List of Sunk U-boats - History

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U-Boat Destroyed by air attack

List of
The

German U-Boat Casualties in World War Two

Date	U-Boat	Last Commander	Cause of Sinking	Position
1939
14 Sep	U-39	Glattes	HMS Faulknor, Foxhound & Firedrake	58-32 N, 11-49 W
20[22?] Sep§	U-27	Franz	HMS Fortune & Forester	58-35 N, 09-02 W
8 Oct	U-12	von der Ropp	Mine	*Straits of Dover
13 Oct	U-40	Barten	Mine	Straits of Dover
13 Oct	U-42	Dau	HMS Imogen & Ilex	49-12N, 16-00 W
14 Oct	U-45	Gehlhaar	HMS Inglefield, Ivanhoe, Intrepid, Icarus	*50-58 N, 12-67 W
24 Oct	U-16	Wellner	HMS Puffin & Cayton Wyke (damaged by) (Mined & stranded on Goodwins)	*51-09 N, 01-28 E
29 Nov	U-35	Lott	HMS Kingston, Kashmir & Icarus	60-53 N, 02-47 E
4 Dec	U-36	Fröhlich	HM Sub. Salmon	*57-00 N, 05-20 E
1940
30 Jan	U-55	Heidel	HMS Fowey, Whitshed & Br. Sqdn. 228	48-37 N, 07-46 W
1 Feb	U-15	Frahm	Rammed by German Iltis (DD)	Baltic
5 Feb	U-41	Mugler	HMS Antelope	*49-21 N, 10-04 W
12 Feb	U-33	von Dresky	HMS Gleaner	55-25 N, 05-07 W (mining Clyde)
23 Feb	U-53	Grosse	HMS Gurkha in North Channel	*60-32 N, 06-10 W
25 Feb	U-63	Lorentz	HMS Escort, Narwhal, Inglefield & Imogen	58-40 N, 00-10 W
20 Mar	U-44	Mathes	HMS Fortune	*63-27 N, 0-36 E
14 Feb	U-54	Kutschmann	Mined	(*) North Sea (?) (wreckage found)
13 Apr	U-64	Schulz	HMS Warspite's Squadron 700	*68-29 N, 17-30 E
15 Apr	U-49	von Gossler	HMS Fearless (& Brazen)	68-53 N, 16-59 E
16 Apr	U-1	Deecke	HM Sub. Porpoise	*58-18 N, 05-47 E
25 Apr	U-22	Jenisch	Mine	*57-00 N, 09-00 E
10[29 ?] Apr	U-50	Bauer	HMS Amazon & Witherington (Hero)?	*62-54 N, 01-56 W
31 May	U-13	Schulte	HMS Weston	52-27 N, 02-02 E
3 Jul	U-26	Scheringer	HMS Gladiolus & RAAF Squadron 10	48-03 N, 11-30W
- Jul	U-122	Loof	Unknown	*North Sea
3 Aug	U-25	Beduhn	Mine	54-00 N, 05-00 E
20 Aug	U-51	Knorr	HM Submarine Cachalot	47-06 N, 04-51 W
21 Aug?	U-102	von Kloth	Unknown	*North Sea?
3 Sep	U-57	Kühl	Norw. SS Rona (rammed)	Baltic
30 Oct	U-32	Jenisch	HMS Harvester & Highlander	55-37 N, 12-20 W
2 Nov	U-31	Prellberg	HMS Antelope (& RAF§§)	56-26 N, 10-18 W
21 Nov	U-104	Jürst	HMS Rhododendron	*56-28 N, 14-13 W
1941
7 Mar	U-70§§§	Matz	HMS Camellia & Arbutus	60-15 N, 14-00 W
8 Mar	U-47	Prien	HMS Wolverine	*60-47 N, 19-13 W
17 Mar	U-99	Kretschmer	HMS Walker (& Vanoc?)	61-00 N, 12-00 W
17 Mar	U-100	Schepke	HMS Walker & Vanoc	61-00 N, 12-00 W
23 Mar	U-551	Schrott	HMS Visenda	*62-37 N, 16-47 W
5 Apr	U-76	von Hippel	HMS Wolverine & Scarborough	58-35 N, 20-20 W

§ -- A semiofficial British account (1954) says 20 March.
* -- No survivors.
§§§ -- The most recently published British research suggests U-47 and U-70 sinkings should be transposed.
§§ - Second sinking: sunk 3-11-40, Schillig Rds., by RAF, raised and recommissioned.

--159--

Date	U-Boat	Last Commander	Cause of Sinking	Position
[1941]
28 Apr	U-65	Hoppe	HMS Gladiolus	*60-04 N, 15-45 W
9 May	U-110	Lemp	HMS Aubrietia, Bulldog & Broadway (captured)	60-31 N, 33-10 W
2 Jun	U-147	Wetjen	HMS Wanderer & Periwinkle	*56-38 N, 10-24 W
18 Jun	U-138	Gramitzky	HMS Faulknor, Fearless, Forester, Foresight & Foxhound	36-04 N, 07-29 W
27 Jun	U-556	Wohlfahrt	HMS Nasturtium, Celandine & Gladiolus	60-24 N, 29-00 W
29 Jun	U-651	Lohmeyer	HMS Malcolm, Violet, Scimitar,Arabis & Speedwell	59-52 N, 18-36 W
3 Aug	U-401	Zimmermann	HMS Wanderer, St. Albans & Hydrangea	*50-27 N, 19-50 W
9 Aug(28 Jul?)	U-144	v. Mittelstaedt	Torpedoed by Russian Submarine SC-307	*Gulf of Bothnia
25 Aug	U-452	March	HMS Vascama & British Squadron 209	*61-30 N, 15-30 W
27 Aug	U-570**	Rahmlow	British Squadron 269	62-15 N, 18-35 W
10 Sep	U-501	Förster	HMCS Chambly & Moosejaw	62-50 N, 37-50 W
1l Sep	U-207	Meyer	HMS Leamington & Veteran	*63-59 N, 34-48 W
4 Oct	U-111	Kleinschmidt	HMS Lady Shirley	27-15 N, 20-27 W
19 Oct	U-204	Kell	HMS Mallow & Rochester	*35-46 N, 06-02 W
11 Nov	U-580	Kuhlmann	Collision	Baltic (off Memel)
15 Nov	U-583	Ratsch	Collision	*Baltic
16 Nov	U-433	Ey	HMS Marigold	36-13 N, 04-42 W
28 Nov	U-95	Schreiber	HNM Submarine 0-21	36-24 N, 03-20 W
30 Nov	U-206	Opitz	RAF Sqdn. 502	*46-55 N, 07-16 W
11 Dec (Nov ?)	U-208	Schlieper	HMS Bluebell	*Atlantic, W. of Gibraltar
15 Dec	U-127	Hansmann	HMAS Nestor	*36-28 N, 09-12 W
16 Dec	U-557	Paulssen	Rammed by Ital. Torp. boat Orione	*35-33 N, 23-14 E
17 Dec	U-131	Baumann	HMS Exmoor, Blankney, Stanley, Stork, Pentstemon & Audacity [& 802 Sqdn (RN)]	34-12 N, 13-35 W
18 Dec	U-434	Heyda	HMS Stanley & Blankney	36-15 N, 15-48 W
19 Dec	U-574	Gengelbach	HMS Stork	38-12 N, 17-23 W
21 Dec	U-451	Hoffmann	British Squadron 812	35-55 N, 06-08 W
21 Dec	U-567	Endrass	HMS Deptford & Samphire	*44-02 N, 20-10 W
23 Dec	U-79	Kaufmann	HMS Hasty & Hotspur	32-15 N, 25-19 E
28 Dec	U-75	Ringelmann	HMS Kipling	31-50 N, 26-40 E
1942
9 Jan	U-577	Schauenburg	British Squadron 230	*32-22 N, 26-54 E
12 Jan	U-374	v. Fischel	HM Sub. Unbeaten	37-50 N, 16-00 E
15 Jan	U-93	Elfe	HMS Hesperus	36-40 N, 15-52 W
2 Feb	U-581	Pfeiffer	HMS Westcott	39-00 N, 30-00 W
6 Feb	U-82	Rollmann	HMS Rochester & Tamarisk	*44-10 N, 23-52 W
1 Mar	U-656	Kröning	VP-82 PBO Aircraft	*46-15 N, 53-15 W
14 Mar	U-133	Mohr	Mine (her own?)	*38-00 N, 24-00 E
15 Mar	U-503	Gerhicke	VP-82 PBO Aircraft	*45-50 N, 48-50 W
24 Mar	U-655	Dumrese	HMS Sharpshooter	*73-00 N, 21-00 E
27 Mar	U-587	Borcherdt	HMS Leamington, Grove, Aldenham & Volunteer	*47-21 N, 21-39 W
29 Mar	U-585	Lohse	HMS Fury	*72-15 N, 34-22 E
--Apr	U-702	v. Rabenau	Unknown	*North Sea (?)
14 Apr	U-85	Greger	Roper (DD-147)	*35-55 N, 75-13 W (off N.C.)
14 Apr	U-252	Lerchen	HMS Stork & Vetch	*47-00 N, 18-14 W
1 May	U-573	Heinsohn	British Squadron 233	(*)37-00 N, 01-00 E
2 May	U-74	Friederich	HMS Wishart, Wrestler & Br. 202	*37-32 N, 00-10 E
9 May	U-352	Rathke	US Coast Guard Cutter Icarus (WPC-110)	34-12 N, 76-35 W (off N.C.)
28 May	U-568	Preuss	HMS Bridge, Hero & Hurworth	32-42 N, 24-53 E
2 Jun	U-652	Fraatz	British Squadrons 815 & 203	31-55 N, 25-13 E
13 Jun	U-157	Henne	US Coast Guard Cutter Thetis (WPC-115)	*24-13 N, 82-03 W (Off Fla.)
30 Jun	U-158	Rostin	VP-74	*32-50 N, 67-28 W (off S.C.)

**(HMS Graph from '47)

--160--

Date	U-Boat	Last Commander	Cause of Sinking	Position
[1942]
3 Jul	U-215	Höckner	HMS Le Tiger	*41-48 N, 66-38 W
5 Jul	U-502	v. Rosenstiel	British Squadron 172	*46-10 N, 06-40 W
6 Jul 13 Jul	U-153	Reichmann	US Army Bomb. 59 & Lansdowne (DD-486)	12-50 N, 72-20 W *09-56 N, 81-29 W
7 Jul	U-701	Degen	US Army Bomb. 396	34-50 N, 74-55 W (off N.C.)
11 Jul	U-136	Zimmermann	HMS Spey, Pelican & RF Leopard	*33-30 N, 22-52 W
15 Jul	U-576	Heinicke	VS-9 & Amer. MS Unicoi	*34-51 N, 75-22 W (off N.C.)
17 Jul	U-751	Bigalk	British Squadrons 502 & 61	*45-14 N, 12-22 W
24 Jul	U-90	Oldörp	HMCS St. Croix	*48-12 N, 40-56 W
31 Jul	U-213	v. Varendorff	HMS Erne, Rochester & Sandwich	*36-45 N, 22-50 W
31 Jul	U-588	Vogel	HMCS Wetaskiwin & Skeena	*49-59 N, 36-36 W
31 Jul	U-754	Oestermann	RCAF Sqdn. 113	*43-02 N, 64-52 W
1 Aug	U-166	Kuhlmann	USCG Sqdn. 212	*28-37 N, 90-45 W (Gulf of Mexico)
3 Aug	U-335	Pelkner	HM Sub. Saracen	62-48 N, 00-12 W
4 Aug	U-372	Neumann	HMS Sikh, Zulu, Croome, Tetcott & British Squadron 221	32-00 N, 34-00 E
6 Aug	U-210	Lemcke	HMCS Assiniboine	54-25 N, 39-37 W
8 Aug	U-379	Kettner	HMS Dianthus	57-11 N, 30-57 W
10 Aug	U-578	Rehwinkel	Czech Squadron 311	*45-59 N, 07-44W
20 Aug	U-464	Harms	VP-73	61-25 N, 14-40 W
22 Aug	U-654	Forster	US Army Bomb. 45	*12-00 N, 79-56 W
28 Aug	U-94	Ites	HMCS Oakville &, VP-92	17-40 N, 74-30 W
2 Sep	U-222	v. Jessen	Collision	54-25 N, 19-50 E
3 Sep	U-756	Harney	British Aircraft	*57-30 N, 29-00 W
3 Sep	U-705	Horn	British Squadron 77	*47-55 N, 10-04 W
3 Sep	U-162	Wattenberg	HMS Vimy, Pathfinder & Quentin	12-21 N, 59-29 W
12 Sep	U-589§	Horrer	HMS Faulknor	*75-04 N, 04-49 E
14 Sep	U-88§	Bohmann	HMS Onslow	*75-40 N, 20-32 E
15 Sep	U-261	Lange	British Squadron 58	*59-49 N, 09-28 W
16 Sep	U-457	Brandenburg	HMS Impulsive	*75-05 N, 43-15 E
23 Sep	U-253	Friedrichs	British Squadron 210	*68-19 N, 13-50 W
27 Sep	U-165	Hoffmann	Mine & Sqdn. 825	*47-50 N, 03-22 W
2 Oct	U-512	Schultze	US Army Bomb. 99	06-50 N, 52-25 W
5 Oct	U-582	Schulte	British Squadron 269	*58-41 N, 22-58 W
8 Oct	U-179	Sobe	HMS Active	*33-28 S, 17-05 E
9 Oct	U-171	Pfeffer	Mine	*47-50 N, 03-22W
12 Oct	U-597	Bopst	British Squadron 120	*56-50 N, 28-05 W
15 Oct	U-661	v. Lilienfeld	British Squadron 120	*53-58 N, 33-43 W
15 Oct	U-619	Makowski	HMS Viscount	*53-42 N, 35-56 W
16 Oct	U-353	Römer	HMS Fame	53-54 N, 29-30W
20 Oct	U-216	Schultz	British Squadron 224	*48-21 N, 19-25 W
22 Oct	U-412	Jahrmärker	British Squadron . 179	*63-55 N, 00-24 W
24 Oct	U-599	Breithaupt	British Squadron 224	*46-07 N, 17-40 W
27 Oct	U-627	Kindelbacher	British Squadron 206	*59-14 N, 22-49 W
30 Oct	U-520	Schwartzkopf	RCAF Sqdn. 10	*47-47 N, 49-50 W
30 Oct	U-559	Heidtmann	HMS Pakenham, Petard, Hero, Dulverton, Hurworth & Br. Aircraft	32-30 N, 33-00 E
30 Oct	U-658	Senkel	Royal Canadian Air Force Sqdn. 145	*50-32 N, 46-32 W
[20] Oct	U-116	Grimme	[VP-74] ?	*Atlantic
5 Nov	U-132	Vogelsang	British Squadron 120	*58-08 N, 33-13 W
5 Nov	U-408	v. Hymmen	VP-84	*67-40 N, 18-32 W
12 Nov	U-272	Hepp	Collision	Baltic (off Hela)
12 Nov	U-660	Baur	HMS Lotus & Starwort	36-07 N, 01-00 W
13 Nov	U-605	Schiitze	HMS Lotus & Poppy	*37-04 N, 02-55 E
14[15?]Nov	U-595	Quaet-Faslem	British Squadron 500 [dmgd, bchd, scuttled]	36-38 N, 00-30 E
15[14?]Nov	U-259	Köpke	British Squadron 500	*37-20 N, 03-05 E
16 Nov	U-173	Schweichel	Woolsey (DD-437), Swanson (DD-443) & Quick (DD-490)	*33-40 N, 07-35 W
17 Nov	U-331	v. Tiesenhausen	HMS Formidable's Sqdn. 820 & British Squadron 500§§	37-05 N, 02-24 E

§ -- Latest British study transposes these two sinkings also.
§§ -- Damaged by and surrendered to Sqdn. 500, but signals not seen by 820 Sqdn., who then sank her.

