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Eine spezielle Beziehung hatte die bismarck zu U 556. Beide Schiffe
wurden bei Blohm & Voss in Hamburg gebaut und im sommer 1940
kreuzten sich oftmals ihre Wege. Als U-556 in Dienst gestellt wurde,
ragte der Bug der Bismarck hoch über die Zeremonie über
sie hinaus. Herbert Wohlfahrt, der Kommandant von U-556, der in
Marinekreisen bekannt war unter dem Spitznamen "Parsifal"
fand, dass zu der Indienststellung etwas besonderes dazugehörte,
wie zum Beispiel eine Schiffskapelle. So fragte Wohlfahrt bei Kapitän
Lindemann an, ob nicht die Bordkapelle der Bismarck zur Indienststellung
aufspielen könnte. Im Gegenzug dazu offerierte Wohlfahrt der
Bismarck die Patenschaft von U 556 und entwarf zu diesem zweck Patenschaftsurkunden.
So kam U 556 zu einer "Standesgemäßen" Indienststellung
und die Bismarck zu der Partenschaft von U 566.
Die Beiden Kommandenten wurden schnell Freunde. Anfang 1941 führten
beide Schiffe Seezielschiessübungen in der Ostsee durch wo
beide oftmals dasselbe Ziel benutzten. so kam es einmal, dass Lindemann
bei einer Zielübung Wohlfahrt den Vortitt liess, dieser das
Ziel mit seinen 10 abgefeuerten Schüssen dermassen beschädigte,
dass das Ziel für diesen Tag nicht mehr zu gebrauchen war.
Lindemann nahm es auf die leichte Schulter und besänftigte
Wohlfahrts befürchtungen, wegen dieses Vorfalls in einen Disput
mit Lindemann zu geraten. Lindemann
Lindemann, however, did not take it amiss and soon dispelled Wohlfahrt's
fear that he would be greeted with an ill-humored reaction, "I
do not begrudge you that in the least. I wish that you may have
as much and rapid success in the Atlantic and win the Knight's Cross
for it." Relieved, Wohlfahrt replied, "I hope we both
receive the Knight's Cross in the common struggle in the Atlantic."
Sketch 1
The first sketch on the certificate shows "Sir Parsifal"
(Herbert Wohlfahrt) warding off aircraft attacking the Bismarck
with a sword in his right hand and stopping torpedoes coming towards
her with his left thumb.
The text translated to English
"We, the U-556 (500 tons), hereby declare before Neptune, the
ruler of the oceans, lakes, seas, rivers, brooks, ponds and rills,
that we will stand beside our big brother, the battleship Bismarck
(42,000 tons), whatever may befall her on water, land or in the
air. Hamburg, 28 January 1941. The captain and crew of the U-556."
Sketch 2
The second sketch on the certificate shows the Bismarck being towed
by the U-556.
Gift of Prophecy
It almost seemed as though Herbert Wohlfahrt had the gift of prophecy
when he prepared that certificate above.
Help against aircraft and torpedoes, and then a tow. That was exactly
what the Bismarck needed, and he of all people, Godfather Wohlfahrt,
was near her. But he was powerless to help her.
The Bismarck's Final Hours and the U-556
On 26 May, when dispositons were being made to support the Bismarck
in her increasingly critical situation, new instructions were sent
to the U-boats in the Bay of Biscay. One of those boats was the
U-556, whose commanding officer, Lieutenant Commander Herbert Wohlfahrt,
was ordered to reconnoiter and operate in the area of the Bismarck's
most recently reported position. When Wohlfart received those orders,
he was on his way home from a patrol that began on 1 May. Therefore,
he was low on fuel and, on his way to the Bismarck, he would have
to be extremely economical with what he had left. Furthermore, he
had expended all his torpedoes against British convoys.
Wohlfahrt reached the immediate area around the Bismarck on the
evening of 26 May. Around 1950 he saw the Renown and the Ark Royal
coming out of the mist at high speed—the big ships of Force
H. Nothing for it but to submerge. "Enemy bows on, 10 degrees
to starboard, without destroyers, without zigzagging," as Wohlfahrt
later described it. He would not even have had to run to launch
torpedoes. All he would have had to do was position himself between
the Renown and the Ark Royal and fire, at both allmost simultaneously.
If only he had some torpedoes! He had seen activity on the carrier's
(Ark Royal's) flight deck. Perhaps he could have helped the Bismarck.
That is what he thought at the time. But what he saw was the activity
after the launching of the second and decisive attack on the Bismarck.
