german submarine german submarine type boat nazi_germany kriegsmarine world war keel laid august bremen launched commissioned august november july boat conducted combat patrols sinking merchant ships total gross register tons grt damaging ship grt grt declared total loss sunk july southwest azores torpedo dropped united_states navy aircraft hands lost construction ordered kriegsmarine november violation treaty versailles keel laid august bremen yard number launched commissioned august year command design original german type submarines later designated displacement tonnes long tons surface tonnes long tons submerged boat total length pressure hull length beam height draught submarine powered man stroke cylinder diesel engines producing total metric horsepower shp use surfaced double acting electric motors producing total metric horsepower shp use submerged shafts propellers boat capable operating depths metres submarine maximum surface speed knots mph maximum submerged speed knots mph submerged boat operate nautical miles knots mph surfaced travel nautical miles knots mph fitted torpedo tubes fitted bow stern torpedoes naval gun rounds anti aircraft gun boat complement service history 1st patrol commissioned 6th boat flotilla based left combat patrol war november sailing british isles atlantic november attacked ton british merchant ship convoy route argentina hull cargo tons ship hit single torpedo nautical miles west south west devon crew abandoned ship boat fired torpedo sank ship minutes seven crew lost survivors picked dutch norwegian attack hunted convoy escorts hours sustaining damage depth charges continuing patrol attacked convoy sank ton french merchant ship november convoy escorts counter attacked depth charges escaped damage late november nautical miles west north west northwest spain attacked ton british torpedoes common problem early years war boat opened fire deck gun fired torpedo missed firing rounds left ship fire slowly sinking crewmen killed survivors picked italian merchant ship morning december attacked unidentified aircraft severely damaged returned wilhelmshaven days later 14th 2nd patrol 6th boat flotilla disbanded december assigned 2nd boat flotilla based wilhelmshaven departed march sailed coast norway north scotland waters west ireland success watch officer second command boat fell overboard lost march returned wilhelmshaven days sea april 3rd patrol voyage began april patrolled north_sea norwegian coast supporting invasion country april bombed british hudson aircraft suffered slight damage returned wilhelmshaven day 4th patrol sailed wilhelmshaven atlantic attack took place south west fired torpedo british merchant ship missed opened fire deck gun armed ship returned fire vessel hits boat broke attack finally found success june attacked convoy south west portugal hitting ton british tanker single torpedo ship caught fire sank crew members killed survivors picked french late june hit ton british merchant ship single torpedo nautical miles northwest ship route buenos_aires london cargo tons frozen meat tons crew abandoned ship day killed attack survivors picked british merchant ship subsequently torpedoed sunk july survivors killed evening july sank ton british merchant ship nautical miles southeast ireland hit torpedoes ship sank minutes crew survived fourth final success fourth patrol took place morning july sank ton british merchant ship convoy nautical miles north west boat torpedo passed vessel second struck ship caused sink minutes crew killed survivors rescued arrived wilhelmshaven july days sea 5th patrol sailed wilhelmshaven september stopping bergen norway days sailing 15th atlantic patrol sank ship ton british separated convoy september boat hit ship single torpedo causing sink nautical miles west man lost remaining crewmen picked new home port france 2nd boat flotilla relocated june fall country arriving october commander promoted november left going command 22nd boat flotilla january command boat passed second successful german submarine commander war 6th patrol new captain left november returned waters west ireland sank merchant ships damaged fourth morning december attacked convoy west south west sank ships victim ton british merchant ship pacific president hit torpedoes quickly sank loss crew men minutes later hit ton british oil tanker torpedoes torpedo fired minutes later missed boat evaded attempt crash diving shortly persisted hit ship fourth torpedo minutes later sinking survivors crew evening december spotted ship pursued half hours firing single torpedo missed boat fired torpedo minutes later hitting unknown ship sinking seconds vessel believed ton norwegian merchant ship lost contact convoy days heavy weather seen finally december fired torpedoes ton british merchant ship nautical miles southwest ireland torpedo hit ship stern torpedoes left sea rough use deck gun crew ship managed plug hole ship power clyde returned december patrol days february docks sunk valve accidentally left open putting boat action months 7th patrol enforced absence began patrol command promoted january sailed mid atlantic sank ships early morning opened fire deck gun anti aircraft guns ton french sailing ship notre dame route fish hit shells ship sank suspected vessel reporting positions boats allied forces survivors thought attacked british submarine crew abandoned ship picked italian submarine evening june torpedoes ton dutch merchant ship nautical miles east newfoundland ship separated convoy sank minutes crew survived rescued finnish june early hours june torpedoed sank ton british merchant ship loaded tons ore nautical miles south west southern ireland men survived crew spent days found british returned july patrol lasting days 8th 9th patrols patrol beginning august took mid atlantic days success returning september went sea november time successful sinking ships near azores early morning november fired torpedoes ton british merchant ship loaded general cargo munitions nautical miles north north west azores torpedoes struck ship exploded violently survivors crew men despite metres distant debris explosion struck surfaced boat slightly injuring day shell found lodged conning tower evening november ton british merchant ship hit torpedoes fired nautical miles south south east azores ship sank minutes loss crew survivors picked portuguese destroyer attack boat depth charged hours convoy escorts managed escape unharmed december spotted ton unarmed tanker boats gave chase hours commanded observed large american flag painted abandoned pursuit continued follow neutral ship firing torpedo midnight missed ship immediately began sail course speed boat problem following light moon morning hit torpedoes ship loaded barrels gasoline exploded sank minutes survivors crew american merchant ships sunk boats prior america entry war returned december 10th patrol patrol boat began december sailed mid atlantic sank ships ton swedish cargo ship convoy bad weather nautical miles west ireland morning january ship hit torpedoes sank minute british passengers crewmen lost survivors spotted february british patrol aircraft directed fishing position day early morning january attacked convoy south iceland sank ton british merchant ship crew survived picked hours later attacked convoy sank ton panama registered american merchant ship survivors crew boat sailed kiel arriving january command boat passed left commission 11th patrol patrol new commander began july sailed kiel gap iceland mid atlantic achieved success arrived august days sea 12th patrol patrol successful departing september sailing atlantic morning november fired torpedoes convoy hit ton american tanker brilliant loaded barrels fuel oil foot diameter hole cargo caught fire crew abandoned ship remaining aboard managed fires making knots ship nautical miles newfoundland arriving november brilliant eventually left newfoundland january tow days ship broke half fore section sank immediately aft section drifted days found crew rescued aft section taken tow sank day arrived december patrol days 13th patrol patrol began january patrolling waters azores west african coast march spotted vessel identified british blue star line merchant ship hit torpedoes sank minutes later learn ton german blockade runner captured auxiliary cruiser atlantis january ship carrying tons rubber fish oil raw materials france days ahead scheduled arrival date returned march days sea 14th patrol final patrol began sailed july headed southwest atlantic evening july company boats attacked british bomber squadron raf crash immediately covered fire slightly damaged wounded dropped torpedoes boat damaged escaped sinking july attacked time torpedo bomber american escort carrier uss aircraft dropped mark torpedo sank boat southwest azores position crew members went submarine took june west june june august august september november december wolf july july august january february march summary raiding history service kriegsmarine sank merchant ships total grt damaged vessel grt grt declared total loss
German submarine U-43 (1939)