--161--

Date	U-Boat	Last Commander	Cause of Sinking	Position
[1942]
19 Nov	U-98	Eichmann	British Squadron 608	*35-38 N, 11-48 W
20 Nov	U-184	Dangschat	HNMS Potentilla	*49-25 N, 45-25 W
21 Nov	U-517	Hartwig	HMS Victorious' Sqdn. 817	46-16 N, 17-09 W
15 Nov	U-411§	Spindlegger	HMS Wrestler	*36-09 N, 07-42 E
8 Dec	U-254	Gilardone	British Squadron 120, after collision with another U-boat (sunk by HMSWrestler?)	57-25 N, 35-19 W
10 Dec	U-611	v. Jacobs	VP-84	*58-09 N, 22-44 W
15 Dec	U-626	Bade	USGC Ingham	*56-46 N, 27-12 W
26 Dec	U-357	Kellner	HMS Hesperus & Vanessa	57-10 N, 15-40 W
27 Dec	U-356	Ruppelt	HMCS St. Laurent, Chilliwack, Battleford, Napanee & St. John	*45-30 N, 25-40 W
1943
6 Jan	U-164	Fechner	VP-83	01-58 S, 39-23 W
13 Jan	U-224	Kosbadt	HMCS Ville de Quebec	36-28 N, 00-49 E
13 Jan	U-507	Schacht	VP-83	*0l-38 S, 39-52 W
15 Jan	U-337	Ruwiedel	British Squadron 206	*57-40 N, 27-10 W
21 Jan	U-301	Körner	HM Sub. Sahib	41-27 N, 07-04 E
-- Jan	U-553	Thurmann	Unknown	*53-00 N, 33-00 W
3 Feb	U-265	Aufhammer	British Squadron 220	*56-35 N, 22-49 W
4 Feb	U-187	Münnich	HMS Vimy & Beverley	50-12 N, 36-34 W
7 Feb	U-609	Rudloff	RF Lobelia	*55-17 N, 26-38 W
7 Feb	U-624	v. Soden-Fraunhofen	British Squadron 220	*55-42 N, 26-17 W
10 Feb	U-519	Eppen	US Army A/S Sqdn. 2	*47-05 N, 18-34 W
12 Feb	U-442	Hesse	British Squadron 48	*37-32 N, 11-56 W
14 Feb	U-620	Stein	British Squadron 202	*39-27 N, 11-34 W
15 Feb	U-529	Fraatz	British Squadron 120	*55-45 N, 31-09 W
17 Feb	U-201	Rosenberg	HMS Fame	*50-36 N, 41-07 W
17 Feb	U-69	Gräf	HMS Viscount	*50-50 N, 40-50 W
17 Feb	U-205	Bürgel	HMS Paladin & RSAAF Sqdn. 15	32-56 N, 22-01 E
19 Feb	U-562	Hamm	HMS Isis, Hursley & Br. Aircraft	*32-57 N, 20-54 E
19 Feb	U-268	Heydemann	British Squadron 172	*47-03 N, 05-56 W
21 Feb	U-623	Schröder	RAF Sqdn. 120 (Aircraft torp.)	*48-68 N, 29-15 W
21 Feb	U-225	Leimkühler	USCGC Spencer (WPG-36)	*51-25 N, 27-28 W
22 Feb	U-606	Döhler	USCGC Campbell & ORP Burza	47-44 N, 33-43 W
23 Feb	U-522	Schneider	HMS Totland	*31-27 N, 26-22 W
23 Feb	U-443	v. Puttkamer	HMS Bicester, Lamerton & Wheatland	*36-55 N, 02-25 E
24 Feb	U-649	Tiesler	Collision with U-232
4 Mar	U-83	Wörishoffer	RAF Squadron 500	*37-10 N, 00-05 E
4 Mar	U-87	Berger	HMCS Shediac & St. Croix	*41-36 N, 13-31 W
7 Mar	U-633	Müller	British Squadron 220	*57-14 N, 26-30 W
8 Mar	U-156	Hartenstein	VP-53	*12-38 N, 54-39 W
11 Mar	U-432	Eckhardt	RF Aconit	51-35 N, 28-20 W
11 Mar	U-444	Langfeld	HMS Harvester & RF Aconit	51-14 N, 29-18 W
12 Mar	U-130	Keller	Champlin (DD-601)	*37-10 N, 40-21 W
19 Mar	U-5	Rahn	Collision	54-25 N, 19-50 E
20 Mar	U-384	v. Rosenberg-Gruszcynski	British Squadron 201	*54-18 N, 26-15 W
21 Mar	U-163	Engelmann	Herring (SS-233)	*44-13 N, 08-23W (lv. Lorient, 3-10)
22 Mar	U-665	Haupt	British Squadron 172	*46-47 N, 09-58 W
22 Mar	U-524	v. Steinaecker	US Army A/S Sqdn. 1	*30-15 N, 18-13 W
25 Mar	U-469	Claussen	British Squadron 206	*62-12 N, 16-40 W
27 Mar	U-169	Bauer	British Squadron 206	*60-54 N, 15-25 W
28 Mar	U-77	Hartmann	British Squadron 233 & 48	37-42 N, 00-10 E
2 Apr	U-124	Mohr	HMS Stonecrop & Black Swan	*41-02 N, 15-39 W
6 Apr	U-167	Sturm	British Squadron 233 (5 Apr; scuttled, 6th)	27-47 N, 15-00 W
6 Apr	U-635	Eckelmann	HMS Tay	*58-25 N, 29-22 W
6 Apr	U-632	Karpf	British Squadron 86	*58-02 N, 28-42 W
7 Apr	U-644	Jensen	HM Sub. Tuna	*69-38 N, 05-40 W
10 Apr	U-376	Marks	British Squadron 172	*46-48 N, 09-00 W
14 Apr	U-526	Möglich	Mine	47-30 N, 03-45 W

§ -- See Dessie under Italians, inf.

--162--

Date	U-Boat	Last Commander	Cause of Sinking	Position
[1943]
17 Apr	U-175	Bruns	USCGC Spencer (WPG-36)	48-50 N, 21-20 W
23 Apr	U-602	Schüler	British Squadron 500 (off Oran)	(*)Mediterranean
23 Apr	U-189	Kurrer	British Squadron 120	*59-50 N, 34-43 W
23 Apr	U-191	Fiehn	HMS Hesperus	*56-45 N, 34-25 W
24 Apr	U-710	v. Carlowitz	British Squadron 206	*61-25 N, 19-48 W
25 Apr	U-203	Kottmann	HMS Biter's Sqdn. 811 Aircraft & HMS Pathfinder	55-05 N, 42-25 W
27 Apr	U-174	Grandefeld	VB-125	43-35 N, 56-18 W
30 Apr	U-227	Kuntze	RAAF Sqdn. 455	*64-05 N, 06-40 W
2 May	U-332	Hüttemann	RAAF Sqdn. 461	*44-48 N, 08-58 W
3 May	U-659	Stock	Collision with U-439	43-32 N, 13-20 W
3 May	U-439	v. Tippelskirch	Collision with U-659	43-32 N, 13-20 W
4 May	U-630	Winkler	RCAF Sqdn. 5	*56-38 N, 42-32 W
7 May	U-465	Wolf	RAAF Sqdn. 10	*47-06 N, 10-58 W
5 May	U-192	Happe	HMS Pink	*54-56 N, 43-44 W
5 May	U-638	Staudinger	HMS Loosestrife	*53-06 N, 45-02 W
6 May	U-125	Folkers	HMS Vidette	*52-31 N, 44-50 W
6 May	U-531	Neckel	HMS Oribi	*52-31 N, 44-50 W
6 May	U-438	Heinsohn	HMS Pelican	*52-00 N, 4-10 W
7 May	U-447	Bothe	British Squadron . 233	*35-30 N, 11-55 W
4 May	U-109	Schramm	British Squadron 86	*47-22 N, 22-40 W
7 May	U-663	Schmid	British Squadron 58	*46-33 N, 11-12 W
11 May	U-528	v. Rabenau	HMS Fleetwood & British Squadron 58	46-55 N, 14-44 W
12[14?]May	U-186	Hesemann	HMS Hesperus	*41-54 N, 31-49 W
12(14) May	U-89	Lohmann	HMS Biter's Sqdn. 811, HMS Broadway & Lagan	*46-30 N, 25-40 W
13 May	U-456	Teichert	Coastal Command Liberator, HMS Pathfinder and an RAF Swordfish Aircraft	*48-37 N, 26-57 W
13 May	U-753	v. Mannstein	HMS Lagan, HMCS Drumheller & British Squadron 423	*47-00 N, 22-00 W
14 May	U-266	v. Jessen	British Squadron 86	*47-45 N, 26-57 W
14 May	U-640§§	Nagel	VP-84	*60-10 N, 31-52 W
15 May	U-176	Dierksen	VS-62 & Cuban SC-13	*23-21 N, 80-18 W (off Fla.)
15 May	U-463	Wolfbauer	British Squadron 58	*45-28 N, 10-20 W
16(15)May	U-182	Clausen	Mackenzie (DD-614)	*33-55 N, 20-35 W
17(28?)May	U-128	Steinert	VP-74, Moffett (DD-362) & Jouett (DD-396)	10-00 S, 35-35 W
17 May	U-657§§	Göllnitz	HMS Swale	*58-54 N, 42-33 W
17 May	U-646	Wulff	British Squadron 269	*62-10 N, 14-30 W
19 May	U-954	Löwe	British Squadron 120	*55-09 N, 35-18 W
19 May	U-209	Brodda	HMS Jed & Sennen	*54-54 N, 34-19 W
19 May	U-273	Rossmann	British Squadron 269	*59-25 N, 24-33 W
19 May	U-381	v. Pückler u. Limpurg	HMS Duncan & Snowflake	*54-41 N, 34-45 W
20 May	U-258	v. Mäszenhausen	British Squadron 120	*55-18 N, 27-49 W
21 May	U-303	Heine	HM Sub. Sickle	42-50 N, 06-00 E
22 May	U-569	Johannsen	VC-9 from Bogue (CVE-9)	50-40 N, 35-21 W
23 May	U-752	Schröter	HMS Archer's Aircraft	51-40 N, 29-49 W
25 May	U-414	Huth	HMS Vetch	*36-31 N, 00-40 E
25 May	U-467	Kummer	VP-84	*62-25 N, 14-52 W
26 May	U-436	Seibicke	HMS Test & Hyderabad	*43-49 N, 15-56 W
28 May	U-304	Koch	British Squadron 120	*54-50 N, 37-20 W
28 May	U-755	Göing	British Squadron 608	39-58 N, 01-41 E
29 May	U-549§	Eugene E. Elmore (DE-686)
31 May	U-563	Borchardt	British Squadrons 58 & 228 & RAAF Sqdn. 10	*46-35 N, 10-40 W
31 May	U-440	Schwaff	British Squadron 201	*45-38 N, 13-04 W
1 Jun	U-202	Poser	HMS Starling	56-12 N, 39-52 W
1 Jun	U-418	Lange	British Squadron 236	*47-05 N, 08-55 W
2 Jun	U-105	Nissen	British Squadron 141	*14-15 N, 17-35 W
2 Jun	U-521	Bargsten	PC-565	37-43 N, 73-16 W
4 Jun	U-308	Mühlenpfordt	HM Sub. Truculent	*64-28 N, 03-09 W
4 Jun	U-594	Mumm	British Squadron 48	*35-55 N, 09-25 W
5 Jun	U-217	Reichenbach-Klinke	VC-9 from Bogue (CVE-9)	*30-18 N, 42-50 W
11 Jun	U-417	Schreiner	British Squadron 206	*63-20 N, 10-30 W
12 Jun	U-118	Cygan	VC-9 from Bogue (CVE-9)	30-49 N, 33-49 W
14 Jun	U-334	Ehrich	HMS Jed & Pelican	*58-16 N, 28-20 W
14 Jun	U-564	Fiedler	British Squadron 10	44-17 N, 10-25 W
16 Jun	U-97	Trox	RAAF Sqdn. 459	33-00 N, 34-00 E
20 Jun	U-388	Sues	VP-84	*57-36 N, 31-20 W

§ See Morrison, Samuel Eliot, History of the United States Naval Operations in World War II, Vol. X, The Atlantic Battle Won: May 1943-May 1945 (Boston: Little, Brown & Company, 1956), 289.

§§ Br. Admiralty advises U-640 and -657 should be transposed.

--163--

Date	U-Boat	Last Commander	Cause of Sinking	Position
[1943]
24 Jun	U-119	v. Kameke	HMS Starling	*45-00 N, 11-59 W
24 Jun	U-194	Hesse	British Squadron 120	*58-15N, 25-25 W
24 Jun	U-200	Schonder	VP-84	*59-00 N, 26-18 W
24 Jun	U-449	Otto	HMS Wren, Woodpecker, Kite & Wild Goose	*45-00 N, 11-59 W
3 Jul	U-126	Kietz	British Squadron 172	*46-02 N, 11-23 W
3 Jul	U-628	Hasenschar	British Squadron 224	*44-11 N, 08-45 W
5 Jul	U-535	Ellmenreich	British Squadron 53	*43-38 N, 09-13 W
7 Jul	U-951	Pressel	US Army A/S Sqdn. 1	*37-40 N, 15-30 W
8 Jul	U-514	Auffermann	British Squadron 224	*43-37 N, 08-59 W
8 Jul	U-232	Ziehm	US Army A/S Sqdn. 2	*40-37 N, 13-41 W
9 Jul	U-435	Strelow	British Squadron 179	*39-48 N, 14-22 W
9 Jul	U-590	Kruer	VP-94	*03-22 N, 48-38 W
12 Jul	U-409	Massmann	HMS Inconstant	37-12 N, 04-00 E
12 Jul	U-506	Würdemann	US Army A/S Sqdn. 1	42-30 N, 16-30 W
12 Jul	U-561	Henning	HM MTB-81	38-16 N, 15-39 E
13 Jul	U-607	Jeschonnek	British Squadron 228	45-02 N, 09-14 W
13 Jul	U-487	Metz	VC-13 from Core (CVE-13)	27-15 N, 34-18 W
14 Jul	U-160	v. Pommer-Esche	VC-29 from Santee (CVE-29)	*33-54 N, 27-13 W
15 Jul	U-159	Beckmann	VP-32	*l5-58 N, 73-44 W
15 Jul	U-135	Luther	HMS Rochester, Mignonette & Balsam & VP-92	28-20 N, 13-17 W
15 Jul	U-509	Witte	VC-29 from Santee (CVE-29)	*34-02 N, 26-02 W
16 Jul	U-67	Müller-Stöckheim	VC-13 from Core (CVE-13)	30-05 N, 44-17 W
19 Jul	U-513	Guggenberger	VP-74	27-17 N, 47-32 W
20 Jul	U-558	Krech	US Army A/S Sqdn. 19	45-10 N, 09-42 W
21 Jul	U-662	Müller	VP-94	03-56 N, 48-46 W
23 Jul	U-527	Uhlig	VC-9 from Bogue (CVE-9)	35-25 N, 27-56 W
23 Jul	U-613	Köppe	Badger (DD-126)	*35-32 N, 28-36 W
23 Jul	U-598	Holtorf	VB-107	04-05 S, 33-23 W
24 Jul	U-459	v. Wilamowitz-Mollendorf	British Squadron 172	45-53 N, 10-38 W
24 Jul	U-622	Karpf	US Army air raid	63-27 N, 10-23 E
26 Jul	U-759	Friedrich	VP-32	*18-06 N, 75-00 W
28 Jul	U-359	Förster	VP-32	*15-57 N, 68-30 W
28 Jul	U-404	Schönberg	US Army A/S Sqdn. 4 & Br. 224	*45-53 N, 09-25 W
29 Jul	U-614	Sträter	British Squadron 172	*46-42 N, 11-03 W
30 Jul	U-591	Ziesmer	VB-127	08-36 S, 34-34 W
30 Jul	U-504	Luis	HMS Kite, Woodpecker, Wren, Wild Goose	*45-33 N, 10-47 W
30 Jul	U-43	Schwandtke	VC-29 from Santee (CVE-29)	34-57 N, 35-11 W
30 Jul	U-461	Stiebler	RAAF Sqdn. 461	45-42 N, 11-00 W
30 Jul	U-462	Vowe	British Squadron 502	45-08 N, 10-57 W
30 Jul	U-375	Koenenkamp	PC-624	*36-40 N, 12-28 E
31 Jul	U-199	Kraus	VP-74 & Brazilian Aircraft	23-54 S, 42-54 W
1 Aug	U-383	Kremser	British Squadron 228	*47-24 N, 12-10 W
1 Aug	U-454	Hackländer	RAAF Sqdn. 10	45-36 N, 10-23 W
2 Aug	U-706	v. Zitzewitz	US Army A/S Sqdn. 4	46-15 N, 10-25 W
2 Aug	U-106	Damerow	RAAF Sqdn. 461 & Br. 228	46-35 N, 11-55 W
3 Aug	U-572	Kummetat	VP-205	*11-35 N, 54-05 W
3 Aug	U-647	Hertin	Unknown	(*)Iceland-Faroes
4 Aug	U-489	Schmandt	RCAF Sqdn. 423	61-11 N, 14-38 W
5 Aug	U-34	Aust	Collision with Ger. sub-tender Lech (refloated Aug. 1943)	Off Memel
7 Aug	U-615	Kapitzky	VP-205, VP-204, VB-130 & US Army Bomb. 10	12-57 N, 64-34 W
7 Aug	U-117	Neumann	VC-1 from Card (CVE-11)	*39-32 N, 38-21 W
9 Aug	U-664	Graef	VC-1 from Card (CVE-11)	40-12 N, 37-29 W
11 Aug [3?]	U-604	Höltring	Scuttled as result of attacks by VB-129, VB-107 & Moffett (DD-362)	05-00 S, 20-00 W [9-10 S, 29-43 W]
11 Aug	U-468	Schamong	British Squadron 200	12-20 N, 20-07 W
11 Aug	U-525	Drewitz	VC-1 from Card (CVE-11)	*41-29 N, 38-55 W
18 Aug	U-403	Heine	British Squadron 200 & Fr. 697	13-42 N, 17-36 W
20 Aug	U-197	Bartels	British Squadrons 265 & 259	*28-40 S, 42-36 E
21 Aug	U-670	Hyronimus	Collision w/target ship Bokloburg	Baltic (Bay of Danzig)
22 Aug	U-458	Diggins	HMS Easton & HHMS Pindos	36-25 N, 12-39 E

