Operation Natter

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'Natter' was a U-boat wolfpack operation in the Atlantic against the ON.142 convoy (1/8 November 1942).

The wolfpack comprised U-86, U-91, U-92, U-98, U-218, U-224, U-383, U-436, U-564, U-566, U-606, U-613, U-624, U-653 and U-753, and for the loss of none of its own number sank two ships (8,504 tons) of the ON.142 convoy.

The 'Natter' wolfpack was formed in the area to the west of Ireland from U-224, U-383, U-436, U-606 and U-624 coming from the attack on the HX.212 convoy as well as the newly arrived U-98, and by 4 November U-92, U-563, U-564, U-566, U-613 and U-753 had been added to it.

On 4 November U-92 sighted and reported the ON.143 convoy, which was supported by the Canadian Escort Group C1, but contact was then lost and not re-established until 6 November as most of the U-boats had not yet reached their positions. On 7 November Oberleutnant Gerhard Remus’s U-566 sank the 4,252-ton British Glenlea and Kapitänleutnant Helmut Köppe’s U-613 sent the 4,252-ton British Roxby to the bottom, each of these ships being a straggler from the ON.142 convoy.

On 8 November the boats with adequate fuel were despatched to the area lying west of Gibraltar in an effort to find and sink shipping involved in 'Torch', while those with less fuel were reallocated to the 'Kreuzotter' wolfpack.