> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.slowburn.nz/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # The Hunters: German U-Boats at War, 1939-43 - Prologue (June 1939) - URL: https://www.slowburn.nz/the-hunters-german-u-boats-at-war-1939-43-prologue/ - Published: 2026-08-22T10:47:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-15T11:38:12.000Z - Author: Walter - Tags: The Hunters, Gregory Smith, GMT Games #### **1/6/1939** Kapitanleutnant zur See Wilhelm Pöpel (Crew 31) assigned to U-34 (Type VIIA), Unterseebootsflottille Saltwedel (2nd) at Wilhelmshaven. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/77/49/77497e94-57f0-4097-b157-16e7e3df5c21/content/images/2026/07/1_TypeVIIA.jpg) The venerable Type VIIA **Crew assignments are as follows:** KptLt Wilhelm Pöpel ObLtzS Benno Pfefferberg LtzS Emil Fleck ObLt Gustav Sanner Marineassistenzarzt Laurens Laar Obersteuermann Harri Reichart Bootsmann Fabio Adelman Maschinist Timm Mencken Maschinistenmaat Alois Bachmann Maschinistenmaat Oskar Band Matrose (Maschinen) Marius Von Bingen Matrose (Maschinen) Luka Schiff Matrose (Maschinen) Albin Schwarzenegger Torpedmechaniker Marvin Dassler Torpedmechaniker Rob Hertzog Matrose (Torpedo) Steffen Prantl Matrose (Torpedo) Piet Widmann Matrose (Torpedo) Maxi Stauffer Matrose (Torpedo) Finn Himmelblau Funkmaat Meik Elser Funkmaat Yannick Hoehman Matrose (Funker) Oliver Heilprin Steuermannsmaat Konrad Lasch Steuermannsmaat Laurens Lehman Steuermannsmaat Elias Neuhaus Obergefreiter Benedikt Sulzberger Obergefreiter Lio Brestrich Gefreiter Rayko Stricker Gefreiter Edgar Schott Gefreiter Tilman Staudinger Gefreiter Edgar Eisenmann Matrose Willi Ehman Matrose Gabriel Stirner Matrose Carl Blattner Matrose Paulus Blobel Matrose Magnus Bodenstein Matrose Alfred Klemperer Matrose Leonhard Dreyfuss Matrose Andreas Ammermann Matrose Tom Höss Matrose Yannick Hartknoch Matrose Marcel Eichmann Matrose Sebastian Aumann Matrose Jacob Geller ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/77/49/77497e94-57f0-4097-b157-16e7e3df5c21/content/images/2026/07/2_Counters.jpg) Our starting boat, rank and crew Sea trials have been completed in the 8 weeks prior. Tactical training and work-ups to proceed. War in Europe is anticipated in the coming months and the Kriegsmarine is to be prepared for any eventuality. U-boat crews are to maintain a high level of readiness and can expect to be put out to sea at short notice. --- **Context:* In the summer of 1939, the German Ubootwaffe was small but ambitious. Grand Admiral Karl Dönitz, commander of the U-boat arm, had long argued that Germany would need hundreds of submarines to threaten Britain’s trade.* *In reality, only 57 boats were operational, and fewer than 30 were ready for patrol in the Atlantic. The remainder were still under construction or assigned to training flotillas.The fleet was a mix of types: the Type VII (consisting of A and B variants at this stage), the standard ocean-going boat, made up the backbone; a handful of Type IX (A variant) long-range boats were just entering service; and smaller Type II coastal submarines were largely reserved for training and North Sea operations. Most were mechanically sound but untested in combat.Crews were drawn from the most motivated and technically skilled volunteers in the Kriegsmarine.* *They drilled constantly in crash dives, torpedo procedures, night attacks, and radio discipline. Yet, for all their training, few had faced an enemy at sea.In August 1939, the mood in the flotillas was a mixture of confidence and tension. The boats and the men were ready History would soon test both the fleet and its crews in ways few would have predicted.The historical U-34 was one of the first ten Type VII boats later designated as Type VIIA.She was laid down on 15 September, 1935 at Kiel and was commissioned on 12 September 1936\. She was one of the few boats that had combat experience at this point due to her participation, along with her sister-boat, U-33, in the* [*Spanish Civil War*](https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/3321330613136638540/4575558393386010037#)*.* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/77/49/77497e94-57f0-4097-b157-16e7e3df5c21/content/images/2026/07/3_U33.jpg) U-34's sister boat, U-33. *U-34 enjoyed a very successful early war, sinking 19 merchant ships and 2 warships, along with 2 merchants captured, and damage to a warship that would end up amounting to a total loss, for a total of 99,311 GRT across 7 war patrols.She started the war under the command of KptLt Wilhelm Rollmann who would go on to earn the Knights Cross, but was killed on 5 November 1943 when his boat, U-848 (Type IXD2), was sunk by US maritime patrol aircraft in the South Atlantic.In September 1939, U-34 was assigned to Unterseebootsflottille Saltzwedel (which would eventually become 2\. Unterseebootsflottille) based out of Wilhelmshaven, but would transition to Lorient, France from June 1940 onwards.* --- *Commentary: I thought I'd start this series with a little bit of background of what the situation was and what we're working with in a lead-up to our first patrol of* [*The Hunters*](https://www.gmtgames.com/p-967-the-hunters-4th-printing.aspx)*.* *Bear in mind that my characters are fictional and may not mimic their historical counterparts exactly, but I'm hoping that playing through a campaign in The Hunters with a narrative lense will in some ways convey that mood and thoughts as they may have been experienced by historical commanders.* *Throughout our journey I'd like to also break down and analyse some of the key decision points faced by our crew as they arise.*