--164--

Date	U-Boat	Last Commander	Cause of Sinking	Position
[1943]
24 Aug	U-134	Brosin	British Squadron 179	*42-07 N, 09-30 W
24(30?) Aug	U-185	Maus	VC-13 from Core (CVE-13)	27-00 N, 37-06 W
24 (26?) Aug	U-84	Uphoff	VC-13 from Core (CVE-13)	*27-09 N, 37-03 W
25 Aug	U-523	Pietzsch	HMS Wanderer & Wallflower	42-03 N, 18-02 W
27 Aug	U-847	Kuppisch	VC-1 from Card (CVE-11)	*28-19 N, 37-58 W
30 Aug	U-634	Dahlhaus	HMS Stork & Stonecrop	*40-13 N, 19-24 W
30 Aug	U-639	Wichmann	Russian Sub. S-101	*Kara Sea
7 Sep	U-669	Köhl	RCAF Sqdn. 407	*45-36 N, 10-13 W
8 Sep	U-983	Reimers	Collision	Baltic
8 Sep	U-760	Blum	Damaged by HMS Wellington's Sqdn. 179	Interned in Spain; surrendered in '45
11(12?) Sep	U-617	Brandi	British Squadron 179, HMS Hyacinth, Haarlem & HMAS Woolongong	35-38 N, 03-27 W
19 Sep	U-341	Epp	RCAF Sqdn. 10	*58-40 N, 25-30 W
20 Sep	U-338	Kinzel	British Squadron 120	*57-40 N, 29-48 W
20 Sep	U-346	Leisten	Marine casualty (diving accident)	*54-25 N, 19-50 E
22 Sep	U-229	Schetelig	HMS Keppel	*54-36 N, 36-25 W
27 Sep	U-161	Achilles	VP-74	*12-30 S, 35-35 W
27 Sep	U-221	Trojer	British Squadron 58	*47-00 N, 18-00 W
4 Oct	U-279	Finke	British Squadron 120	*60-51 N, 28-26 W
4 Oct	U-336	Hunger	VB-128	*60-40 N, 26-30 W
4 Oct	U-422	Poeschel	VC-9 from Card (CVE-11)	*43-18 N, 28-58 W
4 Oct	U-460	Schnorr	VC-9 from Card (CVE-11)	43-13 N, 28-58 W
5 Oct	U-389	Heilmann	British Squadron 269	*62-43 N, 27-17 W
8 Oct	U-643	Speidel	British Squadrons 86 & 120	56-14 N, 26-55 W
8 Oct	U-610	v. Freyberg	RCAF Sqdn. 423	*55-45 N, 24-33 W
8 Oct	U-419	Giersberg	British Squadron 86	56-31 N, 27-05 W
13 Oct	U-402	v. Forstner	VC-9 from Card (CVE-11)	*48-56 N, 29-41 W
16 Oct	U-470	Grave	British Squadrons 59 & 120	58-20 N, 29-20 W
16 Oct	U-533	Hennig	British Squadron 244	25-28 N, 56-50 E
16 Oct	U-844	Möller	British Squadrons 86 & 59	*58-30 N, 27-16 W
16 Oct	U-964	Hummer	British Squadron 86	*57-27 N, 28-17 W
17 Oct	U-631	Krüger	HMS Sunflower	*58-13 N, 32-29 W
17 Oct	U-841	Bender	HMS Byard	59-57 N, 31-06 W
17 Oct	U-540	Kasch	British Squadrons 59 & 120	*58-38 N, 31-56 W
20 Oct	U-378	Mäder	VC-13 from Core (CVE-13)	47-40 N, 28-27 W
23 Oct	U-274	Jordan	HMS Duncan, Vidette &British Squadron 224	*57-14 N, 27-50W
24 Oct	U-566	Hornkohl	British Squadron 179	41-12 N, 09-31 W
26 Oct	U-420	Reese	RCAF Sqdn. 10	*50-49 N, 41-01 W
28 Oct	U-220	Barber	VC-1 from Block Island (CVE-21)	*48-53 N, 33-30 W
29 Oct	U-282	Müller	HMS Vidette, Duncan & Sunflower	*55-28 N, 31-57 W
30 Oct	U-431	Schöneboom	HM Sub. Ultimatum	*43-04 N, 05-57 E
31 Oct	U-306	v. Trotha	HMS Whitehall & Geranium	*46-19 N, 20-44 W
31 Oct	U-584	Deecke	VC-9 from Card (CVE-11)	*49-14 N, 31-55 W
31 Oct	U-732	Carlsen	HMS Imperialist & Douglas	35-54 N, 05-52 W
1 Nov	U-340	Klaus	HMS Fleetwood, Active, Witherington & British Squadron 179	35-33 N, 06-37 W
1 Nov	U-405	Hopman	Borie (DD-215)	*49-00 N, 31-14 W
5 Nov	U-848	Rollmann	VB-107 & US Army 1st Compron	10-09 S, 18-00 W
6 Nov	U-226	Gange	HMS Starling, Woodcock & Kite	*44-49 N, 41-13 W
6 Nov	U-842	Heller	HMS Starling & Wild Goose	*43-42 N, 42-08 W
9 Nov	U-707	Gretschel	British Squadron 220	*40-31 N, 20-17 W
10 Nov	U-966	Wolf	VB-103, VB-110 & Czech Sqdn. 311	44-00 N, 08-30 W
12 Nov	U-508	Staats	VB-103	*46-00 N, 07-30 W
16 Nov	U-280	Hungershausen	British Squadron 86	*49-11 N, 27-32 W
18 Nov	U-718	Wieduwilt	Collision	Baltic
19 Nov	U-211	Hause	British Squadron 179	*40-15 N, 19-18 W
20 Nov	U-536	Schauenburg	HMS Nene, Snowberry & HMCS Calgary	43-50 N, 19-36 W
20 Nov	U-768	Buttjer	Collision	Baltic
21 Nov	U-538	Gossler	HMS Foley & Crane	*45-40 N, 19-35 W

--165--

Date	U-Boat	Last Commander	Cause of Sinking	Position
[1943]
23 Nov	U-648	Stahl	HMS Bazley, Blackwood & Drury	*42-40 N, 20-37 W
25 Nov	U-849	Schultze	VB-107	*06-30 S, 05-40 W
25 Nov	U-600	Zurmühlen	HMS Bazley & Blackwood	*40-31 N, 22-07 W
28 Nov	U-542	Coester	British Squadron 179	*39-03 N, 16-25 W
29 Nov	U-86	Schug	VC-19 from Bogue (CVE-9)	*39-33 N, 19-01 W
13[l2?] Dec	U-172	Hoffmann	VC-19 from Bogue (CVE-9), George E. Badger (AVD-3), DuPont (DD-152), Clemson (DD-186)& George W. Ingram (DE-62)	26-19 N, 29-58 W
13 Dec	U-345	Knackfuss	Mine	*54-06 N, 12-09 E
13 Dec	U-391	Dültgen	British Squadron 53	*45-45 N, 09-38 W
13 Dec	U-593	Kelbling	Wainwright (DD-419), HMS Calpe	37-38 N, 05-58 E
16 Dec	U-73	Deckert	Woolsey (DD-437) & Trippe (DD-403)	36-07 N, 00-50 W
20 Dec	U-850	Ewerth	VC-19 from Bogue (CVE-9)	*32-54 N, 37-01 W
21 Dec	U-284	Scholz	Scuttled	55-04 N, 30-23 W
24 Dec	U-645	Ferro	Schenck (DD-159)	*45-20 N, 21-40 W
1944
8 Jan	U-426	Reich	RAAF Sqdn. 10	*46-47 N,10-42 W
8 Jan	U-757	Deetz	HMS Bayntun & HMCS Camrose	*50-33 N, 18-03 W
9 Jan	U-81	Krieg	US Army Aircraft	Pola
9 Jan	UIT-19	-(unknown) -	US Army Aircraft	Pola
13 Jan	U-231	Wenzel	British Squadron 172	44-15 N, 20-38 W
(After 15 Jan)	U-377	Kluth	Unknown	(*)Atlantic
16 Jan	U-544	Mattke	VC-13 from Guadalcanal (CVE-60)	*40-30 N, 37-20 W
17 Jan	U-305	Bahr	HMS Wanderer &, Glenarm	*49-39 N, 20-10 W
19 Jan	U-641	Rendtel	HMS Violet	*50-25 N, 18-49 W
-- Jan	U-972	König	Unknown	* Atlantic
20 Jan	U-263	Nölke	Mine	*46-10 N, 01-14 W
28 Jan	U-571	Lüssow	RAAF Sqdn. 461	*52-41 N, 14-27 W
28 Jan	U-271	Barleben	VB-103	*53-15 N, 15-52 W
30 Jan	U-314	Basse	HMS Whitehall & Meteor	*73-45 N, 26-15 E
30 Jan	U-364	Sass	British Squadron 172	*45-25 N, 05-15 W
31 Jan	U-592	Jaschke	HMS Starling, Wild Goose & Magpie	*50-20 N, 17-29 W
4 Feb	U-854	Weiher	Mine	53-55 N, 14-17 E
6 Feb	U-177	Buchholz	VB-107	10-35 S, 23-15 W
8 Feb	U-762	Pietschmann	HMS Woodpecker, (Wild Goose & Starling)	*49-02 N, 16-58 W
9 Feb	U-238	Hepp	HMS Kite, Magpie & Starling	*49-44 N, 16-07 W
9 Feb	U-734	Blauert	HMS Wild Goose & Starling	*49-43 N, 16-23 W
10 Feb	U-545	Mannesmann	British Squadron 612	58-17 N, 13-22 W
10 Feb	U-666	Willberg	HMS Fencer's Aircraft	*53-56 N, 17-16 W
11 Feb	U-424	Lüders	HMS Wild Goose & Woodpecker	*50-00 N, 18-14 W
11 Feb	U-283	Ney	RCAF Sqdn. 407	*60-45 N, 12-50 W
14 Feb	U-738	Hoffmann	Diving accident	54-31 N, 18-33 E
14 Feb	UIT-23§	Striegler	HM Sub. Tally Ho	04-25 N,100-09 E
18 Feb	U-406	Dieterichs	HMS Spey	48-32 N, 23-36 W
18 Feb	U-7	Loeschke	Collision	54-25 N, 19-50 E
19 Feb	U-264	Looks	HMS Woodpecker & Starling	48-31 N, 22-05 W
19 Feb	U-386	Albrecht	HMS Spey	48-51 N, 22-41 W
24 Feb	U-257	Rahe	HMCS Waskesiu	47-19 N, 26-00 W
24 Feb	U-713	Gosejacob	HMS Keppel	*69-27 N, 04-53 E
24 Feb	U-761	Geider	VP-63, VB-127,British Squadron 202, HMS Anthony & Wishart	35-55 N, 05-45 W
25 Feb	U-601	Hansen	British Squadron. 210	*70-26 N, 12-40 E
25 Feb	U-91	Hungerhausen	HMS Affleck, Gore &. Gould	49-45 N, 26-20 W
1 Mar	U-358	Manke	HMS Affleck, Gould, Garlics & Gore	45-46 N, 23-16 W
1 Mar	U-709	Ites	Thomas (DE-102), Bostwick (DE-103) & Bronstein (DE-189)	*49-10 N, 26-00 W
1 Mar	U-603	Bertelsmann	Bronstein (DE-189)	*48-55 N, 26-10 W

[§ Japanese Torpedo Boat 22 rescued the crew of U-23. Source: Japanese Ships Report, No. 99, notes, page 9, Naval Historical Center's Operational Archives Branch.]

--166--

Date	U-Boat	Last Commander	Cause of Sinking	Position
[1944]
4 Mar	U-472	v. Forstner	HMS Chaser's Sqdn. 816 & HMS Onslaught	73-05 N, 26-40 E
5 Mar	U-366	Langenberg	HMS Chaser's Sqdn. 816	*72-10 N, 14-45 E
6 Mar	U-744	Blischke	HMCS St. Catherine's, Chilliwack, Gatineau, Fennel, Chaudiere, HMSIcarus & Kenilworth Castle	52-01 N, 22-37 W
6 Mar	U-973	Paepenmöller	HMS Chaser's Sqdn. 816	70-04 N, 05-48 E
10 Mar	U-450	Böhme	HMS Exmoor, Blankney, Blencathra & Brecon	41-11 N, 12-27 E
10 Mar	U-343	Rahn	HMS Mull	*38-07 N, 09-41 E
10 Mar	U-625	Straub	RCAF Sqdn. 422	*52-35 N, 20-19 W
10 Mar	U-845	Weber	HMS Forester; HMCS St. Laurent, Owen Sound & Swansea	48-20 N, 20-33 W
11 Mar	UIT-22 [ex-Alpino Attilio Bagnolini]	Wunderlich	RSAAF Sqdns. 279 & 262	*41-28 S, 17-40 E
11 Mar	U-380	Brandi	US Army Aircraft	Toulon
11 Mar	U-410	Fenski	US Army Aircraft	Toulon
13 Mar	U-575	Boehmer	VC-95 from Bogue (CVE-9); Br. Sqdns. 172 & 206, Haverfield (DE-393),Hobson (DD-464), HMCS Prince Rupert & Br. 220	46-18 N, 27-34 W
15 Mar	U-653	Kandler	HMS Vindex's Aircraft, HMS Starling & Wild Goose	*53-46 N, 24-35 W
16 Mar	U-392	Schümann	VP-63, HMS Affleck & Vanoc	*35-55 N, 05-41 W
16 Mar	U-801	Branz	VC-6 from Block Island (CVE-21); Carry (DD-463) & Bronstein (DE-189)	16-42 N, 30-28 W
17 Mar	U-1013	Linck	Collision	Baltic
19 Mar	U-1059	Leupold	VC-6 from Block Island (CVE-21)	13-10 N, 33-44 W
25 Mar	U-976	Tiesler	British Squadron 248	46-48 N, 02-43 W
-- Mar	U-851	Weingaertner	Unknown	(*)Atlantic
29 Mar	U-961	Fischer	HMS Starling	*64-31 N, 03-19 W
30 Mar	U-223	Gerlach	HMS Laforey, Tumult, Hambledon & Blencathra	38-48 N,14-10 E
-- Mar	U-28	Sachse	Marine casualty	Baltic (Neustadt)
1 Apr	U-355	La Baume	HMS Tracker's Sqdn. 846 & HMS Beagle	*73-07 N, 10-21 E
2 Apr	U-360	Becker	HMS Keppel	*73-28 N, 13-04 E
3 Apr	U-288	Meyer	HMS Tracker's Sqdn. 846 & HMS Activity's Sqdn. 819	*73-44 N, 27-12 E
6 Apr	U-302	Sickel	HMS Swale	*45-05 N, 35-11W
6 Apr	U-455	Scheibe	Unknown	*44-04 N, 09-51 E
7 Apr	U-856	Wittenberg	Champlin (DD-601) & Huse (DE-145)	40-18 N, 62-22 W
8 Apr	U-2	Schwarzkopf	Collision	Baltic (W. of Pillau)
8 Apr	U-962	Lieseberg	HMS Crane & Cygnet	*45-43 N, 19-57 W
9 Apr	U-515	Henke	VC-58 from Guadalcanal (CVE-60); Pope (DD-225), Pillsbury (DE-133),Chatelain (DE-149) & Flaherty (DE-135)	34-35 N, 19-18 W
10 Apr	U-68	Lauzemis	VC-58 from Guadalcanal (CVE-60)	33-25 N, 18-59 W
14 Apr	U-448	Dauter	HMCS Swansea & HMS Pelican	46-22 N, 19-35 W
16 Apr	U-550	Hänert	Gaudy (DE-764), Joyce (DE-317) & Peterson (DE-152)	40-09 N, 69-44 W
17 Apr	U-342	Hossenfelder	RCAF Sqdn. 162	*60-23 N, 29-20 W
17 Apr	U-986	Kaiser	Swift (AM-122) & PC-619	*50-09 N, 12-51 W
19 Apr	U-974	Wolff	His Norwegian Majesty's Submarine Ula	59-08 N, 05-23 E
24 Apr	U-311	Zander	RCAF Sqdn. 423	*50-36 N, 18-36 W
26 Apr	U-488	Studt	Frost (DE-144), Huse (DE-145), Barber (DE-161) & Snowden (DE-246)	*17-54 N, 38-05 W
27 Apr	U-803	Schimpf	Mine	53-55 N, 14-17 E
28 Apr	U-193	Abel	British Squadron 612	*45-38 N, 09-43 W
29 Apr	U-421	Kolbus	US Army Aircraft	Toulon
(11?) Apr	U-108	Brünig	US Army & RAF Aircraft (Decomm. 17th; Scuttled, May '45)	Stettin

--167--

Date	U-Boat	Last Commander	Cause of Sinking	Position
[1944]
1 May	U-277	Lübsen	HMS Fencer's Sqdn. 842	*73-24 N, 15-32 E
2 May	U-674	Muhs	HMS Fencer's Sqdn. 842	*70-32 N, 04-37 E
2 May	U-959	Weitz	HMS Fencer's Sqdn. 842	*69-20 N, 00-20 W
3 May	U-852	Eck	British Squadrons 8 & 621	09-32 N, 50-59 E
4 May	U-371	Fenski	Pride (DE-323), Joseph E. Campbell (DE-70), RF Senegalais & HMSBlankney	37-49 N, 05-39 E
4 May	U-846	Hashagen	RCAF Sqdn. 407	46-04 N, 09-20 W
5 May	U-473	Sternberg	HMS Starling, Wren & Wild Goose	49-29 N, 21-22 W
6 May	U-66	Seehausen	VC-55 from Block Island (CVE-106) & Buckley (DE-51)	17-17 N, 32-29 W
6 May	U-765	Wendt	HMS Vindex's Sqdn. 825, Bickerton, Bligh & Aylmer	52-30 N, 28-28 W
13 May	(ex-)U-1224 [HIJMS RO-501]	Norita	Francis M. Robinson (DE-220)	*18-08 N, 33-13 W
14-17 May	U-616	Koitschka	Nields (DD-616), Cleaves (DD-423), Ellyson (DD-454), Hilary P. Jones(DD-427), Macomb (DD-458), Hambleton (DD-455), Rodman (DD-456),Emmons (DD-457) & British Squadron 36	36-52 N, 00-11 E
15 May	U-1234	Wrede	Collision (later raised)	Off Göteborg
15 May	U-731	Keller	VP-63, HMS Kilmarnock & Blackfly	*35-54 N, 05-45 W
16 May	U-240	Link	Norwegian Squadron 330	*63-05 N, 03-10 E
18 May	U-241	Werr	British Squadron 210	*63-36N, 01-42 E
19 May	U-960	Heinrich	Niblack (DD-424), Ludlow (DD-438), British Squadrons 36 & 500	37-20 N, 01-35 E
19 May	U-1015	Boos	Collision	*54-25 N, 19-50 E
21 May	U-453	Lührs	HMS Termagant, Tenacious & Liddesdale	38-13 N, 16-36 E
24 May	U-476	Niethmann	British Squadron 210	*65-08 N, 04-53 E
24 May	U-675	Sammler	British Squadron 4	*62-27 N, 03-04 E
25 May	U-990	Nordheimer	British Squadron 59	*65-05 N, 07-28 E
27 May	U-292	Schmidt	British Squadron 59	*62-37 N, 00-57 E
29 May	U-549	Krankenhagen	Eugene E. Elmore (DE-686) & Ahrens (DE-575)	*31-13 N, 23-03 W
31 May	U-289	Hellwig	HMS Milne	*73-32 N, 00-28 E
3 Jun	U-477	Jenssen	RCAF Sqdn. 162	*63-59 N, 01-37 E
4 Jun	U-505	Lange	Captured by VC-8 from Guadalcanal (CVE-60); Chatelain (DE-149),Jenks (DE-665) &, Pillsbury (DE-133)	(Now at Chicago Museum of Science & Industry) 21-30 N, 19-20 W
7 Jun	U-955	Baden	British Squadron 201	*45-13 N, 08-30 W
7 Jun	U-970	Ketels	British Squadron 228	45-15 N, 04-10 W
8 Jun	U-629	Bugs	British Squadron 224	*48-27 N, 05-47 W
8 Jun	U-373	v. Lehsten	British Squadron 224	48-10 N, 05-31 W
9 Jun	U-740	Stark	British Squadron 120	*49-09 N, 08-37 W
10 Jun	U-821	Knackfuss	British Squadrons 206 & 248	*48-31 N, 05-11 W
11 Jun	U-980	Dahms	RCAF Sqdn. 162	*63-07 N, 00-26 E
12 Jun	U-490	Gerlach	VC-95 from Croatan (CVE-25); Frost (DE-144), Inch (DE-146) & Huse(DE-145)	42-47 N, 40-08 W
13 Jun	U-715	Röttger	RCAF Sqdn. 162	62-45 N, 02-59 W
15 Jun	U-860	Büchel	VC-9 from Solomons (CVE-67)	25-27 S, 05-30 W
15 Jun	U-987	Schreyer	HM Sub. Satyr	*68-01 N, 05-08 E
16 Jun	U-998	Fiedler	Nor. 333: heavily damaged, scuttled 27th.	61-01 N, 03-00 E
17 Jun	U-423	Hacklander	Norwegian Squadron 333	*63-06N, 02-05 E
18 Jun	U-767	Dankleff	HMS Fame, Inconstant & Havelock	49-03 N, 03-13 W
18 Jun	U-441	Hartmann	Polish Sqdn. 304	49-03 N, 04-48 W
24 Jun	U-971	Zeplin	HMCS Haida, HMS Eskimo & Czech Sqdn. 311	49-01 N, 05-35 W
24 Jun	U-1225	Sauerberg	RCAF Sqdn. 162	*63-00 N, 00-50 W
25 Jun	U-1191	Grau	HMS Affleck & Balfour	*50-03N, 02-59 W

