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</script> </div> <div align="center"> <h3><a href="/boats/">List of all U-boats</a></h3><h1>U-23</h1> </div> <div align="center"> <table class="table_subtle width650"><tr> <td class="width100"><h3>Type</h3></td><td class="width95" align="center" class="seperator"><h3><a href="/types/iib.htm" class="header">IIB</a></h3></td><td> </td></tr> <tr><td>Ordered</td><td class="seperator">2 Feb 1935</td><td><br/></td></tr> <tr><td>Laid down</td><td class="seperator">11 Apr 1936</td> <td class="seperator"><a href="/technical/shipyards/germania.htm">F. Krupp Germaniawerft AG, Kiel</a> (werk 553)</td></tr> <tr><td>Launched</td><td class="seperator">28 Aug 1936</td><td><br/></td></tr> <tr><td>Commissioned</td><td class="seperator">24 Sep 1936</td><td class="seperator"> </td></tr> <tr><td>Commanders</td> <td colspan="2" class="seperator"><table class="table-clean"><tr><td class="width85 right">1 Sep 1936</td><td> - </td><td class="width90 right">3 Jan 1938</td><td>  </td><td>KrvKpt. <a href="/men/godt.htm"> Eberhard Friedrich Clemens Godt</a> (<a href="/men/decorations/5.html">German Cross in Gold</a>) </td></tr><tr><td class="width85 right">1936/37</td><td> - </td><td class="width90 right">30 Sep 1937</td><td>  </td><td>Kptlt. <a href="/men/commanders/750.html"> Hans-G眉nther Looff</a></td></tr><tr><td class="width85 right">1 Oct 1937</td><td> - </td><td class="width90 right">1 Apr 1940</td><td>  </td><td>Kptlt. <a href="/men/kretschmer.htm"> Otto Kretschmer</a> (<a href="/men/decorations/8.html">Knights Cross</a>) </td></tr><tr><td class="width85 right">8 Apr 1940</td><td> - </td><td class="width90 right">19 May 1940</td><td>  </td><td>Kptlt. <a href="/men/commanders/64.html"> Heinz Beduhn</a></td></tr><tr><td class="width85 right">20 May 1940</td><td> - </td><td class="width90 right">30 Sep 1940</td><td>  </td><td>Oblt. <a href="/men/commanders/219.html"> Heinrich Driver</a> (<a href="/men/decorations/5.html">German Cross in Gold</a>) </td></tr><tr><td class="width85 right">1 Oct 1940</td><td> - </td><td class="width90 right">20 Mar 1941</td><td>  </td><td>Oblt. <a href="/men/commanders/987.html"> Kurt Reichenbach-Klinke</a></td></tr><tr><td class="width85 right">21 Mar 1941</td><td> - </td><td class="width90 right">23 Sep 1941</td><td>  </td><td>Oblt. <a href="/men/commanders/137.html"> Ernst-Ulrich Br眉ller</a></td></tr><tr><td class="width85 right">24 Sep 1941</td><td> - </td><td class="width90 right">26 Mar 1942</td><td>  </td><td>Oblt. <a href="/men/commanders/374.html"> Ulrich Gr盲f</a></td></tr><tr><td class="width85 right">27 Mar 1942</td><td> - </td><td class="width90 right">26 Aug 1942</td><td>  </td><td>Oblt. <a href="/men/commanders/1313.html"> Rolf-Birger Wahlen</a> (<a href="/men/decorations/5.html">German Cross in Gold</a>) </td></tr><tr><td class="width85 right">3 Jun 1943</td><td> - </td><td class="width90 right">19 Jun 1944</td><td>  </td><td>Kptlt. <a href="/men/commanders/1313.html"> Rolf-Birger Wahlen</a> (<a href="/men/decorations/5.html">German Cross in Gold</a>) </td></tr><tr><td class="width85 right">20 Jun 1944</td><td> - </td><td class="width90 right">10 Sep 1944</td><td>  </td><td>Oblt. <a href="/men/commanders/18.html"> Rudolf Arendt</a></td></tr></table></td></tr> <tr><td>Career<br><a href="/boats/patrols/u23.html">16 patrols</a></td><td colspan="2" class="seperator"><table class="table-clean"><tr><td