The Canadian Trick That Let Hitler's U Boat Aces Dig Their Own Trap

Operation Kiebitz

Operation Kiebitz was a 1943 German plan to free prominent U-boat commanders held at Camp 30 in Bowmanville, Ontario. Canadian authorities discovered the plan and turned the escape attempt into a counter-operation.

Why Germany Wanted the Prisoners Back

U-boat commanders Otto Kretschmer, Joachim Schepke, and Günther Prien had become famous for their successes. Schepke and Prien were killed, and Kretschmer was captured, in March 1941. As Allied anti-submarine forces gained the advantage in 1943, German admiral Karl Dönitz wanted experienced commanders such as Kretschmer back in the war.

The Escape Plan

German prisoners used coded letters sent through the mail to propose tunneling out of Camp 30. Kretschmer and three other officers were to travel across Canada in disguise and meet a German submarine at Point Maisonnette, New Brunswick.

Canada Learns the Plan

Canadian authorities decoded the letters and discovered a chart, forged documents, and money concealed in a book sent to the prisoners. Rather than immediately stop the escape, naval intelligence allowed the tunnel to continue in hopes of capturing the submarine and its valuable equipment.

The Navy prepared ships and shore surveillance, including a corvette equipped with experimental diffused lighting. The lighting was intended to help the corvette approach the surfaced submarine without being seen.

The Plan Goes Wrong

The tunnel operation was exposed when stored earth caused a dormitory ceiling to collapse and a shaft was discovered. The intended escapees were placed under closer watch. However, Wolfgang Heyda, who had not been part of the original group, escaped over the camp’s power lines and travelled to the rendezvous using forged papers.

The Failed Interception

U-536 reached Chaleur Bay, but its captain, Rolf Schauenburg, grew suspicious of the circumstances and avoided the shore. Canadian forces attacked, but the submarine escaped by navigating submerged through the bay and out to sea.

Heyda was captured at the rendezvous, and the planned boarding operation never took place.

Outcome and Aftermath

Canada did not capture U-536, but Dönitz failed to recover any of the four commanders he had sought. The submarine was diverted from the convoy war for weeks, while the prisoners spent months digging a tunnel that Canadian intelligence had been monitoring.

U-536 was sunk by Allied escorts in November 1943. Schauenburg survived and became a prisoner. Heyda returned to Camp 30 and remained there until after the war. Kretschmer never commanded another U-boat, though he later served in the West German Navy.

Presenters or Contributors

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