--168--

Date	U-Boat	Last Commander	Cause of Sinking	Position
[1944]
25 Jun	U-269	Uhl	HMS Bickerton	50-01 N, 02-59 W
26 Jun	U-317	Rahlf	British Squadron 86	*62-03 N, 01-45 E
26 Jun	U-719	Steffens	HMS Bulldog	*55-33N, 11-02 W
29 Jun	U-988	Dobberstein	HMS Essington, Duckworth, Domett, Cooke, & Br. 224	*49-37 N, 03-41 W
30 Jun	U-478	Rademacher	British Squadron 86 & RCAF Sqdn. 162	*63-27 N, 00-50 W
2 Jul	U-543	Hellriegel	VC-58 from Wake Island (CVE-65)	*25-34N, 21-36 W
3 Jul	U-154	Gemeiner	Inch (DE-146) & Frost (DE-144)	*34-00 N, 19-30 W
5 Jul	U-390	Geissler	HMS Wanderer & Tavy	49-52 N, 00-48 W
5 Jul	U-586	Götze	US Army Aircraft	Toulon
5 Jul(?)	U-642	Brünning	US Army Aircraft	Toulon
5 Jul	U-233	Steen	Card (CVE-11) 's Aircraft, Baker (DE-190) & Thomas (DE-102)	42-16 N, 59-49 W
6 Jul	U-678	Hyronimus	HMCS Ottawa, Kootenay & HMS Statice	*50-32 N, 00-23 W
8 Jul	U-243	Märtens	RAAF Sqdn. 10	47-06 N, 06-40 W
11 Jul	U-1222	Bielfeld	British Squadron 201	*46-31 N, 05-29 W
14 Jul	U-415	Werner	Mine	48-22 N, 04-29 W
15 Jul	U-319	Clemens	British Squadron 206	* 57-40 N, 05-00 E
17 Jul	U-361	Seidel	British Squadron 86	*68-36 N, 08-33 E
17 Jul	U-347	de Buhr	British Squadron 210	68-35 N, 06-00 E
18 Jul	U-672	Lawaetz	HMS Balfour (Scuttled)	50-03 N, 02-30 W
18 Jul	U-742	Schwassmann	British Squadron 210	*68-24 N, 09-51 E
21 Jul	U-212	Vogler	HMS Curzon & Ekins	*50-27 N, 09-51 E
(22) Jul	U-1166	Ballert	Torpedo explosion	Eckernförde
23 Jul	U-239	Vöge	RAF Aircraft (out of svce., 24 July)	Kiel
23 Jul	U-1164	- (unknown) -	RAF Aircraft (out of svce., 24 July)	Kiel
26 Jul	U-214	Conrad	HMS Cooke	*49-55 N, 03-31 W
29 Jul	U-2323	Angermann	US Army Aircraft	Bremen
29 Jul	U-872	Grau	US Army Aircraft	Bremen
30 Jul	U-250	Schmidt	Russian M-103 (sub)	Gulf of Finland
31 Jul	U-333	Fiedler	HMS Starling & Loch Killin	49-39 N, 07-28 W
4 Aug	U-671	Hegewald	HMS Stayner & Wensleydale	50-23 N, 00-06 E
6 Aug	U-736	Reff	HMS Loch Killin & Starling	47-19 N, 04-16 W
6 Aug	U-952	Curio	US Army Aircraft	Toulon
6 Aug	U-471	Klövekorn	US Army Aircraft	Toulon
6 Aug	U-969	Dobbert	US Army Aircraft	Toulon
9 Aug	U-608	Reisener	British Squadron 53 & HMS Wren	46-30 N, 03-08 W
11 Aug	U-385	Valentiner	RAAF Sqdn. 461 & HMS Starling	46-16 N, 02-45 W
12 Aug	U-981	Keller	British Squadron 502	45-41 N, 01-25 W
13 Aug	U-270	Schreiber	RAAF Sqdn. 461	46-19 N, 02-56 W
12 Aug	U-198	Heusinger v. Waldegg	HMS Findhorn & HMIS Godavari	*03-35 S, 52-49 E
14 Aug	U-618	Faust	Br. 53 & HMS Duckworth & Essington	*47-22 N, 04-39 W
15 Aug	U-741	Palmgren	HMS Orchis	50-02 N, 00-36 W
18 Aug	U-107	Fritz	British Squadron 201	*46-46 N, 03-39 W
18 Aug	U-621	Stuckmann	HMCS Ottawa, Kootenay & Chaudiere	*45-52 N, 02-36 W
19 Aug	U-123	v. Schröter	(Out of Service, 8/44) (RF Blaison, '54)	Lorient
19 Aug	U-466	Thater	Scuttled (blown up?)	Toulon
19 Aug	U-967	Eberbach	Scuttled (blown up?)	Toulon
20 Aug	U-413	Sachse	HMS Wensleydale, Forester & Vidette	50-21 N, 00-01 W
20 Aug	U-984	Sieder	HMCS Ottawa, Chaudiere & Kootenay	*48-16 N, 05-33 W
20 Aug	U-1229	Zinke	VC-42 from Bogue (CVE-9)	42-20 N, 51-39 W
20 Aug	U-9	Klapdor	Russian Aircraft	Constanza
21 Aug	U-230	Eberbach	Scuttled	Toulon
22 Aug	U-180	Riesen	Mine	*45-00 N, 02-00 W
24 Aug	U-354	Sthamer	HMS Vindex's Sqdn. 825, Mermaid, Loch Dunvegan, Keppel & Peacock	§§*74-54 N, 15-26 E
22 Aug	U-344	Pietsch	HMS Vindex's Sqdn. 825	§§ *72-49 N, 30-41 E
24 Aug	U-445	v. Treuberg	HMS Louis	*47-21 N, 05-50 W
25 (20?) Aug	U-178	Spahr	Scuttled	Bordeaux

§§ Br. Admiralty indicates these two positions should be transposed.

--169--

Date	U-Boat	Last Commander	Cause of Sinking	Position
[1944]
20 Aug	U-188	Lüdden	Scuttled	Bordeaux
25 Aug	UIT-21 [ex-Giuseppe Finzi]	- (unknown) -	Scuttled	Bordeaux (out of service after 9/8/43 attack)
25 Aug	U-667	Lange	Mine	*46-10 N, 01-14 W
25 [31?] Aug	U-1000	Müller	Mine	Neustadt (Pillau ?)
-- Aug	U-766	Wilke	(Out of service, 8/44) (RF Laubie, '47)	La Pallice
--Aug	U-129	v. Harpe	(Out of service, 7/44) (later scuttled)	Lorient
25 Aug 10Sep?	U-18	Fleige	Scuttled (later raised by USSR)	Constanza (Kustendje)
25 Aug 10Sep?	U-24	Lenzmann	Scuttled (later raised by USSR)	Constanza (Kustendje)
1 Sep	U-247	Matschulat	HMCS St. John & Swansea	*49-54 N, 05-49 W
2 Sep	U-394	Borger	HMS Vindex's Sqdn. 825, Keppel, Mermaid, Whitehall & Peacock	*69-47 N, 04-41 E
4 Sep	UIT-15, -16, -20	(See: Italian sub. chronology, inf.)
5 Sep	U-362	Franz	Russian Minesweeper T-116	*Krakowka I. vicinity
9 Sep	U-743	Kandzlor	HMS Portchester, Castle & Helmsdale	*55-45 N, 11-41 W
9 Sep	U-484	Schäfer	HMCS Dunver, Hespeler [& RCAF Sqdn. 423?)	*56-30 N, 07-40 W
10 Sep	U-19	Ohlenburg	Scuttled	Turkish coast
10 Sep	U-20	Grafen	Scuttled	Turkish coast
10 Sep	U-23	Arendt	Scuttled	Turkish coast
19 Sep	U-407	Kolbus	HMS Troubridge, Terpsichore & ORP Garland	36-27 N, 24-33 E
19 Sep	U-865	Stellmacher	Unknown	*North Sea
19 Sep	U-867	v. Mühlendahl	British Squadron 224 (or engine failure?)	*62-15 N, 01-50 E
23 Sep	U-859	Jebsen	HM Sub. Trenchant	05-46 N, 100-04E
24 Sep	U-565	Henning	US Army Aircraft	Salamis
24 Sep	U-596	Kolbus	US Army Aircraft	Salamis
24 Sep	U-855	Ohlsen	British Squadron 224	*61-00 N, 04-07 E
26 Sep	U-871	Ganzer	British Squadron 220	*43-18 N, 36-28 W
29 Sep	U-863	v. d. Esch	VB-107	*10-45 S, 25-30 W
30 Sep	U-921	Werner	HMS Campania's Sqdn. 813	*72-32 N, 12-55 E
30 Sep	U-1062	Albrecht	Fessenden (DE-142) & Mission Bay (CVE-59)	*11-36 N, 34-44 W
30 Sep	U-703	Brunner	Mine	*Iceland (E. coast)
18 Sep	U-925	Knoke	Unknown (Sailed from Bergen 24 Aug)	*Iceland-Faeroes
4 Oct	U-993	Steinmetz	RAF Aircraft	Bergen
4 Oct	U-228	Engel	RAF Aircraft (out of service, 12 Oct)	Bergen
4 Oct	U-437	Lamby	RAF Aircraft (Put out of service, 13 Oct)	Bergen
4 Oct	U-92	Brauel	RAF Aircraft (Put out of service, 12 Oct)	Bergen
5 Oct	U-168	Pich	HNetherlandsMSub. Zwaardvisch	06-20 S, 111-28 E
15 Oct	U-777	Ruperti	RAF Aircraft	Wilhelmshaven
16 Oct	U-1006	Voigt	HMCS Annan	60-59 N, 04-49 W
19 Oct	U-957	Schaar	Rammed 19th by Ger. trspt.; out of service, Narvik, 21st.
23 Oct	U-985	Wolff	Mine (out of service, 15 Nov)	[63-07 N, 07-45 E?] (or Listerfjord?)
24 Oct	U-673	Gerke	Collision w/minesweeper; stranded	59-20 N, 05-53 E
27 Oct	U-1060	Brammer	HMS Implacable's 1771 Sqdn., British Squadron 502 & Czech Sqdn. 311	*65-24 N, 12-00 E
28 Oct	U-1226	Claussen	Unknown (Schnörkel accident?)	*Atlantic
-- Oct	U-2331	Pahl	Marine casualty	Near Hela (Baltic)
9 Nov	U-537	Schrewe	Flounder (SS-251)	*07-13 S, 115-17 E
10 Nov	U-966	Wolf	Collision	Off C. Ortegal, Biscay
11 Nov	U-771	Block	HM Sub. Venturer	*69-17 N, 16-28 E

--170--

Date	U-Boat	Last Commander	Cause of Sinking	Position
[1944]
11 Nov	U-1200	Mangels	HMS Pevensey Castle, Launceston Castle, Portchester Castle &Kenilworth Castle	*50-24 N, 09-10 W
25 Nov	U-322	Wysk	HMS Ascension & Norwegian Sqdn. 330	*60-18 N, 04-52 W
28 Nov	U-80	Keerl	Diving accident	54-25 N, 19-50 E
30 Nov	U-196	Striegler	Unknown	*06-45 S, 105-50 E Sunda Straits
-- Nov	U-547	Niemeyer	Mine	Baltic
6 Dec	U-297	Aldegarmann	HMS Loch Insh & Goodall	*58-44 N, 04-29 W
9 Dec	U-387	Büchler	HMS Bamborough Castle	*69-41 N, 33-12 E
12 Dec	U-416	Rieger	Raised after collision of 30 March	Baltic (off Pillau)
12 Dec	U-479	Sons	Mine	*Eastern Baltic
13 Dec	U-365	Todenhagen	HMS Campania's Sqdn. 813	*70-43 N, 08-07 E
17 Dec	U-400	Creutz	HMS Nyasaland	*51-16 N, 08-05 W
18 Dec	U-1209	Hülsenbeck	Diving accident [struck rock]	49-57 N, 05-47 W
19 Dec	U-737	Gréus	Collision with minesweeper	[60-00 N, 05-00 E]
26 Dec	U-2342	Schad v. Mittelbiberach	Mine	*53-55 N, 14-17 E
27 Dec	U-877	Findeisen	HMCS St. Thomas	46-25 N, 36-38 W
28 Dec	U-735	Börner	RAF Aircraft	59-24 N, 10-29 E (Horten)
30 Dec	U-772	Rademacher	RCAF Sqdn. 407	*50-05 N, 02-31 W
31 Dec	U-906	Unknown	Air attack	Hamburg
31 Dec (Apr '45?)	U-2532	Unknown	US Army Aircraft (& RAF)	Hamburg
31 Dec (Apr '45?)	U-2537	Klapdor	US Army Aircraft (& RAF)	Hamburg
1945
- Jan	U-650	Zorn	Unknown	* NE of Scotland (?)
10 Jan	U-679	Aust	Mine [Russian A/S vsl. MO-124?]	* Baltic
16 Jan	U-248	Loos	Hayter (DE-212), Otter (DE-210), Varian (DE-798) & Harry E. Hubbard(DD-748)	*47-43 N, 26-37 W
16 Jan	U-482	v. Matuschka	HMS Peacock, Hart, Starling, Loch Craggie & Amethyst	*55-30 N, 05-53 W
17 Jan (11 Mar ?)	U-2515	Borchers	US Army	Hamburg
17 Jan (11 Mar ?)	U-2530	Bockelberg	US Army	Hamburg
17 Jan	U-2523	Ketels	US Army & RAF Aircraft	Hamburg
21 Jan	U-1199	Stollmann	HMS Icarus & Mignonette	49-57 N, 05-42 W
24 Jan	U-763	Schröter	Russian Aircraft	Koenigsberg
26 Jan	U-1172	Kuhlmann	HMS Aylmer, Colder, Bentinck & Manners	*53-39 N, 05-23 W
27 Jan	U-1051	v. Holleben	HMS Tyler, Keats & Bligh	*52-24 N, 05-42 W
31 Jan	U-3520	Ballert	Mine	*54-27 N, 09-26 E
-- Jan	U-1020	Eberlein	Unknown	(*)57-50 N, 04-10 W
-- Jan	U-382	Wilke	Collision	Baltic
3 Feb	U-1279	Falke	HMS Bayntun, Braithwaite & Loch Eck	61-21 N, 02-00 W
4 Feb	U-745	v. Trotha	Unknown	*Eastern Baltic
4 Feb	U-1014	Glaser	HMS Loch Scavaig, Nyasaland, Papua & Loch Shin	*55-17 N, 06-44 W
9 Feb	U-864	Wolfram	HM Sub. Venturer	*60-46 N, 04-35 E
14 Feb	U-989	v. Roithberg	HMS Bayntun, Braithwaite, Loch Eck & Loch Dunvegan	*61-36 N, 01-35 W
15 Feb	U-1053	Lange	Casualty in rocket tests	*60-22 N, 05-10 E
16 Feb	U-309	Loeder	HMCS St. John	*58-09 N, 02-23 W
17 Feb	U-425	Bentzien	HMS Lark & Alnwick Castle	69-39 N, 33-50 E
17 Feb	U-1273	Knollmann	Mine	*59-30 N, 10-30 E
17 Feb	U-1278	Müller-Bethke	HMS Bayntun & Loch Eck	*61-32 N, 01-36 W
18 Feb	U-2344	Ellerhage	Collision	54-09 N, 11-51 E
19 Feb	U-676	Sass	Mine	* Baltic
20 Feb	U-1208	Hagene	HMS Amethyst	*51-48 N, 07-07 W
22 Feb	U-300	Hein	HMS Recruit, Evadne & Pincher	36-29 N, 08-20 W
24 Feb	U-480	Förster	HMS Duckwworth & Rowley	*49-55 N, 06-08 W
24 Feb	U-927	Ebert	British Squadron 179	*49-54 N, 04-45 W
24 Feb	U-3007	Marbach	US Army Aircraft	Bremen
27 Feb	U-1018	Burmeister	HMS Loch Fada	49-56 N, 05-20 W

