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The Homepage for U-35, a Type VII U-Boat
... 1936 - 1939 ...


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News:

2021-11-29: U-35 was scuttled 82 years ago (1939).

2021-11-03: U-35 was commissioned 85 years ago (1936). 

2021-10-14: In Memoriam: birthday of Willi Jacob (1917-2019)

2021-01-19: In Memoriam: birthday of Kurt Grosser (1916-2010).


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U-35 was featured on LIFE Magazine on 16 October 1939. Upper left is Obersteuermann Walter Arnaschus; right is Rosemann.
"LIFE'S COVER: The German submarine U-35, shown on the cover, distinguished itself last week by bagging a Greek steamer and bringing the survivors to the Irish shore. It is a 500-tonner built three years ago at Krupp's Germania yards at Kiel and flies the Nazi war flag with a red field. It is painted gray on the sides to blend with the sky and black on top to blend with the water when submerged. The rows of round holes are the intakes for induction valve. You are looking forward from about midships."


This photo of U-35 was also featured on the dust jacket of Antony Preston's book "U-Boats".


The crew of U-35 was featured on the front and back covers of "Die Wehrmacht" (25 October 1939) upon return from the first war patrol. [32,33]


The sinking of U-35 was featured on the cover of The Sphere on 23 December 1939.
"RESCUED FROM A STEEL TOMB
The Crew of a British Destroyer Pick Up the Crew of a Sinking U-boat

The war upon the U-boat has brought about many astonishing incidents. The depth-charge, in particular, has been responsible for many. Take the story which Mr. Matania has here illustrated. About half a mile astern of a British destroyer the conning tower and long hull of a German submarine suddenly broke surface bow first in a swirl of water. The U-boat’s stern was still under water when her conning tower lid opened and men started to tumble up on deck. She might have a sting left. Nobody was to know if she intended to surrender, and risks could not be taken. But it was a case of surrender. Some of the U-boat’s crew could be seen leaping overboard; others were holding up their hands. Her bow started to lift as the stern slowly went under. Destroyers approached, stopped, and went astern to check their way. Boats were lowered. They rescued the entire crew - some from the water, some from the submarine herself. They were described as youngish men and bearded; some still self-possessed, but others obviously shaken by their ordeal. And another U-boat had gone from the seas."


Gerhard Stamer, Chief Engineer of U-35, is featured on the cover of the 1993 book by Chris Madsen and Bob Henderson, "German Prisoners of War in Canada And Their Artifacts 1940-1948". He is the dark suited Naval Officer in the first row on the right; one of the Prisoners of War being marched to the Gravenhurst POW Camp in Ontario, Canada. [24]


Five pre-war photos of U-35. The large, white numerals were removed upon outbreak of the war. [1,8,26]



U-35 was built by F. Krupp Germaniawerft AG in Kiel, Germany.
Construction ordered 25 Mar 1935 (construction number 558)
Laid down 02 March 1936
U-35 under construction, about May 1936 [73]:


Launched 29 September 1936.
Under the flag of the Krupp Germania shipyard on 14 October 1936:


Commissioned 3 November 1936.
[3]
U-Flotilla "Saltzwedel"
U-35 was a Frontboot (combat boat) of the 2nd U-Flotilla, "Saltzwedel", which operated out of Wilhelmshaven, Germany.
U-Flotilla Saltzwedel was founded on 1 Sept 1936 under the command of Fregkpt. Werner Scheer, who held that post until July 1937. From October 1937 until September 1939, the commander was Korvettenkapitän Hans Ibbeken.
The flotilla was named for Oberleutnant zur See Reinhold Saltzwedel, World War I U-Boat commander of UB-10, UC-10, UC-11, UC-21, UC-71 and UB-81, credited with sinking 111 Allied ships, totaling 170,526 tonnes.
Reinhold Saltzwedel died on December 2, 1917, when his U-Boat, UB-81, struck a mine in the English Channel.
He was one of Germany's greatest U-Boat heroes, and it seemed appropriate to name a flotilla in the resurgent Kriegsmarine after him.

Note: Many references misspell "Saltzwedel" by leaving out the "t". Here a training torpedo with the flotilla name is being loaded onto U-35. On the left: Obersteuermann Walter Arnaschus. [8]
 
A pre-war photograph of the Saltzwedel U-flotilla.
(U-35 in the back, between the conning towers of U-34 and U-28). [18]

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2021-02-22
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