Wetterbeobachtungs-Schiff

Hessen

WBS 8 & 11


T-2-T Arild - ex. WBS Hessen

Built

Name

Type

Homeport

Owner

1938

Sachsen (1938)
Hessen (1939)
HF 338

Sealer

Hamburg

"Nordmeer" Studien & Reed. GmbH. Leipzig/Hamburg

Kriegs-
marine

Name

WBS#

WBS-Service

Complement

8.7.1940

Hessen

11
8

8.7.40-1943(?)
1943(?)-1945

8 crew
4 meteorologists


WBS 8 Hessen - reclassified on 20th September 1943

1940 - 1942

Norway () - WBS

July 40: Northern Norway / repair Trondheim (27.7.40)

Seekommandant Polarküste 

9.1942 - 10.1942
Operation "Nussbaum"

Spitsbergen () - Transport of weather party to U-boat base in Narvik, Norway.

27.7.-19.8.1942: Refitted and strengthened for ice navigation in Assens, Denmark. Departed for Kiel in Germany.

Planed as transport of weather party NUSSBAUM + supplies from Norway to re-occupy the weather station in Signehamnn on Spitsbergen escorted by a U-boat. 
Plans of using surface transport abandoned and it was decided to land expedition by U-boats. Hessen used as transport of supplies and rear party of expedition from Kiel to the U-boat base in Narvik, Norway.

Weather party landed by U-377 in Signehamnn on 13.10.1942 and second weather party on 30.10.1942.

Marinegruppe-Kommando Nord

11.1943 - 1.1944
Operation "Einsiedler"

Jan Mayen / Spitsbergen Area (OG 4) - WBS

Repair in Copenhagen, Denmark (3.7.1943)
Reclassified as auxiliary warship (Hilfskriegsschiff) on 20.9.1943.

Floating weather station north of the allied convoy routes between the areas covered by weather troop KREUTZRITTER on Spitsbergen and weather troop BASSGEIGER in East Greenland. Operationsgebiet 4 (OG4).

Expedition members (Total 12 men):
* Captain of WBS 8 - Obersteurmann Heinrich Kreite
* Crew of WBS 8 - 7 men (military crew)
* Meteorologist - Naut. Inspektor Wilfried Mass (Leader)
* Funker - Funk-Obermaat Heinz Ehrich
* Funker - Funk-Gefr. Werner Schlösser
* Funker - Funk-Gefr. Egon Zumbusch

Planed departure in November 1943 abandoned due to allied activities along the Norwegian coast. In Narvik on 19.12. and in Tromsø on 21.12.1943.

Finally left Tromsø on 7.1.1944 almost immediately the vessel ran into severe gales. Crankshaft of main engine break as the vessel approach the ice edge northwest of Bear Island (10.1.).  WBS 8 Hessen drifted nearly 250 miles before U-956 made contact with her 2 days later. The U-boat stood off until the weather moderated, and then towed the Hessen back to Tromsø. Arrived Tromsø app. 20.1.1944 for repair.

Marinegruppe-Kommando Nord

8.1944 - 9.1944
Operation "Haudegen"

Spitsbergen () - Transport of weather party supply from Germany to U-boat base in Narvik, Norway.

4.2.1944: Sassnitz, Germany.

Transport of supply for weather party HAUDEGEN from Germany to U-boat base Narvik in Norway.

HAUDEGEN left Hammerfest, Norway on 10.9.1944 onboard WBS 3 Carl J. Busch and U-307 and was landed in Rijpfjorden on Nordaustlandet, Spitsbergen 3 days later.

Marinegruppe-Kommando Nord


No covers

Feldpost Nr.
M 54 517


(14.3.44-1945)
Wetterbeobachtungsschiff No 8

From: "Die deutsche Feldpostübersicht 1939-1945" by Norbert Kannapin.

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Update: 20.10.2008
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