--171--

Date	U-Boat	Last Commander	Cause of Sinking	Position
[1945]
27 Feb	U-327	Lemcke	VPB-12, HMS Labuan, Loch Fada & Wild Goose	*49-46 N, 05-07 W
28 Feb	U-869	Neuerburg	Fowler (DE-222) & RF l 'Indiscret	*39-34 N, 73-02 W
-- Feb	U-923	Frömmer	Mine	* Baltic
2 Mar	U-3519	v. Harpe	Mine	*54-11 N, 12-05 E
7 Mar	U-1302	Herwartz	HMCS La Hulloise, Strathadam & Thetford Mines	*52-19 N, 05-23 W
10 Mar	U-275	Wehrkamp	Mine	*50-36 N, 00-04 E
11 Mar	U-681	Gebauer	VPB-103	49-53 N, 06-31 W
12 Mar	U-683	Keller	HMS Loch Ruthven & Wild Goose	*49-52 N, 05-52 W
12 Mar	U-260	Becker	Mine	51-15 N, 09-05 W
14 Mar	U-714	Schebcke	HMSAS Natal	*55-57 N, 01-57 W
15 Mar	U-367	Stegemann	Mine	*54-25 N, 19-50 E
18 Mar	U-866	Rogowsky	Lowe (DE-325), Menges (DE-320), Pride (DE-323) & Mosley (DE-321)	*43-18 N, 61-08 W
20 Mar	U-905	Schwarting	British Squadron 86	*59-42 N, 04-55 W
20 Mar	U-1003	Strübing	HMCS New Glasgow [rammed]**	55-25 N, 06-53 W
22 Mar	U-296	Rasch	British Squadron 120	*55-23 N, 06-40 W
26 Mar	U-399	Buhse	HMS Duckworth	49-56 N, 05-22 W
27 Mar	U-965	Unverzagt	HMS Conn, (Rupert & Deane)	*58-34 N, 05-46 W
27 Mar	U-722	Reimers	HMS Fitzroy, Redmill & Byron	*57-09 N, 06-55 W
29 Mar	U-246	Raabe	HMS Duckworth	*49-58 N, 05-25 W
29 Mar	U-1106	Bartke	British Squadron 224	*61-46 N, 02-16 W
30 Mar	U-1021	Holpert	HMS Rupert, Conn (& Deane)	*58-19 N, 05-31 W
4 Mar	U-3508	v. Lehsten	US Army Aircraft	Wilhelmshaven
30 Mar	U-429 (ex RS S-2)	Kuttkat	US Army Aircraft	Wilhelmshaven
30 Mar	U-96	Rix	US Army Aircraft	Wilhelmshaven
30 Mar	U-72	Mayer	US Army Aircraft	Bremen
30 Mar	U-430 (ex RS S-3)	Hammer	US Army Aircraft	Bremen
30 Mar	U-870	Hechler	US Army Aircraft	Bremen
30 Mar	U-329	- (unknown) -	US Army Aircraft	Bremen
30 Mar	U-884	Lüders	US Army Aircraft	Bremen
30 Mar	U-2340	Klusmeier	US Army Aircraft	Hamburg
30 Mar	U-350	Niester	US Army Aircraft	Hamburg (D. Werft)
- Mar	U-348	Schunck	US Army Aircraft	Hamburg
30 Mar	U-1167	Bortfeld	US Army Aircraft	Hamburg
30 Mar	U-747	Zahnow	US Army Aircraft	Hamburg
30 Mar	U-886	---	US ArmyAircraft	Bremen (on stocks)
31 Mar	U-682	Tienemann	RAF Aircraft	Hamburg
2 Apr	U-321	Berends	Polish Sqdn. 304	*50-00 N, 12-57 W
3 Apr	U-1221	Ackermann	US Army Aircraft	Kiel
3 Apr	U-2542	Hübschen	US Army Aircraft	Kiel
3 Apr	U-3505	Willner	US Army Aircraft	Kiel
3 Apr	U-1276	Wendt	British Squadron 224	*61-42 N, 00-24 W
4 Apr	U-749	Huisken	US Army Aircraft	Kiel
4 Apr	U-237	Menard	US Army Aircraft	Kiel
4 Apr	U-3003	Kregelin	US Army Aircraft	Kiel
5 Apr	U-1169	Goldbeck	Mine	*52-03 N, 05-53 W
6 Apr	U-1195	Cordes	HMS Watchman	50-33 N, 00-55 W
7 Apr	U-857	Premauer	Gustafson (DE-182)	*42-22 N, 69-46 W
8 Apr	U-1001	Blaudow	HMS Fitzroy & Byron	*49-19 N, 10-23 W
8 Apr	U-2509	Schendel	RAF Aircraft	Hamburg
8 Apr	U-2514	Wahlen	RAF Aircraft	Hamburg
8 Apr	U-3512	Hornkohl	RAF Aircraft	Kiel
8 Apr	U-774	Sausmikat	HMS Calder & Bentinck	*49-58 N, 11-51 W
9 Apr	U-804	Meyer	British Squadrons 143, 235 & 248	*57-58 N, 11-15 E
9 Apr	U-843	Herwartz	British Squadrons 143, 235 & 248	57-58 N, 11-15 E
9 Apr	U-1065	Panitz	British Squadron. 235	*57-48 N, 11-26 E
10 Apr	U-878	Rodig	HMS Vanquisher & Tintagel Castle	*47-35 N, 10-33 W

**-- Scuttled, 23d.

--172--

Date	U-Boat	Last Commander	Cause of Sinking	Position
[1945]
12 Apr	U-486	Meyer	HM Sub. Tapir	*60-44 N, 04-39 E
12 Apr	U-1024	Gutteck	Captured by HMS Loch Glendhu (towed by Loch More, but sank underway)	53-39 N, 05-03 W
14 Apr	U-1206	Schlitt	Diving accident (grounded)	57-21 N, 01-39 W
14 Apr	U-235	Huisken	Ger. escort vessel T-17	*57-44 N, 10-39 E
15 Apr	U-285	Bornhaupt	HMS Grindall & Keats	*50-13 N, 12-48 W
16 Apr	U-1063	Stephan	HMS Loch Killin	50-08 N, 05-52 W
16 Apr	U-1235	Barsch	Stanton (DE-247) & Frost (DE-144)	*47-54 N, 30-25 W
16 Apr	U-78	Hübsch	Russian forces	Pillau, in dock
16 Apr	U-880	Schötzau	Stanton (DE-247) & Frost (DE-144)	*47-53 N, 30-26 W
16 Apr	U-1274	Fitting	HMS Viceroy	*55-36 N, 01-24 W
19 Apr	U-251	Säck	Br. 235, 143, 248 and Norw. 333	56-37 N, 11-51 E
19 Apr	U-879	Machen	Buckley (DE-51) & Reuben James (DE-153)	*42-19 N, 81-45 W
21 Apr	U-636	Schendel	HMS Bazely, Drury & Bentinck	*55-50 N, 10-31 W
21[22?] Apr	U-518	Offermann	Carter (DE-112) & Neal A. Scott (DE-769)	*43-26 N, 38-23 W
23 Apr	U-183	Schneewind	Besugo (SS-331)	*04-57 S, 112-52 E
23 Apr	U-396	Siemon	British Squadron 86	*59-29 N, 05-22 W
24 Apr	U-546	Just	Flaherty (DE-135), Neunzer (DE-150), Chatelain (DE-149), Varian (DE-798), Harry E. Hubbard (DD-798), Janssen (DE-396), Pillsbury (DE-133)& Keith (DE-241)	43-53 N, 40-07 W
25 Apr 28 Apr	U-1223	Kniep	British Aircraft Scuttled	Off Weser Estuary
25 Apr	U-1107	Parduhn	VPB-103	*48-12 N, 05-42 W
28 Apr	U-56	Miede	US Army & RAF Aircraft	Kiel
29 Apr	U-1017	Riecken	British Squadron120	*56-04 N, 11-06 W
29 Apr	U-307	Krüger	HMS Loch Insh	69-24 N, 33-44 E
29 Apr	U-286	Dietrich	HMS Loch Shin, Anguilla & Cotton	*69-29 N, 33-37 E
30 Apr	U-242	Riedel	Unknown	(*) U. K. Area
30 Apr	U-548	Krempl	Natchez (PF-2), Coffman (DE-191), Bostwick (DE-103) and Thomas(DE-102)	*36-34 N, 74-00 W (off Va.)
30 Apr	U-1055	Meyer	VPB-63	*48-00 N, 06-30 W
-- Apr	U-1227	Altmeier	US Army & RAF Aircraft	Kiel
-- Apr	U-677	Ady	US Army & RAF Aircraft	Hamburg
-- Apr	U-982	Harmann	US Army & RAF Aircraft	Hamburg
-- Apr	U-3525	Gaude	US Army & RAF Aircraft	Baltic
-- Apr	U-2516	Kallipke	US Army & RAF Aircraft	Hamburg
-- Apr	U-1131	Fiebig	US Army & RAF Aircraft	Kiel
30? Apr	U-325	Dohrn	Unknown	*Eng. Channel (I. of Man)
-- Apr	U-326	Matthes	Unknown	*United Kingdom area
2 May	U-1007	v. Witzendorff	RAF Aircraft (later mined)	53-54 N, 11-28 E
2 May	U-2359	Bischoff	British Squadrons 143, 235, 248, RCAF Sqdn. 404 & Norwegian Sqdn. 333	*57-29 N, 11-24 E
3 May	U-3030	Luttmann	RAF Aircraft	55-30 N, 10-00 E
3 May	U-3032	Slevogt	RAF Aircraft	55-30 N, 10-00 E
3 May	U-2540	Schultze	RAF Aircraft	55-30 N, 10-00 E
3 May	U-2524	v. Witzendorff	British Squadrons 254 & 236	55-55 N, 10-45 E
3 May	U-1210	Grabert	RAF Aircraft	54-27 N, 09-51 E
4 May	U-2503	Wächter	British Squadrons 236 & 254 (damage, beached)	55-37 N, 10-00 E
4 May	U-711	Lange	HMS Searcher's, Trumpeter's & Queen's Sqdns. 853, 882 & 846	68-48 N, 16-38 E
4 May	U-2338	Kaiser	British Squadrons 254 & 236	55-37 N, 10-00 E
4 May	U-393	Herrle	British Squadrons 254 & 236	55-37 N, 10-00 E
4 May	U-904	Stührmann	RAF bombs, Scuttled after damage	54-29 N, 09-52 E
4 May	U-746	Lottner	RAF bombs, Scuttled after damage	54-48 N, 09-55 E
4 May	U-876	Bahn	RAF bombs, Scuttled after damage	54-29 N, 09-52 E

--173--

Date	U-Boat	Last Commander	Cause of Sinking	Position
[1945]
4 May	U-236	Mumm	British Squadrons236 & 254 [Scuttled later]	55-37 N, 10-00 E
4 May	U-4708	Schulz	Aircraft	Kiel (Germaniawerft)
4 May	U-4709	Aircraft	Kiel (Germaniawerft)
4 May	U-4711	Endler	Aircraft	Kiel (Germaniawerft)
4 May	U-4712	Fleige	Aircraft	Kiel (Germaniawerft)
5 May	U-2365	Christiansen	Czech. 311	57-27 N, 10-38 E
5 May	U-2367	Schröder	Collision with U-boat; (raised, '56, for Bundesmarine)	Great Belt
5 May	U-534	Nollau	British Squadron 206	56-59 N, 11-48 E
5 May	U-3523	Müller	British Squadron 224	*56-06 N, 11-06 E
5 (4?) May	U-2521	Methner	British Squadron 547	*56-11 N, 11-08 E (off Va.)
5 May	U-733	Hammer	RAF bombs (Damaged, scuttled)	54-47 N, 09-26 E
5 May	U-3503	Deiring	British Squadron 86 (Scuttled off Göteborg, 8th)	56-45 N, 10-49 E
5 May	U-579	Schwarzenberg	RAF bombs	*55-30 N, 10-00 E
6 May	U-1008	Gessner	British Squadron. 86	57-52 N, 10-49 E
6 May	U-2534	Drews	British Squadron86	*57-08 N, 11-52 E
6 May	U-853	Frömsdorf	Atherton (DE-169) & Moberly (PF-63)	*41-13 N, 71-27 W
6 May	U-881	Frischke	Farquhar (DE-139)	*43-18 N, 47-44 W
7 May	U-320	Emmrich	British Squadron 210	61-32 N, 01-53 E
-- May	U-398	Cranz	Unknown	(*)E. Coast Scotland
9 May	U-2538	Klapdor	Mine	Off Marstal, SW Aerö I.
16 May	U-873	Steinhoff	Surrendered	Portsmouth, N.H.
3 Jun	U-1277	Stever	Scuttled	W. of Oporto
__ July	U-530	Surrendered	Argentina
17 Aug	U-977	Schaeffer	Surrendered	La Plata R., Argentina

N.B. Over 150 U-boats were scuttled in northern ports the first week in May '45-15 in Wilhelmshaven, 10 at Hamburg, 31 in Travemünde and 26 in Kiel the 2d. and 3d; 56 in Flensburg alone the 5th. From then till the end of June, approximately an equal number of submarine crews surrendered to the Allies from Narvik to Portsmouth, N. H., and a straggler or two at the River Plate as late as mid-August. To pinpoint terminal date and locale for an individual U-boat, consult the general index, as space in the two paragraphs immediately following permits only a skeleton listing of the 300 U-numbers.

Lost U-boats still out there

According to the definitive website Uboat.org, a total of 50 German U-boats remained unaccounted for after the end of World War II.

U.S. Navy officials have steadfastly held that unless an official German report of a U-boat engaging a blimp turns up, or the wreckage of a sub is found off Mount Desert Island, there is no reason to reopen the inquiry into speculation it was enemy action that caused blimp K-14 to crash into the sea east of Mount Desert Rock in July of 1944.

However, as those pushing for the case to be reopened point out, the history of what happened in World War II is constantly being rewritten as more information comes to light.

And when it comes to whether the U.S. Navy or German Navy records have the last word on what happened, critics point to the case of U-869, dubbed “U-who,” discovered 60 miles off the coast of New Jersey in 1991.

It took six years and numerous dives on the site, including missions that resulted in the deaths of three divers, before the wreck was positively identified.

The discovery was all the more remarkable in that U.S. Navy records showed the sub being sunk by a destroyer off the coast of Gibraltar on the far side of the Atlantic Ocean in February of 1945.

While German Navy documents are detailed in their descriptions of where submarines went, the technology of the day did not make it easy for commanders to track where their subs were. Radio communications were brief, and usually done in bursts to avoid detection. Most records of activities come from logs kept on the ship and brought ashore when the U-boats returned to base.

“If they didn’t make it back the admirals usually had no idea where they were,” points out K-14 airship accident expert Fred Morin of Massachusetts.

According to U-boat.net, some 1,154 U-boats were in operation during the war. A total of 450 were lost to Allied action or accidents.

Of the 50 boats that were unaccounted for, paperwork reveals the areas they were officially assigned to but there is no way to know if they ever reached those areas or went elsewhere later. And, as Mr. Morin points out, no records of “off the books” secret missions have been found.

“They [Germans] may have kept records but I doubt they wrote everything down or that all the records have been found,” he said.

The first submarine built in Germany, the three-man Brandtaucher, sank to the bottom of Kiel harbor on 1 February 1851 during a test dive. [1] [2] The inventor and engineer Wilhelm Bauer had designed this vessel in 1850, and Schweffel & Howaldt constructed it in Kiel. Dredging operations in 1887 rediscovered Brandtaucher it was later raised and put on historical display in Germany.

There followed in 1890 the boats Nordenfelt I and Nordenfelt II, built to a Nordenfelt design. In 1903 the Friedrich Krupp Germaniawerft dockyard in Kiel completed the first fully functional German-built submarine, Forelle, [3] which Krupp sold to Russia during the Russo-Japanese War in April 1904. [4] The SM U-1 was a completely redesigned Karp-class submarine and only one was built. The Imperial German Navy commissioned it on 14 December 1906. [5] It had a double hull, a Körting kerosene engine, and a single torpedo tube. The 50%-larger SM U-2 (commissioned in 1908) had two torpedo tubes. The U-19 class of 1912–13 saw the first diesel engine installed in a German navy boat. At the start of World War I in 1914, Germany had 48 submarines of 13 classes in service or under construction. During that war the Imperial German Navy used SM U-1 for training. Retired in 1919, it remains on display at the Deutsches Museum in Munich. [6]

On 5 September 1914, HMS Pathfinder was sunk by SM U-21, the first ship to have been sunk by a submarine using a self-propelled torpedo. On 22 September, U-9 under the command of Otto Weddigen sank the obsolete British warships HMS Aboukir, HMS Cressy and HMS Hogue (the "Live Bait Squadron") in a single hour.

In the Gallipoli Campaign in early 1915 in the eastern Mediterranean, German U-boats, notably the U-21, prevented close support of allied troops by 18 pre-Dreadnought battleships by sinking two of them. [7]

For the first few months of the war, U-boat anticommerce actions observed the "prize rules" of the time, which governed the treatment of enemy civilian ships and their occupants. On 20 October 1914, SM U-17 sank the first merchant ship, the SS Glitra, off Norway. [8] Surface commerce raiders were proving to be ineffective, and on 4 February 1915, the Kaiser assented to the declaration of a war zone in the waters around the British Isles. This was cited as a retaliation for British minefields and shipping blockades. Under the instructions given to U-boat captains, they could sink merchant ships, even potentially neutral ones, without warning.

In February 1915, a submarine U-6 (Lepsius) was rammed and both periscopes were destroyed off Beachy Head by the collier SS Thordis commanded by Captain John Bell RNR after firing a torpedo. [9] On 7 May 1915, SM U-20 sank the liner RMS Lusitania. The sinking claimed 1,198 lives, 128 of them American civilians, and the attack of this unarmed civilian ship deeply shocked the Allies. According to the ship's manifest, Lusitania was carrying military cargo, though none of this information was relayed to the citizens of Britain and the United States who thought that the ship contained no ammunition or military weaponry whatsoever and it was an act of brutal murder. Munitions that it carried were thousands of crates full of ammunition for rifles, 3-inch artillery shells, and also various other standard ammunition used by infantry. The sinking of the Lusitania was widely used as propaganda against the German Empire and caused greater support for the war effort. A widespread reaction in the U.S was not seen until the attack on the ferry SS Sussex which carried many citizens of the United States of America.

The initial U.S. response was to threaten to sever diplomatic ties, which persuaded the Germans to issue the Sussex pledge that reimposed restrictions on U-boat activity. The U.S. reiterated its objections to German submarine warfare whenever U.S. civilians died as a result of German attacks, which prompted the Germans to fully reapply prize rules. This, however, removed the effectiveness of the U-boat fleet, and the Germans consequently sought a decisive surface action, a strategy that culminated in the Battle of Jutland.

Although the Germans claimed victory at Jutland, the British Grand Fleet remained in control at sea. It was necessary to return to effective anticommerce warfare by U-boats. Vice-Admiral Reinhard Scheer, Commander in Chief of the High Seas Fleet, pressed for all-out U-boat war, convinced that a high rate of shipping losses would force Britain to seek an early peace before the United States could react effectively.

The renewed German campaign was effective, sinking 1.4 million tons of shipping between October 1916 and January 1917. Despite this, the political situation demanded even greater pressure, and on 31 January 1917, Germany announced that its U-boats would engage in unrestricted submarine warfare beginning 1 February. On 17 March, German submarines sank three American merchant vessels, and the U.S. declared war on Germany in April 1917.

