| 1st U-boat flotilla | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Active | Raised 1935, Dissolved 1944 |
| Country |  Nazi Germany |
| Branch | Kriegsmarine |
| Type | U-boat flotilla |
| Base | Kiel, Brest |
| Nickname(s) | Weddigen flotilla |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Fregattenkapitän Karl Dönitz |
The 1st U-boat flotilla (German 1. Unterseebootsflottille) also known as the Weddigen flotilla, was the first operational U-boat unit in Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine (navy). Founded on 27 September 1935 under the command of Fregattenkapitän Karl Dönitz,[1] it was named in honor of Kapitänleutnant Otto Weddigen. Weddigen, a U-boat commander during World War I, died on 18 March 1915 after his submarine U-29 was rammed by the British battleship HMS Dreadnought in the North Sea.[2]
The flotilla at first only consisted of U-9, a Type IIB boat commissioned on 21 August 1935. Later, boats U-1 to U-12 were included in the flotilla, but U-1 to U-6 were only used as training boats and were attached to the U-boat training school in Neustadt.[3] Originally based in Kiel from September 1935 – May 1941, it was moved to Brest, France in June 1941. In September 1944, the flotilla was disbanded and its remaining boats were distributed to other flotillas.
- ^ 1. Unterseebootsflottille Archived 16 July 2006 at the Wayback Machine. Uboatnet.de. Retrieved 21 July 2006.
- ^ 1st Flotilla. Uboat.net. Retrieved 21 July 2006.
- ^ Gordon Williamson. Wolf Pack: The Story of the U-Boat in World War II, Osprey Publishing, 2005. ISBN 1-84176-872-3