class="right">1 Sep 1936</td><td>-</td><td class="right">1 Aug 1939</td><td>  <a href="/flotillas/1flo.htm">1. Flottille</a> (active service)<br></td></tr><tr><td class="right">1 Sep 1939</td><td>-</td><td class="right">31 Dec 1939</td><td>  <a href="/flotillas/1flo.htm">1. Flottille</a> (active service)<br></td></tr><tr><td class="right">1 Jan 1940</td><td>-</td><td class="right">30 Jun 1940</td><td>  <a href="/flotillas/1flo.htm">1. Flottille</a> (active service)<br></td></tr><tr><td class="right">1 Jul 1940</td><td>-</td><td class="right">26 Aug 1942</td><td>  <a href="/flotillas/21flo.htm">21. Flottille</a> (school boat)<br></td></tr><tr><td class="right">3 Jun 1943</td><td>-</td><td class="right">10 Sep 1944</td><td>  <a href="/flotillas/30flo.htm">30. Flottille</a> (active service)<br></td></tr></table></td></tr> <tr><td>Successes</td><td colspan="2" class="seperator">7 ships sunk, total tonnage 11,179 GRT<br/>2 warships sunk, total tonnage 1,410 tons<br/>1 auxiliary warship damaged, total tonnage 1,005 GRT<br/>1 warship damaged, total tonnage 56 tons<br/>3 ships a total loss, total tonnage 18,199 GRT</td></tr> <tr><td class="width100">Fate</td> <td colspan="2" class="width400 seperator"> <p>Scuttled at 2210hrs on 10 September 1944 in the <a href="/maps/black_sea.htm">Black Sea</a> north of Agra, Turkey, in position 41.11N, 30.00E. </p> </td></tr> <tr><td>Loss position</td> <td colspan="3"> <style media="screen" type="text/css"> #mapFate {width:510px; height: 270px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px;} </style> <div id="mapFate" align="center"></div> <script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8"> var mymap = L.map('mapFate').setView([42.11, 30.00], 4) L.tileLayer('/map-tiles/{z}/{x}/{y}.png', { attribution: 'map 漏 OpenStreetMap contributors | ship info by uboat.net', maxZoom: 10, }).addTo(mymap); var iconFate = L.icon({ iconUrl: '/media/maps/googlemarkers/orange_Marker.png', iconSize: [20, 34], iconAnchor: [10, 34], }); var marker = L.marker([41.18, 30.00], {icon: iconFate}).addTo(mymap).bindPopup('<strong>U-23</strong>. Scuttled at 2210hrs on 10 September 1944 in the <a href=\"/maps/black_sea.htm\">Black Sea</a> north of Agra, Turkey, in position 41.11N, 30.00E.'); </script> </td> </tr> </table>  <p class="np"><a href="/boats/successes/u23.html">See the 14 ships hit by U-23</a> - <a href="/boats/patrols/u23.html">View the 16 war patrols</a><br></p> </div><h3>This boat is a dive site</h3><strong>7 Feb 2008</strong>. The 3 boats, <a href="/boats/u19.htm">U-19</a>, <a href="/boats/u20.htm">U-20</a> and <a href="/boats/u23.htm">U-23</a>, scuttled in September 1944 off the Turkish coast have been located. They are reported to be in excellent condition. </p>Position (lat, long): 41.11, 30.00</p><p>See more <a href="/fates/dive/"> U-boat dive sites</a>.</p> </p> <h3>Attacks on this boat and other events</h3> <div class="content_box"> <p><strong>14 Oct 1939</strong><br/>The British submarine <a href=/allies/warships/ship/3418.html>HMS Sturgeon</a> (Lt. G.D.A. Gregory, RN) fired three torpedoes at U-23 in the Skagerrak some 20 nautical miles WNW of Skagen, Denmark in position 57潞49N, 09潞59E. All three missed. </p> <p>1 recorded attack on this boat.</p> </div> <h3>Men lost from U-boats</h3> <p>Unlike <a href="/men/men_lost.htm">many other U-boats</a>, which during their service lost men due to accidents and various other causes, U-23 did not suffer any casualties (we know of) until the time of her loss.