ORIGINS OF THE RUDELTAKTIK
variation on a great War theme
The introduction of the convoy system in World War I effectively countered the U-boat effort to cripple the Allied merchant marine, and as the conflict finally waned German submarines began assembling in small groups to attack targets. successes were few due to efficient escort vessels and limited communications capabilities, while the number of available U-boats was insufficient. Although the Treaty of Versailles dismantled the U-boat force after World War I and the primary goal of the Kriegsmarine was initially one of clandestine rebuilding, there was discussion surrounding a group attack theory.
Debate often centred on the group attack tactic versus strides in technology that might make the U-boat a more formidable foe. The tacticians held sway. Admiral Karl Dönitz, commander of the Ubootwaffe, was consumed by the concept of the wolfpack, but the backbone of the U-boat fleet, the Type VII, was not appreciably more advanced than the submarines that had gone to war a generation earlier. When Dönitz assumed command of the Ubootwaffe in 1936 training in group tactics was one of his primary tenets.
To facilitate the wolfpack tactic and prosecute a ‘tonnage war’, Dönitz was required to rely on sufficient production of U-boats, the availability of trained crews and cooperation from the Luftwaffe in providing reconnaissance. Each of these developed slowly, sometimes grudgingly or not at all, delaying the implementation of the wolfpack tactic and limiting its potential to deliver victory in World War II.