position of flotilla helmsman with the 5th Submarine Flotilla in Kiel. Then in August 1942 he began commander training and finally on 6 May he commissioned the U-18. The veteran “canoe” now began its period of operations in the Black Sea. Like the other boats of the 30th Flotilla, the U-18 also received the typical Black Sea camouflage finish. This began at the base of the conning tower with a dark gray ring, extending upwards in ever lighter rings. Fleige adopted as the submarine’s emblem a Red Star struck by a TO, which was applied on the front of the conning tower.
U-18 began its first sortie (7th in total) in its new area of operations on 26 May 1943, however no success was achieved. A torpedo was fired at a steamer on 30 May, but it missed. Pursued by a minesweeper, the U-18 did not get another opportunity to shoot. The next day the submarine was fortunate to escape an attack by a Soviet SB bomber just as it rendezvoused with U-9. The Russian aircraft circled twice, but it apparently identified the U-19 as a Russian boat because of the red star on its conning tower. The bomber instead attacked U-9. The only “sinking” achieved on this patrol was a drift mine, which was exploded by machine-gun fire on 7 June. The U-18 achieved success on its 8th patrol (16 June — 22 July 1943). While it missed an opportunity to attack a Soviet submarine on 18 June, according to its war diary it subsequently sank two steamers and a lighter. Available records do not confirm the sinking of either steamer. The Leningrad (1,783 GRT), claimed sunk on 23 June 1943, bad been damaged by a German aircraft in October 1941 and during the period in question was in drydock in Batumi undergoing repair. The second ship claimed by U-18, the steamer Vorosbilov (3.906 GRT), had also been damaged by a German aircraft in May 1942, and in June 1943 was in dock in Suchimi.
Given what we know today, however, these sinkings appear doubtful. The first confirmed success came on the boat's 9th patrol (21 August - 24 September 1943), when it sank the 400-ton minesweeper trawler Dzhalita (1SC-11) on 29 August. The next evening U-18 shot up the small sub chaser SKA-0132 (56 GRIT) with its 20-mm anti-aircraft gun. However the attack had to be broken off when the boat was illuminated from ashore by a searchlight. After the 10th patrol (27 October — 24 November 1943), Oblt. Fleige claimed a 1,500-GRT steamer as sunk, but in fact the motor tanker Josif Stalin (7,745 GRT) was only damaged on 18 November. The submarine’s 5th patrol in the Black Sea (29 January - 29 February 1942) saw it make a night attack on the port of Batum on 16 February, however just one steamer was damaged.
On 25 April 1944 during its 12th patrol, U-18's red star was almost its undoing. After attacking a Soviet submarine, a BV 138 flying boat opened fire on the “suspected Russian” despite the 18 recognition flares fired by U-18. U-18 was bit by gunfire and finally dove to safety. In the eyes of the flying boat crew the red star had too clearly identified the submarine as Russian!
Earlier on this patrol on 7 April the U-18 had sunk a small cargo ship with its deck gun. Two more operations followed in the summer of 1944 off the coast of the Caucasus. Both produced no results. On 18 July 1944 Oblt.z.S Fleige was decorated with the Knight's Cross for his success as commander of the U-18. He was the only Black Sea submarine commander to be so decorated.
The Red Army's advance and Rumania’s declaration of war on Germany ended German submarine operations in the Black Sea. The bases had to be evacuated. This also meant the end of U-18. Heavily damaged in an air raid on Constanza immediately after its 14th patrol, on 25 August 1944 it was scuttled by its crew off Constanza at position 43°47’ N/28°45 E.
Filmed
by war Kriegsberichter Gerhard Garms while balanced on the railing of
the Wintergarten platform, U-18 returns to Constanza from its 3rd Black
Sea patrol on 21 September 1943. The boat sank two enemy ships on this
patrol. Note the new pedestal mount for the forward 20-mm anti-aircraft
gun. Of particular interest is the camera housing on the starboard side
of the conning tower for shooting newsreels.
An Oberfeldwebel and petty officers in front of U-18's conning tower, which bears the unusual emblem which confused friend and foe alike! In the foreground is the 20-mm anti-aircraft gun’s “pressure cooker”, which was later replaced with a standard pedestal mount.
On 22 July 1943 U-18 returned to base from its 2nd Black Sea patrol flying three sinking pennants. Note the multicolor banded camouflage on the conning tower. After this patrol the “Big Wintergarten” platform was installed on the boat.
Rough seas, not unusual in the Black Sea. Well bundled up, the bridge watch and captain Oblt.z.5. Fleige scan the horizon. Note the empty Naxos pedestal on the port side and war correspondent Garm's pressure-tight camera bousing on the starboard side.
Group photo with gladiolas in front of the police station in Constanza. After a safe return home, the captain of the U-18, Oblt.z.8. Fleige, poses with his Ist Watch Officer Lt.z.S. Rudolf Arendt (left) and his leading engineer Oblt. (Ing.) Fritz Deutschmann. Interestingly, Fleige is wearing a white neckerchief bearing the boat's emblem.
Source :
U-Boot im Focus - ediiton no.2 (2007)