</p> <h3>U-boat Emblems</h3> <p>We have 2 <strong>emblem</strong> entries for this boat. See the emblem page <a href="/special/emblems/u23.html">for this boat</a> or view emblems individually below.</p> <table><tr> <td class="width95"><a href="/special/emblems/emblem15.html"><img src="/media/boats/emblems/crew_36.gif" class="width80" alt="" /><br>The Olympic Rings - Crew 36</a></td> <td class="width95"><a href="/special/emblems/emblem178.html"><img src="/media/boats/emblems/u24_colours.gif" class="width80" alt="" /><br>Alster Pirates football club colours</a></td> </tr></table><br> <div align="center"> <h3>Media links</h3> <table> <tr> <td class="width140"><p><a href="/books/item/2388"><img src="/media/books/covers/english/184832118X.jpg" alt="" /> <br>U-Boat Attack Logs</a><br>Daniel Morgan and Bruce Taylor</p><div class="left"><br> <img src="/media/images/flags/small/flag-uk_s.gif" alt="" /> <a href="/about/scripts/amazon_co_uk.php?book=184832118X&path=/boats/u23.htm">amazon.co.uk</a> <br>(拢 38.25)</div></td> <td class="width140"><p><a href="/books/item/29"><img src="/media/books/covers/english/uboat_adventures.gif" alt="" /> <br>U-Boat Adventures</a><br>Wiggins, Melanie</p></td> <td class="width140"><p><a href="/books/item/525"><img src="/media/books/covers/english/german_u-boat_losses.jpg" alt="" /> <br>German U-Boat Losses During World War II</a><br>Niestle, Axel</p></td> <td class="width140"><p><a href="/books/item/538"><img src="/media/books/covers/english/hitlers_uboat_war2.jpg" alt="" /> <br>Hitler's U-boat War, Vol II</a><br>Blair, Clay</p></td> <td class="width140"><p><a href="/books/item/267"><img src="/media/books/covers/english/u-boat_operations2.jpg" alt="" /> <br>U-Boat Operations of the Second World War - Vol 1</a><br>Wynn, Kenneth</p></td> <td class="width140"><p><a href="/books/item/537"><img src="/media/books/covers/english/hitlers_uboat_war.jpg" alt="" /> <br>Hitler's U-boat War</a><br>Blair, Clay</p></td></tr> </table> </div> <p><strong>There was another U-23 in World War One</strong><br>That boat was launched from its shipyard on 12 Apr 1912 and commissioned into the Imperial Navy on 11 Sep 1913. The <a href="/history/wwi/">Naval war in WWI</a> was brought to an end with the Armistice signed on 11 Nov, 1918. Read about SM <a href="/wwi/boats/?boat=23">U 23 during WWI</a>.</p> <br><br>  <p class='center'><br/>As an Amazon Associate uboat.net earns a commission from qualifying purchases.</p> <div class="adSeperator"></div> <div id="ga_contentFooter728" align="center"> <script async src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:inline-block;width:728px;height:90px" data-ad-client="ca-pub-1101670507446460" data-ad-slot="7580936821"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script> </div><br> </div>  <div id="footer"> <div id="footer_navcontainer"> <ul id="footer_navlist"> <li><a href="/" title="Front page">Front page</a></li> <li><a href="/about/" title="About uboat.net">About</a></li> <li><a href="/about/contact.htm" title="Contact us">Contact us</a></li> <li><a href="/special/faq.htm" title="Frequently Asked Questions">FAQ</a></li> <li><a href="/glossary.htm" title="Glossary pages">Glossary</a></li> <li><a href="/new.htm" title="What's new at uboat.net">What's new</a></li> </ul> </div> <div id="footer_copyright">  © 1995 - 2025 Guðmundur Helgason </div> </div>  </div>  </body></html>