So, even if he had torpedoes, he would not have been able to save
the Bismarck from the rudder hit. The Swordfish had long since banked
over the Sheffield and were just about to attack the Bismarck.
Fifty minutes later, at 2039, Wohlfahrt surfaced and made a radio
report: "Enemy in view, a battleship, an aircraft carrier,
course 115°, enemy is proceeding at high speed. Position 48°
20' north, 16° 20' west." Wohlfahrt intended his report
to be picked up by any of his comrades who might be in the vicinity
and able to maneuver to attack. Then he proceeded on the surface
at full speed behind the Renown and the Ark Royal. Their course
to the Bismarck coincided almost exactly with his own. Every now
and again, he submerged and took sound bearings to both ships, but
after 2200 he could no longer hear them. The race between his little
boat and the two big ships was an unequal contest.
At 2330 Wohlfahrt, then 778 kilometer (486 miles) west of Brest
(France), gave the alarm again. A destroyer came out of the mist
at high speed. Once more he quickly dove. He had reached a depth
of 30 meters (98 feet) when the enemy passed him, her propellers
making a devilish row. Relieved, he noted in his War Diary: "Fingers
crossed again, no depth charges!"
It was probably one of Vian's destroyers, but at that moment she
was not interested in a U-boat. She was too busy trying to shadow
and torpedo the Bismarck.
Another entry in Wohlfahrt's War Diary reads: "27.5.0000,
(wind) northwest 5, seaway 5, rain squalls, moderate visibility,
very dark night. Surfaced. What can I do for the Bismarck? I can
see star shells being fired and flashes from the Bismarck's guns.
It is a terrible feeling to be near and not to be able to do anything.
All I can do is reconnoiter and lead in boats that have torpedoes.
I am keeping contact at the limit of visibility, reporting the position,
and sending directional signals to call up the other boats."
At 0352: "I am moving around on the east side to the south,
in order to be in the direction of the activity. I soon reach the
limit of what I can do in view of my fuel supply. Otherwise I won't
get home."
0400: "The seas are rising ever higher. Bismarck still fighting.
Reported weather for the Luftwaffe."
Around 0630 Wohlfahrt sighted the U-74, one of the other boats
that had been in the Bay of Biscay. Optically and by megaphone,
he transferred the mission of maintaining contact with the Bismarck
to her commanding officer, Lieutenant Commander Eitel-Friedrich
Kentrat. He gave Kentrat the Bismarck's position, which he based
on his observations of the star shells fired during the night, adding:
"I have not seen her directly. You assume contact. I have no
more fuel." And after blinking a greeting to Kentrat, he turned
away.
In his War Diary Wohlfahrt wrote: "Around 0630 gave last contact
report, sighted U-74, by visual means gave U-74 the mission of maintaining
contact. I can stay on the scene only by using my electric motors
at low speeds. Above water I need fuel and would have to retire."
After transferring his mission, Wohlfahrt promptly submerged and
did not surface again until 1200, a time at which radio signals
were routinely repeated. That was when he heard for the first time
the order radioed to him between 0700 and 0800 to pick up the Bismarck's
War Diary. Having no more idea than had the headquarters ashore
that in the meantime the Bismarck had sunk, he immediately asked
Commander in Chief, U-boats, to transfer this mission to Kentrat.
In the course of the morning Wohlfahrt did hear a series of explosions,
but had no way of interpreting their significance.
By the time Kentrat received the radio order issued in response
to Wohlfahrt's signal, "U-boat Kentrat pick up Bismarck War
Diary," he could only search in vain.
The Encounter between the Tirpitz and the U-556
Through the summer and autumn of 1941, in the enclosed waters of
the Baltic and away from the attention of British bombers, Tirpitz
was working on sea and battle training. There were main armament
practice shoots at the target ship Hessen, anti-aircraft shoots
at drogues towed by aircraft, damage-control exercises, the launching
and recovery of the Arado Seaplanes. And in order to acclimatize
the crew to battle conditions in the Atlantic, for several weeks
she remained permanently at sea, topping up with fuel and supplies
from oilers and merchantmen.
For Captain Topp and his crew it was hard work. But there was often
the lighter side. One day at anchor they were passed by the U-boat
U-556. The captain on U-556 Lieutenant Commander Herbert Wohlfahrt
as junior officer, saluted; Topp, from the deck of Tirpitz, returned
the salute. Then Wohlfahrt shouted up, "Captain, do as I do!"
Topp waited; and the U-boat promptly dived.
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