Unrestricted submarine warfare in early 1917 was initially very successful, sinking a major part of Britain-bound shipping. With the introduction of escorted convoys, shipping losses declined and in the end, the German strategy failed to destroy sufficient Allied shipping. An armistice became effective on 11 November 1918. Of the surviving German submarines 14 U-boats were scuttled and 122 surrendered. [10]

Of the 373 German submarines that had been built, 178 were lost by enemy action. Of these 40 were sunk by mines, 30 by depth charges and 13 by Q-ships. 512 officers and 4894 enlisted men were killed. They sank 10 battleships, 18 cruisers and several smaller naval vessels. They further destroyed 5,708 merchant and fishing vessels for a total of 11,108,865 tons and the loss of about 15,000 sailors. [10] The Pour le Mérite, the highest decoration for gallantry for officers, was awarded to 29 U-boat commanders. [11] 12 U-boat crewmen were decorated with the Goldene Militär-Verdienst-Kreuz, the highest bravery award for non-commissioned officers and enlisted men. [12] The most successful U-boat commanders of World War I were Lothar von Arnauld de la Perière (189 merchant vessels and two gunboats with 446,708 tons), followed by Walter Forstmann (149 ships with 391,607 tons), and Max Valentiner (144 ships with 299,482 tons). [13] Their records have not been surpassed in any subsequent conflict.

Classes Edit

Surrender of the fleet Edit

Under the terms of armistice, all U-boats were to immediately surrender. Those in home waters sailed to the British submarine base at Harwich. The entire process was done quickly and in the main without difficulty, after which the vessels were studied, then scrapped or given to Allied navies. Stephen King-Hall wrote a detailed eyewitness account of the surrender. [14]

The Treaty of Versailles ending World War I signed at the Paris Peace Conference in 1919 restricted the total tonnage of the German surface fleet. The treaty also restricted the independent tonnage of ships and forbade the construction of submarines. However, a submarine design office was set up in the Netherlands and a torpedo research program was started in Sweden. Before the start of World War II, Germany started building U-boats and training crews, labeling these activities as "research" or concealing them using other covers. When this became known, the Anglo-German Naval Agreement limited Germany to parity with Britain in submarines. When World War II started, Germany already had 65 U-boats, with 21 of those at sea, ready for war. [15]

During World War II, U-boat warfare was the major component of the Battle of the Atlantic, which began in 1939 and ended with Germany's surrender in 1945. The Armistice of 11 November 1918 ending World War I had scuttled most of the old Imperial German Navy and the subsequent Treaty of Versailles of 1919 limited the surface navy of Germany's new Weimar Republic to only six battleships (of less than 10,000 tons each), six cruisers, and 12 destroyers. To compensate, Germany's new navy, the Kriegsmarine, developed the largest submarine fleet going into World War II. [16] British Prime Minister Winston Churchill later wrote "The only thing that really frightened me during the war was the U-boat peril." [17]

In the early stages of the war, the U-boats were extremely effective in destroying Allied shipping due to the large gap in mid-Atlantic air cover. Cross-Atlantic trade in war supplies and food was extensive and critical for Britain's survival. The continuous action surrounding British shipping became known as the Battle of the Atlantic, as the British developed technical defences such as ASDIC and radar, and the German U-boats responded by hunting in what were called "wolfpacks" where multiple submarines would stay close together, making it easier for them to sink a specific target. Britain's vulnerable shipping situation existed until 1942, when the tides changed as the U.S. merchant marine and Navy entered the war, drastically increasing the amount of tonnage of supplies sent across the Atlantic. The combination of increased tonnage and increased naval protection of shipping convoys made it much more difficult for U-boats to make a significant dent in British shipping. Once the United States entered the war, U-boats ranged from the Atlantic coast of the United States and Canada to the Gulf of Mexico, and from the Arctic to the west and southern African coasts and even as far east as Penang. The U.S. military engaged in various tactics against German incursions in the Americas these included military surveillance of foreign nations in Latin America, particularly in the Caribbean, to deter any local governments from supplying German U-boats.

Because speed and range were severely limited underwater while running on battery power, U-boats were required to spend most of their time surfaced running on diesel engines, diving only when attacked or for rare daytime torpedo strikes. The more ship-like hull design reflects the fact that these were primarily surface vessels that could submerge when necessary. This contrasts with the cylindrical profile of modern nuclear submarines, which are more hydrodynamic underwater (where they spend the majority of their time), but less stable on the surface. While U-boats were faster on the surface than submerged, the opposite is generally true of modern submarines. The most common U-boat attack during the early years of the war was conducted on the surface and at night. This period, before the Allied forces developed truly effective antisubmarine warfare tactics, which included convoys, was referred to by German submariners as "die glückliche Zeit" or the First Happy Time. [18]

Torpedoes Edit

The U-boats' main weapon was the torpedo, though mines and deck guns (while surfaced) were also used. By the end of the war, almost 3,000 Allied ships (175 warships 2,825 merchant ships) were sunk by U-boat torpedoes. [19] Early German World War II torpedoes were straight runners, as opposed to the homing and pattern-running torpedoes that became available later in the war. They were fitted with one of two types of pistol triggers — impact, which detonated the warhead upon contact with a solid object, and magnetic, which detonated upon sensing a change in the magnetic field within a few meters.

One of the most effective uses of magnetic pistols would be to set the torpedo's depth to just beneath the keel of the target. The explosion under the target's keel would create a detonation shock wave, which could cause a ship's hull to rupture under the concussive water pressure. In this way, even large or heavily armored ships could be sunk or disabled with a single, well-placed hit.

Initially, the depth-keeping equipment and magnetic and contact exploders were notoriously unreliable. During the first eight months of the war torpedoes often ran at an improper depth, detonated prematurely, or failed to explode altogether—sometimes bouncing harmlessly off the hull of the target ship. This was most evident in Operation Weserübung, the invasion of Norway, where various skilled U-boat commanders failed to inflict damage on British transports and warships because of faulty torpedoes. The faults were largely due to a lack of testing. The magnetic detonator was sensitive to mechanical oscillations during the torpedo run, and to fluctuations in the Earth's magnetic field at high latitudes. These early magnetic detonators were eventually phased out, and the depth-keeping problem was solved by early 1942 with improved technology. [20] [ further explanation needed ]

Later in the war, Germany developed an acoustic homing torpedo, the G7/T5. It was primarily designed to combat convoy escorts. The acoustic torpedo was designed to run straight to an arming distance of 400 m and then turn toward the loudest noise detected. This sometimes ended up being the U-boat at least two submarines may have been sunk by their own homing torpedoes. Additionally, these torpedoes were found to be only effective against ships moving at greater than 15 knots (28 km/h). The Allies countered acoustic torpedoes with noisemaker decoys such as Foxer, FXR, CAT and Fanfare. The Germans, in turn, countered this by introducing newer and upgraded versions of the acoustic torpedoes, like the late-war G7es, and the T11. However, the T11 did not see active service. [21]

U-boats also adopted several types of "pattern-running" torpedoes that ran straight out to a preset distance, then traveled in either a circular or ladder-like pattern. When fired at a convoy, this increased the probability of a hit if the weapon missed its primary target.

U-boat developments Edit

During World War II, the Kriegsmarine produced many different types of U-boats as technology evolved. Most notable is the Type VII, known as the "workhorse" of the fleet, which was by far the most-produced type, and the Type IX boats, an enlarged VII designed for long-range patrols, some traveling as far as Japan and the east coast of the United States.

With the increasing sophistication of Allied detection and subsequent losses, German designers began to fully realise the potential for a truly submerged boat. The Type XXI "Elektroboot" was designed to favor submerged performance, both for combat effectiveness and survival. It was the first true submersible. The Type XXI featured an evolutionary design that combined several different strands of the U-boat development program, most notably from the Walter U-boats, the Type XVII, which featured an unsuccessful yet revolutionary hydrogen peroxide air-independent propellant system. These boats featured a streamlined hull design, which formed the basis of the later USS Nautilus nuclear submarine, and was adapted for use with more conventional propulsion systems. The larger hull design allowed for a greatly increased battery capacity, which enabled the XXI to cruise submerged for longer periods and reach unprecedented submerged speeds for the time. Waste disposal was a problem when the U-boats spent extended periods without surfacing, as it is today.

Throughout the war, an arms race evolved between the Allies and the Kriegsmarine, especially in detection and counterdetection. Sonar (ASDIC in Britain) allowed Allied warships to detect submerged U-boats (and vice versa) beyond visual range, but was not effective against a surfaced vessel thus, early in the war, a U-boat at night or in bad weather was actually safer on the surface. Advancements in radar became particularly deadly for the U-boat crews, especially once aircraft-mounted units were developed. As a countermeasure, U-boats were fitted with radar warning receivers, to give them ample time to dive before the enemy closed in, as well as more anti-aircraft guns. However, by early to mid-1943, the Allies switched to centimetric radar (unknown to Germany), which rendered the radar detectors ineffective. U-boat radar systems were also developed, but many captains chose not to use them for fear of broadcasting their position to enemy patrols and lack of sufficient electronic countermeasures.

Early on, the Germans experimented with the idea of the Schnorchel (snorkel) from captured Dutch submarines, but saw no need for them until rather late in the war. The Schnorchel was a retractable pipe that supplied air to the diesel engines while submerged at periscope depth, allowing the boats to cruise and recharge their batteries while maintaining a degree of stealth. It was far from a perfect solution, however. Problems occurred with the device's valve sticking shut or closing as it dunked in rough weather since the system used the entire pressure hull as a buffer, the diesels would instantaneously suck huge volumes of air from the boat's compartments, and the crew often suffered painful ear injuries. Speed was limited to 8 knots (15 km/h), lest the device snap from stress. The Schnorchel also had the effect of making the boat essentially noisy and deaf in sonar terms. Finally, Allied radar eventually became sufficiently advanced that the Schnorchel mast could be detected beyond visual range.

Several other pioneering innovations included acoustic- and electro-absorbent coatings to make them less of an ASDIC or RADAR target. The Germans also developed active countermeasures such as facilities to release artificial chemical bubble-making decoys, known as Bold, after the mythical kobold.

Classes Edit

Milchkuh

Elektroboot

Biber

Hai

Molch

Seehund

Countermeasures Edit

Advances in convoy tactics, high-frequency direction finding (referred to as ("Huff-Duff"), radar, active sonar (called ASDIC in Britain), depth charges, ASW spigot mortars (also known as "hedgehog"), the intermittent cracking of the German Naval Enigma code, the introduction of the Leigh light, the range of escort aircraft (especially with the use of escort carriers), the use of mystery ships, and the full entry of the U.S. into the war with its enormous shipbuilding capacity, all turned the tide against the U-boats. In the end, the U-boat fleet suffered extremely heavy casualties, losing 793 U-boats and about 28,000 submariners (a 75% casualty rate, the highest of all German forces during the war).

At the same time, the Allies targeted the U-boat shipyards and their bases with strategic bombing.

Enigma machine Edit

The British had a major advantage in their ability to read some German naval Enigma codes. An understanding of the German coding methods had been brought to Britain via France from Polish code-breakers. Thereafter, code books and equipment were captured by raids on German weather ships and from captured U-boats. A team including Alan Turing used special purpose "Bombes" and early computers to break new German codes as they were introduced. The speedy decoding of messages was vital in directing convoys away from wolf packs and allowing interception and destruction of U-boats. This was demonstrated when the Naval Enigma machines were altered in February 1942 and wolf-pack effectiveness greatly increased until the new code was broken.

The German submarine U-110, a Type IXB, was captured in 1941 by the Royal Navy, and its Enigma machine and documents were removed. U-559 was also captured by the British in October 1942 three sailors boarded her as she was sinking, and desperately threw all the code books out of the submarine so as to salvage them. Two of them, Able Seaman Colin Grazier and Lieutenant Francis Anthony Blair Fasson, continued to throw code books out of the ship as it went under water, and went down with it. Further code books were captured by raids on weather ships. U-744 was boarded by crew from the Canadian ship HMCS Chilliwack on 6 March 1944, and codes were taken from her, but by this time in the war, most of the information was known. [23] The U-505, a Type IXC, was captured by the United States Navy in June 1944. It is now a museum ship in Chicago at the Museum of Science and Industry.

Battle of Bell Island Edit

Two events in the battle took place in 1942 when German U-boats attacked four allied ore carriers at Bell Island, Newfoundland. The carriers SS Saganaga and SS Lord Strathcona were sunk by U-513 on 5 September 1942, while the SS Rosecastle and PLM 27 were sunk by U-518 on 2 November with the loss of 69 lives. When the submarine launched a torpedo at the loading pier, Bell Island became the only location in North America to be subject to direct attack by German forces in World War II.

Operation Deadlight Edit

"Operation Deadlight" was the code name for the scuttling of U-boats surrendered to the Allies after the defeat of Germany near the end of the war. Of the 154 U-boats surrendered, 121 were scuttled in deep water off Lisahally, Northern Ireland, or Loch Ryan, Scotland, in late 1945 and early 1946.

The Forgotten Blimps of World War II

Anyone who has ever seen a group of blimps will, I believe, remember the occasion.
For me it was during World War II when our family went from Leavenworth, Washington, where we lived, to Shelton because my cousin was home on leave from the Coast Guard. He took me to see the blimps at the Naval Auxiliary Air Station at Shelton and told me how they were being used. I don't remember anything he said but I never forgot the sight of those lighter than air airships. The main operating base of squadron ZP-33 was Tillamook, Oregon, but I am sure at least six of the squadron's eight airships were at Shelton that day.
That memory stayed with me and one regret of my Navy career is the fact that I only had a token contact experience with blimps. When I served as Beachmaster at NAS Pensacola, bringing in PBM's that stopped by, my collateral duty was Petty Officer-in-charge of mooring blimps (at the "old" Chevalier Field) that came down from Lakehurst, New Jersey. Recently, blimp pilot, LT C. Donald Lee, USNR (Ret.) gave me access to an NAS Lakehurst information booklet from 1946. This material was invaluable in our effort to revive the lighter than air (LTA) story.
The need for a fleet of airships was recognized before our entry into World War II. Four successive chiefs of the Bureau of Aeronautics had called for such a non-rigid airship program. Their names are remembered but their "requests" were ignored. They were RADM's Moffett, King, Cook and Towers.
Finally, in June 1940 the 76th Congress passed Public Law 635 for a 10,000 plane program which included a provision for 48 non-rigid airships. When Japan bombed Pearl Harbor six months later the only airships in service were training airships.
That total included four K-type patrol airships built between 1938-41, three small L-type trainers built in the same time frame, a single G-type trainer built in 1936 and two old TC-type Army trainers built in 1933. Only six (the K and TC types) were large enough for sea service, but the L ship would be used for coastal patrol. The only operational base was at Lakehurst, New Jersey.
Even people who lived through those early war years have forgotten the toll taken by enemy submarines. The merchant ships sunk numbered in the thousands with 454 sunk by German U-boats in 1942 in our Atlantic coastal area. Many of these sinkings were within sight of land, sometimes during daylight hours while swimmers on the beach watched in disbelief. By 1943 the number of sinkings was reduced to 65, eight in 1944 and only three in 1945.
The reduction was in direct ratio to the development of LTA operations. No ship escorted by a blimp was ever sunk. We hasten to add that this antisubmarine program was a partnership operation that developed using blimps the small CVE "jeep carriers," PBY Catalina squadrons and other patrol squadrons. The aircraft however, could not be watching over these merchant fleets all the time, as the blimps could. The blimps often could do the job themselves with their limited fire power and depth charges. When needed they could call for aircraft from the CVE assigned the area. The system worked very well.
The account of one German U-boat well illustrates how critical was the need for a rapid development of a large airship program.
German U-123 was commanded by a 28 year old named Reinhard Hardegen. He led a group of five U-boats to the eastern seaboard to begin their attacks 13 January 1942. Each sub carried 15 torpedoes and 180 rounds of artillery for their gun mount. When he returned to occupied France he had sunk nine ships. He began another cruise 10 April 1942 and by the time he returned to France again, he had sunk a total of 19 ships on the two cruises. More than 400 ships were thus sunk in the first six months of 1942.
The initial operation of which U-123 was part was named Operation Drumbeat. Michael Gannon, author of the book "Operation Drumbeat," is extremely critical of the Navy and particularly ADM King. Our purpose here is not to respond to Mr. Gannon in defense of ADM King. However, a message sent to the Secretary of the Navy, 12 February 1940, from RADM Ernest J. King would seem to refute charges that RADM King had no understanding nor appreciation for the threat of submarines.
"The restatement of Naval Policy recommended by the General Board in February 1937 reaffirmed in October 1939 is considered sound, viz: to build and maintain non-rigid airships in numbers and classes adequate for coastal patrol and other essential Naval purposes."
The execution of this recommendation began 12 December 1941 by order of the President. The losses of 1942 were a result of unrealistic down sizing of the military, not poor leadership after the war began.
The Pacific Coast was not immune from the submarine menace. The SS Medio* was the first merchant ship sunk by a Japanese sub on 20 December 1942 off the coast near Eureka, California. A Japanese sub actually shelled oil derricks north of Santa Barbara, California on 23 February 1942. Early in the evening, 15-25 rounds struck the United States.
When the war began there were only 100 LTA pilots, including retired, reserves and students. There were also only 100 qualified enlisted air crewmen. by 1944 this number reached 1,500 pilots and 3,000 air crewmen. The number of administrative support personnel grew from 30 officers and 200 enlist in 1941 to 706 officers and 7,200 enlisted in 1945.
Airship operations first expanded from Lakehurst to Moffett Field, California when ZP-32 was established 31 January 1942, with two TC's and two L's. ZP-12 was established at Lakehurst 2 January 1942, also with four ships. This was the beginning of fleet airship service in defense against submarines.
Fleet Airship Wings were steadily added up and down both coasts with squadrons ultimately stationed in Jamaica, Brazil, Trinidad, then across the Atlantic to Port Lyautey, French Morocco and Gibraltar. These latter two operating bases not only protected the Strait but the entire Mediterranean Sea.

Other U-boats existing after WWII

These boats had various fates during the war but had some sort of post-war usage at one time.

Decommissioned on 17 June 1944 at Lorient and laid up in box K3 of the U-boat pen. Scuttled there on 19 August 1944. Wreck captured by US forces in May 1945 and handed over to France.

Post-war information
Became the French submarine Blaison. Stricken 18 Aug 1959 as Q165.

Scuttled on 6 April 1943 in the North Atlantic off Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, in position 27.47N, 15.00W, after being badly damaged by depth charges from two British Hudson aircraft (233 Sqn RAF/L & W) on 5 April.

Post-war information
Raised in 1951 and transferred to Spain. Used commercially for filming etc. Broken up.

Sunk on 6 August 1944 in Missiessy Dock No. 1 at Toulon, France, in position 43.07N, 05.55E, by bombs during US air raid (15th AF). No casualties.

Post-war information
Raised in 1945 and returned to service as French Millé from 1946. Stricken 9 July 1963 as Q339.

