German submarine U-209

Coordinates: 52°00′N 38°00′W / 52.000°N 38.000°W / 52.000; -38.000
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Not to be confused with Type 209 submarine.

History
Nazi Germany
NameU-209
Ordered16 October 1939
Builder
Germaniawerft, Kiel
Yard number638
Laid down28 November 1940
Launched28 August 1941
Commissioned11 October 1941
FateMissing since 7 May 1943, possible diving accident
General characteristics
Class and type
Type VIIC submarine
Displacement
Length
  • 67.10 m (220 ft 2 in)
    o/a
  • 50.50 m (165 ft 8 in)
    pressure hull
Beam
  • 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in) o/a
  • 4.70 m (15 ft 5 in) pressure hull
Height9.60 m (31 ft 6 in)
Draught4.74 m (15 ft 7 in)
Installed power
  • 2,800–3,200 PS (2,100–2,400 kW; 2,800–3,200 bhp) (diesels)
  • 750 PS (550 kW; 740 shp) (electric)
Propulsion
Speed
  • 17.7 knots (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph) surfaced
  • 7.6 knots (14.1 km/h; 8.7 mph) submerged
Range
  • 8,500 nmi (15,700 km; 9,800 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced
  • 80 nmi (150 km; 92 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth
  • 230 m (750 ft)
  • Crush depth
    : 250–295 m (820–968 ft)
Complement4 officers, 40–56 enlisted
Armament
Service record[1][2]
Part of:
Identification codes: M 30 549
Commanders:
  • Kptlt.
     Heinrich Brodda
  • 11 October 1941 – 7 May 1943
Operations:
  • 7 patrols:
  • 1st patrol:
  • 15 March – 1 April 1942
  • 2nd patrol:
  • 7 – 20 April 1942
  • 3rd patrol:
  • a. 16 May – 2 June 1942
  • b. 4 – 7 June 1942
  • 4th patrol:
  • 17 – 28 July 1942
  • 5th patrol:
  • a. 5 August – 1 September 1942
  • b. 3 – 6 September 1942
  • c. 12 – 15 October 1942
  • 6th patrol:
  • a. 6 November – 10 December 1942
  • b. 13 – 16 December 1942
  • c. 19 – 24 December 1942
  • 7th patrol:
  • 6 April – 7 May 1943
Victories:
  • 3 merchant ships sunk
    (1,136 GRT)
  • 1 merchant ship total loss
    (220 GRT)

German submarine U-209 was a

Type VIIC U-boat of the Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 28 November 1940 by the Friedrich Krupp Germaniawerft yard at Kiel as yard number 638, launched on 28 August 1941 and commissioned on 11 October under the command of Kapitänleutnant
Heinrich Brodda.

She was lost in May 1943, possibly due to a diving accident.

Design

supercharged diesel engines producing a total of 2,800 to 3,200 metric horsepower (2,060 to 2,350 kW; 2,760 to 3,160 shp) for use while surfaced, two AEG GU 460/8–27 double-acting electric motors producing a total of 750 metric horsepower (550 kW; 740 shp) for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 1.23 m (4 ft) propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to 230 metres (750 ft).[3]

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 17.7 knots (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 7.6 knots (14.1 km/h; 8.7 mph).

2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.[3]

Service history

U-209 began her service career as part of the 6th U-boat Flotilla for training, she then commenced operations with the same organization on 1 March 1942. She was reassigned to the 11th flotilla on 1 July 1942. She was with the 1st flotilla until her loss on 7 May 1943. She carried out a total of seven patrols and was a member of nine wolfpacks.

First patrol

She made the short journey from Kiel to the German island of

Helgoland and then departed on her first patrol on 15 March 1942. She headed north, into the Norwegian Sea, then east. The boat was attacked by the armed trawler HMS Blackfly on the 28th; but conditions were so bad that the ship could not use her armament because it was frozen. Depth charges
were little better, at least one malfunctioned.

The submarine also came under attack from two minesweepers, HMS Hussar (J826) and Gossamer in the Barents Sea on the 29th. U-209 escaped.

Second patrol

The boat's second sortie began in the Norwegian port of

Bear Island,[4] then sailed south and southwest, before docking in Bergen
, also in Norway.

Third and fourth patrols

Her third and fourth patrols, in June and July 1942, covered the Norwegian Sea and the passage between Bear Island and Svalbard, it saw her depart Bergen and return to Kirkenes.

Fifth patrol

The boat attacked a small Soviet convoy on 17 August 1942, near Mateev Island in the eastern Barents Sea. She sank the Komiles, the Komsomolets [ru],[a] SH-500 and P-4, (two tugs and two barges), with her gun. One more tug Nord managed to escape. The P-4 barge was carrying some 300 detained people who worked at the Norilstroi (see Norillag) and almost all drowned.

Sixth and seventh patrols and loss

Patrol number six, at 35 days, was her longest. It took her northwest of Bear Island.

By now the boat had returned to Kiel, from where she departed for the last time on 6 April 1943. She was attacked by a British

PBY Catalina (known as a Canso) of No. 5 Squadron RCAF on 4 May. The damage incurred included her radio transmitter, so a message to Bdu (U-boat headquarters), was sent via U-954
. U-209 was recalled, but she was never heard from again; her loss might be explained by a diving accident. Whatever the reason, forty-six men died; there were no survivors.

Afterword

U-209 was originally thought to have been sunk by the frigate

Kripo, whose son was one of the crew. Brno
municipality received as a gift a model of the submarine (photos exist) but the model itself was probably lost after the end of World War II.

Wolfpacks

U-209 took part in nine wolfpacks, namely:

  • Zieten (23 – 29 March 1942)
  • Eiswolf (29 – 31 March 1942)
  • Robbenschlag (7 – 14 April 1942)
  • Blutrausch (15 April 1942)
  • Greif (16 – 29 May 1942)
  • Boreas (19 November - 7 December 1942)
  • Meise (25 – 27 April 1943)
  • Star (27 April - 4 May 1943)
  • Fink (4 – 6 May 1943)

Summary of raiding history

Date Ship Name Nationality Tonnage
(
GRT
)		 Fate[5]
17 August 1942 Komiles  Soviet Union 136 Sunk
17 August 1942 Komsomolets  Soviet Union 220 Total loss
17 August 1942 P-4  Soviet Union 500 Sunk
17 August 1942 Sh-500  Soviet Union 500 Sunk

Notes

  1. ^ Komsomolets is a member of the Communist Youth League (Komsomol). Komsolec is an obvious error as there is no such real word.

References

  1. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-209". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 23 July 2012.
  2. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "War Patrols by German U-boat U-209". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 23 July 2012.
  3. ^ a b c d Gröner 1991, pp. 43–46.
  4. ISBN 0 7230 0809 4
    , p. 24
  5. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-209". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 9 December 2014.209/html

Bibliography

External links

52°00′N 38°00′W / 52.000°N 38.000°W / 52.000; -38.000

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