Captured on 4 June 1944 off Mauritania, French West Africa, in position 21.30N, 19.20W, by the warships of Task Force 22.3, consisting of the US escort carrier USS Guadalcanal and the US destroyer escorts USS Pillsbury, USS Chatelain, USS Flaherty, USS Jenks and USS Pope, after being badly damaged by depth charges from USS Chatelain and strafing by two Wildcat aircraft (VC-8 USN/F-1 & F-7).

Post-war information
Arrived in Bermuda on 19 Jun 44. Used for secret trials and training in Bermuda until May 45. Gifted to the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry on 9 Mar 54. Now on display in Chicago, USA.

Decommissioned on 24 August 1944 at La Pallice and laid up in the U-boat pen as the boat was unseaworthy due to battle damage.

Captured by French forces in May 1945.

Post-war information
Became the French submarine Laubie in 1947. Stricken on 11 March, 1963 as Q335. Broken up.

Used for trials. Scuttled at 0130hrs on 4 May 1945 in position 54.19N, 09.43E in the Audorfer See, near Rendsburg.

Post-war information
The boat was later raised and taken as a British prize and used for trials. Final fate unknown.

Scuttled at 0130hrs on 4 May 1945 in position 54.19N, 09.43E in the Audorfer See, near Rendsburg.

Post-war information
The boat was later raised and taken as a British Prize and used for trials. Final fate unknown.

Decommissioned on 25 April 1945 at Wesermünde, after being badly damaged by bombs during US air raid (8th AF) in the Deschimag AG Weser shipyard at Bremen on 30 March 1945.

Captured at Wesermünde by British forces in May 1945.

Post-war information
Sunk by US Navy in the North Sea during February 1946.

Scuttled on 8 May 1945 in the Kattegat, north-west of Anholt island in position 56.51N, 11.49E.

Post-war information
The boat was raised in June 1956. Commissioned as U-Hai (S 170) in the German Federal Navy 15 Aug 1957. The boat sank at 1854hrs on 14 Sept, 1966 in the North Sea, in position 55.15N, 04.22E, after taking in water. Raised on 19 Sept, 1966 from 47 meters depth and broken up.

Sank 5 May 1945 near Schleimünde, in approximate position 55.00N, 11.00E, after a collision with an unidentified German U-boat.

Post-war information
Raised in August 1956. Renamed U-Hecht (pike) and served in the German Federal Navy from 1 Oct, 1957. Stricken on 30 Sep, 1968 and broken up at Kiel in 1969.

Scuttled on 4 May 1945 near the Flensburg lightship.

Post-war information
Raised in 1957. Became the research vessel Wilhelm Bauer in the Bundesmarine, 1 Sept 1960. Transferred to the Deutsches Schiffahrtsmuseum (German Maritime Museum) at Bremerhaven in 1984.

Map showing final fate of U-boats after WWII

This map does not show the 116 boats from Operation Deadlight.

30 map positions. 60 post-war boats found. Map is click-able and zoom-able.

indicates a museum boat (4).

U-boats without a known map position (30)
Often these boats were broken up at a breakers yard in an unknown location
U-123, U-167, U-310, U-315, U-324, U-471, U-510, U-511, U-573, U-766, U-792, U-793, U-873, U-926, U-953, U-1057, U-1058, U-1064, U-1197, U-2353, U-2367, U-2518, U-2529, U-3035, U-3041, U-3515, U-4706, UD-5, UIT-24, UIT-25.

The Royal Navy lost 50,758 men killed in action, 820 missing in action and 14,663 wounded in action. [1] The Women's Royal Naval Service lost 102 killed and 22 wounded. [1]

The Royal Navy lost 3 battleships:

Name	Location	Date	Cause
HMS Royal Oak (08)	Scapa Flow	14 October 1939	Sunk by U-47
HMS Barham (04)	off the coast of Sidi Barrani, Egypt	25 November 1941	Sunk by U-331
HMS Prince of Wales (53)	South China Sea	10 December 1941	Sunk by Japanese aircraft

The Royal Navy lost 2 battlecruisers:

Name	Location	Date	Cause
HMS Hood (51)	Denmark Strait	24 May 1941	Sunk by naval gunfire from Bismarck
HMS Repulse (26)	South China Sea	10 December 1941	Sunk by Japanese aircraft

The Royal Navy lost 5 fleet carriers:

Name	Location	Date	Cause
HMS Courageous (50)	off the coast of Ireland	17 September 1939	Sunk by U-29
HMS Glorious (77)	Norwegian Sea	8 June 1940	Sunk by naval gunfire from Scharnhorst and Gneisenau
HMS Ark Royal (91)	south east of Gibraltar	13 November 1941	Sunk by U-81
HMS Hermes (95)	Sri Lanka	9 April 1942	Sunk by Japanese aircraft
HMS Eagle (94)	south of Cape Salinas	11 August 1942	Sunk by U-73

The Royal Navy lost 3 escort carriers:

Name	Location	Date	Cause
HMS Audacity (D10)	Atlantic Ocean	21 December 1941	Sunk by U-751
HMS Avenger (D14)	off Gibraltar	15 November 1942	Sunk by U-155
HMS Dasher (D37)	Firth of Clyde	27 March 1943	Sunk by internal explosion

The Royal Navy lost 28 cruisers according to Roskill, [2] and 34 including Commonwealth/Dominion ships, according to the Naval-History project. [3] 27 are listed in addition HMS Carlisle (D67) was severely damaged by German air attack on 9 October 1943, not fully repaired, and became a base ship at Alexandria, Egypt.

Name	Location	Date	Cause
HMS Dunedin (96)	Atlantic Ocean	24 November 1941	Sunk by U-124
HMS Durban (D99)	off Normandy	9 June 1944	Deliberately scuttled as breakwater
HMS Neptune (20)	off Tripoli	19 December 1941	Sunk by Italian cruiser-laid mine
HMS Calypso (D61)	off Crete	12 June 1940	Sunk by Italian submarine Bagnolini
HMS Coventry (D43)	off Crete	14 September 1942	Scuttled following German air attack
HMS Curacoa (D41)	off Ireland	2 October 1942	Rammed by RMS Queen Mary
HMS Curlew (D42)	off Narvik	26 May 1940	Sunk by German aircraft
HMS Cairo (D87)	off Bizerte	12 August 1942	Sunk by Italian submarine Axum
HMS Calcutta (D82)	off Alexandria	1 June 1941	Sunk by German aircraft
HMS Galatea (71)	off Alexandria	15 December 1941	Sunk by U-557
HMS Penelope (97)	off Naples	18 February 1944	Sunk by U-410
HMS Edinburgh (16)	Arctic Ocean	2 May 1942	Sunk by German destroyers
HMS Southampton (83)	off Malta	11 January 1941	Scuttled following German air attack
HMS Manchester (15)	Cap Bon	13 August 1942	Scuttled following Italian motor torpedo boat attack
HMS Gloucester (62)	off Crete	22 May 1941	Sunk by German aircraft
HMS Charybdis (88)	Battle of Sept-Îles	23 October 1943	Sunk by German torpedo boat destroyers
HMS Hermione (74)	off Crete	16 June 1942	Sunk by U-205
HMS Bonaventure (31)	off Crete	31 March 1941	Sunk by Italian submarine Ambra
HMS Naiad (93)	off Crete	11 March 1942	Sunk by U-565
HMS Spartan (95)	off Anzio	29 January 1944	Sunk by German aircraft (glide bomb)
HMS Fiji (58)	off Crete	22 May 1941	Sunk by German aircraft
HMS Trinidad (46)	off North Cape	15 May 1942	Scuttled following German air attack
HMS Effingham (D98)	off Bodø	18 May 1940	Ran aground
HMS Cornwall (56)	off Ceylon	5 April 1942	Sunk by Japanese aircraft
HMS Dorsetshire (40)	off Ceylon	5 April 1942	Sunk by Japanese aircraft
HMS York (90)	Crete	26 March 1941	Scuttled following Italian explosive boat attack
HMS Exeter (68)	Battle of the Java Sea	1 March 1942	Sunk by Japanese naval gunfire and torpedoes

The Royal Navy lost 132 destroyers, according to Roskill [2] and 153 including Commonwealth/Dominion ships, according to the Naval-History project. [3]

List of Sunk U-boats - History

Map of Lost U-Boats.
U-869, the submarine profiled in the NOVA program "Hitler's Lost Sub," was just one of the more than 1,100 Unterseeboote, or U-boats, sunk, scuttled, captured, or otherwise lost to German forces during World War II. Here, naval historian Timothy Mulligan describes 25 of the most historically significant U-boats. Click on the map labels and plunge into the fascinating and often tragic histories of some of Germany's most notorious "sea wolves."

Notes KzS = Kapitän zur See (Captain)
KK = Korvettenkapitän (Lt. Commander)
KL = Kapitänleutnant (Lieutenant)
OL = Oberleutnant zur See (Lieutenant, j.g.)
Lt.z.S.d.R. = Leutnant zur See der Reserve (Ensign in the Reserves)
Admiral Karl Dönitz was head of Germany's U-boat service
A snorkel is a tube that houses air intake and exhaust pipes for use with a submarine's diesel engine while the sub is submerged

Timothy Mulligan is a German naval historian and archivist at the National Archives and Records Administration. His most recent book is Neither Sharks Nor Wolves: The Men of Nazi Germany's U-Boat Arm 1939-1945 (Naval Institute Press, 1999).

U-47
Probably the best known U-boat of World War II because of her commander, KK Günther Prien, who penetrated the British fleet anchorage at Scapa Flow in October 1939 and sank the battleship Royal Oak at her berth there. Overnight sensations in Germany, Prien and his crew established the submariners' heroic public image in Germany for the rest of the war. U-47 also sank 30 merchant vessels totaling 164,953 tons.

Type: VII B
Built: Germaniawerft, Kiel
Keel laid: 1 April 1937
Launched: 29 October 1938
Commissioned: 17 December 1938
Commander: KK Günther Prien
Fate: Originally believed lost in action with all 45 crewmen against British destroyer HMS Wolverine south of Iceland on 7 March 1941. Subsequent research, however, suggests the boat may have been lost in a diving accident while in combat on that date.
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U-48
Most successful U-boat of World War II. Sank 54 Allied merchant ships totaling 324,131 gross registered tons, plus one British warship (sloop), during 12 patrols under three different captains, all during the period September 1939-June 1941.

Type: VII B
Built: Germaniawerft, Kiel
Keel laid: 5 March 1938
Launched: 5 March 1939
Commissioned: 22 April 1939
Commanders:
KL Herbert Schulze, April 1939-May 1940 and December 1940-July 1941
KK Hans Rösing, May-August 1940
KL Heinrich Bleichrodt, August-December 1940
Fate: Scuttled 3 May 1945 at Neustadt
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U-96
A successful U-boat whose exploits during one particular patrol in October-December of 1941 provided the historical basis for the novel and film Das Boot. Altogether sank 28 merchant ships totaling 190,181 tons before being retired to training duties in 1944.

Type: VII C
Built: Germaniawerft, Kiel
Keel laid: 16 September 1939
Launched: 1 August 1940
Commissioned: 14 September 1940
Commanders:
KL Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock, September 1940-March 1940
OL Hans-Jürgen Hellriegel, April 1942-March 1943
OL Wilhelm Peters, March-October 1943
Fate: Sunk at dock by U.S. air attack, 30 March 1945, Wilhelmshaven
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U-99
Commanded by the most successful U-boat ace of World War II, KK Otto Kretschmer, who sank most of his 41 Allied merchantmen totaling 238,768 tons while in command of this submarine from April 1940 to March 1941. After the war Kretschmer rose to a senior position in the Bundesmarine.

Type: VII B
Built: Germaniawerft, Kiel
Keel laid: 31 March 1939
Launched: 12 March 1940
Commissioned: 18 April 1940
Commander: KK Otto Kretschmer
Fate: Sunk 17 March 1941 in a convoy action north of the Hebrides by destroyer HMS Walker. Most of the crew survived as prisoners of war.
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U-107
The U-boat with the longest operational service in World War II, spending 750 days at sea during 13 patrols from January 1941 to August 1944. She sank 38 ships totaling 217,751 tons, including 14 vessels on one patrol, the most by any World War II U-boat during a single war cruise.

Type: IX B
Built: AG Weser, Bremen
Keel laid: 6 December 1939
Launched: 2 July 1940
Commissioned: 8 October 1940
Commanders:
KK Günther Hessler, October 1940-November 1941
KL Harald Gelhaus, December 1941-May 1943
KL Volker Simmermacher, June 1943-August 1944
Lt.z.S.d.R. Karl-Heinz Fritz, August 1944
Fate: Sunk by British air attack 18 August 1944 while in passage from Lorient to La Pallice with a load of snorkels for the U-boats based there. All 59 crewmen lost.
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U-110
The U-boat from which the British recovered a vital Enigma encryption device and accompanying documentation in May 1941, allowing the first critical Allied breakthrough in reading U-boat radio communications during World War II. (For more on the breaking of the Enigma, see Decoding Nazi Secrets.) U-110's captain, KL Fritz-Julius Lemp, had sunk the first Allied merchant ship of the war, the British liner Athenia, while in command of U-30.

Type: IX B
Built: AG Weser, Bremen
Keel laid: 1 February 1940
Launched: 25 August 1940
Commissioned: 21 November 1940
Commander: KL Fritz-Julius Lemp
Fate: Badly damaged in a convoy action 9 May 1941 by depth charges from corvette HMS Aubretia and forced to the surface. The crew abandoned ship, but before she could sink, a boarding party from destroyer HMS Bulldog went aboard, recovered the Enigma machine and other materials, and set up a towline to tow her into captivity. U-110 foundered the next day while still in tow.
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U-156
U-boat that initiated an international rescue operation after sinking the liner-transport Laconia in the South Atlantic, September 1942. U-156 and three other submarines—two German and one Italian—rescued roughly 1,500 people from the Laconia. After an American bomber attacked the subs, they broke off the rescue operation. Karl Dönitz thereafter ordered his commanders to no longer offer assistance to shipwrecked survivors (the "Laconia Order"), which led to Dönitz's indictment as a war criminal at Nuremberg.

Type: IX C
Built: AG Weser, Bremen
Keel laid: 4 October 1940
Launched: 21 May 1941
Commissioned: 4 September 1941
Commander: KK Werner Hartenstein
Fate: Lost with all 53 hands to air attack by a U.S. Navy Catalina in the Caribbean, 8 March 1943.
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U-181
Under Wolfgang Lüth, the second-highest U-boat ace of the war, this U-boat carried out a patrol that lasted 205 days, a record exceeded only by the U-boats that transferred to the Far East. Altogether, sank 27 ships totaling 138,779 tons.

Type: IX D2
Built: AG Weser, Bremen
Keel laid: 15 March 1941
Launched: 30 December 1941
Commissioned: 9 May 1942
Commanders:
KK Wolfgang Lüth, May 1942-October 1943
KzS Kurt Freiwald, November 1943-May 1945
Fate: Undergoing repairs at Singapore when Germany surrendered, U-181 was taken over by the Japanese Navy and became submarine I-501. Surrendered to the British at Singapore 15 August 1945 and scuttled there 16 February 1946.
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U-234
Cargo U-boat bound for Japan when war ended, surrendered to U.S. authorities at sea carrying a total cargo of 260 tons, including uranium oxide ore, mercury, and the component parts for an Me 262 jet fighter.

Type: X B
Built: Germaniawerft, Kiel
Keel laid: 1 October 1941
Launched: 23 December 1943
Commissioned: 2 March 1944
Commander: KL Johann-Heinrich Fehler
Fate: Surrendered to destroyer escort USS Sutton east of the Flemish Cap, 14 May 1945, after two Japanese passengers committed suicide. Other passengers bound for Japan included several Luftwaffe officers and technical specialists intended to improve Japanese aircraft defenses. The U.S. Navy used U-234 for experimental trials and then sank her off Cape Cod, November 1946.
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U-405
Engaged in a death duel with an American destroyer, each vessel sinking the other in a battle later fictionalized in the novel and film The Enemy Below.

Type: VII C
Built: Danziger Werft, Danzig
Keel laid: 8 July 1940
Launched: 4 June 1941
Commissioned: 17 September 1941
Commander: KK Rolf-Heinrich Hopmann
Fate: Sank after the destroyer USS Borie depth-charged, rammed, and struck her by gunfire north of the Azores, 1 November 1943. Following ramming, both warships remained temporarily locked together, and some fighting took place at close quarters before the U-boat broke away and sank with all 49 hands. USS Borie succumbed the next day from damage suffered, with the loss of 27 officers and seamen.
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U-459
First and most productive of the Type XIV supply tanker or "milch-cow" U-boats, which resupplied front-line U-boats with fuel, torpedoes, and provisions at sea, thus considerably extending the U-boats' effectiveness and range. Resupplied a total of 65 U-boats in her first five patrols, March 1942-June 1943.

Type: XIV
Built: Deutsche Werke, Kiel
Keel laid: 23 November 1940
Launched: 13 September 1941
Commissioned: 15 November 1941
Commander: KK Georg von Wilamovitz-Moellendorf
Fate: Sunk by British air attack in the Bay of Biscay 24 July 1943, with the loss of her captain (a former U-boat commander in World War I) and 18 men. The remaining 41 crewmen were recovered as prisoners of war.
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U-505
Only U-boat captured in action during World War II and the first enemy warship boarded and captured by the U.S. Navy since the War of 1812. The captured Enigma encryption machine and accompanying documentation in June 1944 greatly facilitated subsequent Allied decryption efforts for the remainder of the war. (For more on the breaking of the Enigma, see Decoding Nazi Secrets.) Her second commanding officer, KL Peter Zschech, committed suicide on board during a depth-charge attack 24 October 1943.
Type: IX C
Built: Deutsche Werft, Hamburg
Keel laid: 12 June 1940
Launched: 24 May 1941
Commissioned: 26 August 1941
Commanders:
KK Axel-Olaf Loewe, August 1941-September 1942
KL Peter Zschech, September 1942-October 1943
OL Paul Meyer (temporary), October-November 1943
OL Harald Lange, November 1943-June 1944
Fate: Captured at sea 4 June 1944 west of the Azores by U.S. Navy Task Group 22.3, after being forced to the surface by depth-charge attack. Boarding parties from destroyer USS Pillsbury and later the light aircraft carrier USS Guadalcanal kept the U-boat afloat, and it was eventually towed to Bermuda. In 1954, U-505 was awarded to the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry, where it remains today as the best preserved and most originally furnished of the four museum U-boats, the others being U-534, U-995, and U-2540. (For more about U-505, see Resources.)
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U-515
A highly successful late-war U-boat that, from September 1942 to April 1944, sank 24 merchantmen, totaling 144,864 tons, and two warships. The same task group that captured U-505 sank U-515.

Type: IX C
Keel laid: 7 May 1941
Launched: 2 December 1941
Commissioned: 21 February 1942
Commander: KK Werner Henke
Fate: Sunk following attacks by naval aircraft from carrier USS Guadalcanal and depth charges and gunfire from destroyer escorts USS Pillsbury, USS Pope, and USS Chatelain southeast of the Azores, 9 April 1944. Sixteen crewmen were lost in the sinking the remaining 44 were rescued and made prisoners of war. Commander Henke was killed 15 June 1944 in a suicidal escape attempt at Ft. Hunt, Virginia.
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U-534
Most recently salvaged U-boat, now on display in Liverpool, England.

Type: IX C/40
Built: Deutsche Werft, Hamburg
Keel laid: 20 February 1942
Launched: 23 September 1942
Commissioned: 23 December 1942
Commander: KL Herbert Nollau
Fate: After an undistinguished career in training and weather-reporting duties, U-534 departed Copenhagen on 5 May 1945 bound for Norway but was sunk by British aircraft in the Kattegat with the loss of three crewmen. In 1986 the U-boat was located near the Danish island of Anholt and brought to the surface by a consortium of Dutch and Danish salvagers on 23 August 1993. In 1996 the British Warship Preservation Trust acquired the boat and brought her to Liverpool, where she is now part of the Historic Warships Museum at Birkenhead Docks. (For more on U-534, see Resources.)
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U-552
The "Red Devil" boat captained by Erich Topp, third-highest U-boat ace, under whose command the U-boat sank 26 merchantmen totaling 141,058 tons. Also sank the first American warship lost in the war, the destroyer USS Reuben James.

Type: VII C
Built: Blohm & Voss, Hamburg
Keel laid: 1 December 1939
Launched: 14 September 1940
Commissioned: 4 December 1940
Commanders:
KK Erich Topp, December 1940-August 1942
KL Klaus Popp, September 1942-July 1944
OL Günther Lube, July 1944-May 1945
Fate: Retired to training duties April 1944. Scuttled at Wilhelmshaven 2 May 1945.
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U-559
U-boat from which codebooks and valuable cryptographic materials were recovered before sinking, facilitating, in late 1942, the second major Allied breakthrough in reading German U-boat communications. (For more on the breaking of the Enigma, see Decoding Nazi Secrets.)

Type: VII C
Built: Blohm & Voss, Hamburg
Keel laid: 1 February 1940
Launched: 8 January 1941
Commissioned: 27 February 1941
Commander: KL Hans Heidtmann
Fate: While operating in the eastern Mediterranean, U-559 came under attack by several British warships and an aircraft on 30 October 1942. Fatally damaged and forced to the surface, the sub was abandoned. A British boarding party from destroyer HMS Petard recovered the cryptographic materials, but the vessel sank before the cipher machine could be brought out. Eight German crewmen and two British seamen were lost, and 37 German survivors were taken prisoner.
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U-570
U-boat with the dubious distinction as the only one to surrender in action during the war.

Type: VII C
Built: Blohm & Voss, Hamburg
Keel laid: 21 May 1940
Launched: 20 March 1941
Commissioned: 15 May 1941
Commander: KL Hans-Joachim Rahmlow
Fate: With many of her green crew seasick from heavy seas during her maiden voyage, U-570 was damaged by air attack south of Iceland on 27 August 1941. She surfaced and surrendered to the circling British Hudson aircraft. British vessels eventually arrived to take her in tow to Iceland and later recommissioning in the Royal Navy as HMS Graph. The capture provided the Allies invaluable technical intelligence on U-boat capabilities. Submarine scrapped 1947.
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U-721
A training boat that never entered operational service but that, with other training and advanced-model submarines that never saw action, played a role in evacuating German civilians as the Red Army entered Germany. In late February 1945, U-721, by using every inch of available space on board, successfully evacuated about 100 civilian refugees and wounded soldiers from the port of Hela (now Hel, Poland).

Type: VII C
Built: H.C. Stülcken & Sohn, Hamburg
Keel laid: 16 November 1942
Launched: 23 July 1943
Commissioned: 8 November 1943
Commanders:
OL Otto Wollschläger, November 1943-December 1944
OL Ludwig Fabricius, December 1944-May 1945
Fate: Scuttled by her own crew 5 May 1945.
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U-852
The only U-boat in World War II whose crew is known to have killed shipwrecked Allied survivors.

Type: IX D2
Built: A.G. Weser, Bremen
Keel laid: 15 April 1942
Launched: 28 January 1943
Commissioned: 15 June 1943
Commander: KL Heinz-Wilhelm Eck
Fate: On her only patrol, U-852 sank the Greek steamer Peleus, 13 March 1944, and her crew attempted to kill the survivors to conceal her presence. After she proceeded into the Indian Ocean, British aircraft fatally damaged her off the Somali coast on 2-3 May 1944, and she beached herself near Ras Mabber, Somaliland. British forces captured her crew, and in October 1945, a British court in Hamburg subsequently tried, condemned, and executed the captain and two of his officers for war crimes. The court also convicted two other crewmen and sentenced them to prison terms.
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U-861
The last U-boat to travel to the Far East and return safely more than a year after her departure.

Type: IX D2
Built: AG Weser, Bremen
Keel laid: 15 July 1942
Launched: 29 April 1943
Commissioned: 2 September 1943
Commander: KK Jürgen Osten
Fate: U-861 departed Kiel on 20 April 1944 bound for the U-boat base at Penang on the Malayan peninsula, carrying supplies for the base and tin for the Japanese. She arrived at Penang 23 September 1944 after sinking en route four Allied merchantmen (over 22,000 tons). On 15 January 1945 she began the return trip with a load of rubber. Despite the lack of a snorkel, she eluded Allied patrols and arrived in Trondheim on 24 April 1945. U-861 was then turned over to British control and scuttled north of Ireland on 8 December 1945.
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U-869
Most recent discovery of a U-boat, whose actual location and fate underscore the uncertainties of World War II submarine warfare.

Type: IX C/40
Built: Deschimag AG Weser, Bremen
Keel laid: 5 April 1943
Launched: 5 October 1943
Commissioned: 26 January 1944
Commander: KL Hellmut Neuerburg
Fate: Originally believed to have been lost off Casablanca on 28 February 1945 by depth-charge attacks by the destroyer USS Fowler and the French sub-chaser L'Indiscret. The positive identification of her remains about 60 miles east of the New Jersey coast indicates she never received the change in orders diverting her to the Gibraltar approaches and was possibly sunk by one of her own acoustic torpedoes.
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U-995
Preserved today as a memorial on the beach at Laboe outside Kiel. During the war she operated entirely in Arctic waters against Allied and Russian forces, sinking two merchantmen and several light craft.

Type: VII C/41
Built: Blohm & Voss, Hamburg
Keel laid: 25 November 1942
Launched: 22 July 1943
Commissioned: 16 September 1943
Commanders:
KL Walter Köhntopp, September 1943-October 1944
OL Hans-Georg Hess, October 1944-May 1945
Fate: Surrendered at Trondheim 9 May 1945. Later given to Norway and commissioned into the Norwegian Navy as the Kaura, December 1952. In 1965 offered for return by Norway to the Federal Republic of Germany, where she was placed before the German Navy Memorial at Laboe and opened to the public in March 1972. (For more on U-995, see Resources.)
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U-997
U-boat whose captain and crew disobeyed the order of Karl Dönitz to surrender in May 1945 and instead proceeded to Argentina (as did U-530), arriving August 1945.

Type: VII C
Built: Blohm & Voss, Hamburg
Keel laid: 24 July 1942
Launched: 31 March 1943
Commissioned: 6 May 1943
Commanders:
KL Hans Leilach, May 1943-March 1945
OL Heinz Schäffer, March-August 1945
Fate: Served primarily as a training boat until April 1945, when she departed home waters for Norway and operations off the British coast. On news of the surrender, most of the crew voted to try for Argentina, which they reached on 17 August 1945 after 105 days at sea, the last 66 entirely submerged with the aid of a snorkel. The crew and boat were interned and turned over to U.S. authorities, who sank U-997 off the American east coast 13 November 1946.
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U-2336
Advanced-model (Type XXIII) U-boat that sank the last vessels of the U-boat campaign in the Firth of Forth in Scotland on 7 May 1945. Type XXIII boats later served in the Bundesmarine.

Type: XXIII
Built: Deutsche Werft, Hamburg
Keel laid: 27 July 1944
Launched: 10 September 1944
Commissioned: 30 September 1944
Commanders:
OL Jürgen Vockel, September 1944-March 1945
KL Emil Klusmeier, April-May 1945
Fate: Surrendered at Kiel 14 May 1945. Sunk north of Ireland 2 January 1946.
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U-2540
A salvaged and restored advanced-model U-boat, open to the public in Bremerhaven.

Type: XXI
Built: Blohm & Voss, Hamburg
Keel laid: 29 October 1944
Launched: 13 January 1945
Commissioned: 24 February 1945
Commander: OL Rudolf Schultze
Fate: As with virtually all of the advanced Type XXI U-boats, U-2540 did not make an operational patrol before war's end. Scuttled 4 May 1945 off Flensburg, Germany, the boat was raised in 1957 and recommissioned into the Bundesmarine as experimental U-boat Wilhelm Bauer. Since 1983 she has been a floating museum associated with the Deutsche Schiffahrtsmuseum at Bremerhaven. (For more on the museum, see Resources.)
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10 Famous Ships That Were Scuttled (Sunk by Their Own Crews)

On May 11, 1862, Confederate sailors sunk their own ship, the CSS Virginia, in the James River outside of Norfolk, Virginia to avoid capture by Union troops. Ships have been intentionally sunk by their own crews for a variety of reasons, usually to avoid capture by the enemy, sometimes after battle damage and sometimes while the ships were perfectly sound. At times, even whole fleets were scuttled. German U-boats would be scuttled when forced to the surface and unable to continue the fight to avoid capture of sensitive encoding equipment, let alone the boats themselves, a common practice in World War II. Several severely damaged US and Japanese aircraft carriers were also scuttled during World War II. Here we list 10 of the most famous incidents of ships destroyed intentionally by their own people, showing many of the reasons for doing so.

Digging Deeper

10. USS Oriskany, 2006 .

The aircraft carrier Oriskany was a retired US Navy carrier sunk to form an artificial reef, providing habitat for fish and ocean life. Many ships have been sunk for this purpose in the past few decades, giving sportsmen rich areas for fishing and diving. Another US aircraft carrier, the USS America was experimented on with underwater explosions before being scuttled in 2005. Data from the experiments on the America is to be used to construct more survivable future aircraft carriers. Other obsolete ships have been used as target practice, most spectacularly after World War II to observe the effects of nuclear bombs on a fleet.

9. Bruges-Zeebrugge, 1918 .

Another reason for intentionally sinking your own ships is to block the harbor or other passage to deny the enemy ships the ability to pass through. In this raid the British sent 3 obsolete cruisers packed with cement to block the passage of German U-Boats from the port of Bruges-Zeebrugge in occupied Belgium. The sunken cruisers successfully blocked in the U-Boats, but only for 3 days as the Germans dug a channel around the sunken ships.

8. USS Lexington, 1942 .

The Lady Lex was damaged so severely at the battle of the Coral Sea that American admirals decided to sink her themselves instead of her possibly falling into the hands of the Japanese. After being struck by 2 torpedoes the Lexington was able to conduct hasty repairs and get speed back to 24 knots, but after 2 bomb strikes, despite being able to recover her aircraft, fires inside the ship later led to 3 huge explosions and an uncontrollable fire. Lexington was sunk with 5 torpedoes from a US destroyer. Four Japanese aircraft carriers were scuttled in a similar manner during the battles of the Coral Sea and Midway.

7. Black Sea Fleet, 1854.

During the Crimean War at the Siege of Sevastopol, the Russians removed the cannon from their ships (2 of the ships were 120 gun ships of the line, others had up to 84 cannon) to be used on land and the crews to be used as land based fighters. After a year long siege, the French, British, and Turks finally captured Sevastopol anyway.

6. Cortez’s Fleet, 1519.

Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortez defied the governor of Cuba and took 11 ships to Veracruz, Mexico to conquer the Aztec Nation. In order to keep any of his men from deserting and sailing back to Cuba, he had his fleet scuttled.

5. Graf Spee, 1939 .

This powerful German “pocket battleship” had been fighting British cruisers Ajax and Cumberland, and New Zealand cruiser Achilles in the South Atlantic when she pulled into port at Montevideo, Uruguay, for repairs. The victim of a deception campaign, Capt. Langsdorff was led to believe more British ships had arrived and joined the 3 cruisers waiting for Graf Spee to be forced by the 3 day limit allowed in a neutral port to go back to sea. Not wanting his men killed in a hopeless battle, Langsdorff had his ship scuttled as it left the harbor. Langsdorff apparently could not stand the humiliation and shot himself 3 days after the scuttling.

4. French Fleet at Toulon, 1942 .

After the French surrender of 1940, the Vichy French government was allowed to govern southern France, but when the allies invaded North Africa the Germans decided to occupy the south coast of France as well. To keep the fleet anchored at Toulon out of the hands of the Germans, Admirals Marquis and Laborde ordered the scuttling of the fleet, including battleships Strasbourg and Dunquerque.

3. German High Seas Fleet, 1919.

In an act of defiance, 50 ships of the German High Seas Fleet that had been interned at Scapa Flow after World War I were scuttled by their crews to keep them out of British hands. Admiral Ludwig von Reuter was jailed by the British for ordering the scuttling, but was honored in Germany as a hero. The fleet had been ordered to Scapa flow and British custody under the terms of the German surrender at the end of the war.

2. CSS Virginia, 1862 .

The former Union Navy USS Merrimac, the Virginia was an ironclad that fought the famous battle with the USS Monitor at Hampton Roads in the first battle of ironclad ships. The historic vessel was scuttled as she was trapped in the James River with no prospect of safely escaping. For some reason, the Virginia is commonly referred to by her original name, Merrimac, before the ship was captured by the Confederates, rebuilt as an ironclad and renamed Virginia, perhaps because of the alliteration of “ Monitor and Merrimac” sounds better than “ Monitor and Virginia .”

1. Bismarck, 1941 .

The great and fearsome Bismarck, the terror of the sea, was being pounded by a large British fleet and carrier torpedo planes as she fought on alone. Hit by over 400 shells and several torpedoes (at least 3 before the final battle), including a torpedo fired from the British battleship HMS Rodney (the only time in history that one battleship torpedoed another), the Bismarck’s guns could no longer fire and the ship could not maneuver. When the crew finally abandoned ship, scuttling charges were set off to sink the mighty battleship to spare her the humiliation of being captured. British sailors bitterly denied that the ship had been scuttled, claiming they alone had sunk it, but the fact is that Bismarck was sent to the bottom by her own crew.

Question for students (and subscribers): What ships would you add to the list? Please let us know in the comments section below this article.

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19 Sunk: SS Central America

Also known as the Ship Of Gold, the SS Central America was sunk by a hurricane off the coast of South Carolina in 1857 - while it was carrying hundreds of people and thousands of pounds of gold from the California Gold Rush. The wreck was originally found in the ‘80s, and while it wasn’t a pirate ship, the tale of the recovery is one of modern piracy!

Treasure hunter Tommy Thompson was the one to originally find and explore the wreck, thanks to the financial backing of 161 investors. However, once Thompson staked his claim to the gold he found (and sold) he absconded with the money, and has been in jail since 2015 over his plunder of the loot.

Kernowdiggers

The final resting places of six German U-boats sunk in the final months of the Second World War’s greatest naval conflict have finally been identified. After years of research, maritime experts say their discoveries will force historians to re-evaluate the battle for control of the Atlantic.

Evidence from the wrecks suggests many U-boats were sunk by mines rather than attacks by Allied air and naval forces, as had previously been believed. The findings show coastal minefields were around three times more effective than British naval intelligence gave them credit for. Experts believe their view was distorted, unintentionally, by reports from over-enthusiastic airmen and escort ship commanders who sometimes claimed they had sunk U-boats with depth charges or anti-submarine mortars.

One submarine, the U-400, previously believed sunk by Royal Navy depth charges south of Cork in Ireland, has now been identified off the coast of north Cornwall. The German sub was on its very first patrol in December 1944 when it hit a mine, underwater photography suggests.

Another, the U-1021, also identified off the north Cornish coast, was on its first patrol in March 1945 when sunk by mines. Previously, it was thought the Royal Navy had sunk it with depth charges hundreds of miles away, off the west coast of Scotland. The U-326, also on its first patrol when it was destroyed by a US aerial depth charge attack in April 1945, has been identified 100 miles off the coast of Brittany. The U-325, sunk on its second patrol in May 1945, was thought to have been destroyed by Royal Navy depth charges in the Irish Sea. Now marine archaeology and underwater photography have identified it on the seabed 230 miles away – off Lizard Point, south Cornwall.

Other U-boats, sunk far from British coastal minefields, have also been identified. The U-1208, on its first patrol, was identified off the Scilly Isles after being sunk by Royal Navy depth charges in February 1945. The U-650, recently identified through underwater photography near Land’s End, was sunk by a direct hit from a hedgehog anti-submarine missile in January 1945.

From 1939 to early 1943, the Germans were very successful in their U-boat operations – sinking 2,500 Allied merchant ships and around 50 Allied warships, with the loss of around 25,000 lives. The tide turned in May 1943 when, with new equipment and a fresh strategy, the Allies got the upper hand.

The discoveries came from a survey of the western English Channel and adjacent areas, undertaken by the US firm Odyssey Marine Exploration. Dr Axel Niestlé, a German U-boat historian involved in the project, said: “It is a fine example of successful teamwork between marine archaeologists and historians rewriting naval history. The underwater photography gave us an unparalleled opportunity to learn how different types of Second World War anti-submarine weaponry worked.”

From 1939-45, the Germans built 1,167 U-boats, 863 of which were deployed in the Battle of the Atlantic 648 were sunk – with a loss of around 25,000 submariners. The locations of 40 U-boats remain a mystery. Thirty disappeared in deep water in the Atlantic, and it is unlikely they will be found. The remainder lie in a variety of suspected locations in the eastern part of the English Channel, where the team hopes to find them.