German submarine U-107 (1940)

German submarine U-107 was a Type IXB U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine that operated during World War II. Between January 1941 and August 1944, she sailed on 16 active patrols at a time when a U-boat averaged a lifespan of seven to ten patrols. During that time, U-107 sank 39 Allied ships, in addition to damaging another four ships. The U-boat was launched on 2 July 1940, based at the U-boat port of Lorient, with a crew of 53 under the initial command of Günther Hessler. She was later commanded, in order, by Harald Gelhaus, Valker Simmermacher and her final commander, Karl Heinz Fritz.

For other ships with the same name, see German submarine U-107.
U-107 at Lorient in November 1941
History
Nazi Germany
Name: U-107
Ordered: 24 May 1938
Builder: DeSchiMAG AG Weser, Bremen
Yard number: 970
Laid down: 6 December 1939
Launched: 2 July 1940
Commissioned: 8 October 1940
Homeport: Lorient, France
Fate: Sunk, 18 August 1944[1]
General characteristics
Class and type: Type IXB U-boat
Displacement:
  • 1,051 t (1,034 long tons) surfaced
  • 1,178 t (1,159 long tons) submerged
Length:
  • 76.50 m (251 ft) o/a
  • 58.75 m (192 ft 9 in) pressure hull
Beam:
  • 6.76 m (22 ft 2 in) o/a
  • 4.40 m (14 ft 5 in) pressure hull
Draught: 4.70 m (15 ft 5 in)
Installed power:
  • 4,400 PS (3,200 kW; 4,300 bhp) (diesels)
  • 1,000 PS (740 kW; 990 shp) (electric)
Propulsion:
Range:
  • 12,000 nmi (22,000 km; 14,000 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced
  • 64 nmi (119 km; 74 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth: 230 m (750 ft)
Complement: 48 to 56 officers and ratings
Armament:
Service record
Part of:
Commanders:
Operations: 16 patrols
Victories:
  • 37 ships sunk for a total of 207,375 GRT
  • Two auxiliary warships sunk for a total of 10,411 GRT
  • Three ships damaged for a total of 17,392 GRT
  • One auxiliary warship (USS Rapidan) of 8,246 GRT damaged

Design

German Type IXB submarines were slightly larger than the original German Type IX submarines, later designated IXA. U-107 had a displacement of 1,051 tonnes (1,034 long tons) when at the surface and 1,178 tonnes (1,159 long tons) while submerged.[2] The U-boat had a total length of 76.50 m (251 ft), a pressure hull length of 58.75 m (192 ft 9 in), a beam of 6.76 m (22 ft 2 in), a height of 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in), and a draught of 4.70 m (15 ft 5 in). The submarine was powered by two MAN M 9 V 40/46 supercharged four-stroke, nine-cylinder diesel engines producing a total of 4,400 metric horsepower (3,240 kW; 4,340 shp) for use while surfaced, two Siemens-Schuckert 2 GU 345/34 double-acting electric motors producing a total of 1,000 metric horsepower (740 kW; 990 shp) for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 1.92 m (6 ft) propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to 230 metres (750 ft).[2]

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 18.2 knots (33.7 km/h; 20.9 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 7.3 knots (13.5 km/h; 8.4 mph).[2] When submerged, the boat could operate for 64 nautical miles (119 km; 74 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 12,000 nautical miles (22,000 km; 14,000 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). U-107 was fitted with six 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and two at the stern), 22 torpedoes, one 10.5 cm (4.13 in) SK C/32 naval gun, 180 rounds, and a 3.7 cm (1.5 in) SK C/30 as well as a 2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of forty-eight.[2]

Service history

First patrol
Date Name Flag Tonnage[Note 1] Convoy Position
3 February 1941 Empire Citizen  United Kingdom 4,683 Convoy OB 279 58°12′N 23°22′W
3 February 1941 Crispin  Royal Navy 5,051 Convoy OB 279 56°38′N 20°05′W
6 February 1941 Maplecourt  Canada 3,388 Convoy SC 20 57°33′N 17°24′W
23 February 1941 Manistee  Royal Navy 5,360 Convoy OB 288 58°13′N 21°33′W

Second patrol and most successful period
Date Name Flag Tonnage (GRT) Convoy Position
8 April 1941 Helena Margareta  United Kingdom 3,316 Convoy OG 57 33°00′N 23°52′W
8 April 1941 Eskdene  United Kingdom 3,829 Convoy OG 57 34°43′N 24°21′W
9 April 1941 Harpathian  United Kingdom 4,671 Convoy OG 57 32°22′N 22°53′W
9 April 1941 Duffield  United Kingdom 8,516 Convoy OG 57 31°13′N 23°24′W
21 April 1941 Calchas  United Kingdom 10,305 23°50′N 27°00′W
30 April 1941 Lassell  United Kingdom 7,417 Convoy OB 309 12°55′N 28°56′W
17 May 1941 Marisa  Netherlands 8,029 06°10′N 18°09′W
18 May 1941 Piako  United Kingdom 8,286 07°52′N 14°57′W
27 May 1941 Colonial  United Kingdom 5,108 Convoy OB 318 09°13′N 15°09′W
28 May 1941 Papalemos  Greece 3,748 08°06′N 16°18′W
31 May 1941 Sire  United Kingdom 5,664 08°50′N 15°30′W
1 June 1941 Alfred Jones  United Kingdom 5,013 Convoy OB 320 08°00′N 15°00′W
8 June 1941 Adda  United Kingdom 7,816 Convoy OB 323 08°30′N 14°39′W
13 June 1941 Pandias  Greece 4,981 07°49′N 23°28′W

Third patrol
Date Name Flag Tonnage (GRT) Convoy Position
24 September 1941 Dixcove  United Kingdom 3,790 Convoy SL 87 31°12′N 23°41′W
24 September 1941 Lafian  United Kingdom 4,876 Convoy SL 87 31°12′N 23°32′W
24 September 1941 John Holt  United Kingdom 4,975 Convoy SL 87 31°12′N 23°32′W

Fifth patrol
Date Name Flag Tonnage (GRT) Convoy Position
31 January 1942 San Arcadio  United Kingdom 7,419 38°10′N 63°50′W
6 February 1942 Major Wheeler  United States 3,431 E of Cape Hatteras
21 February 1942 Egda  Norway 10,068 Convoy ON 65 41°12′N 52°55′W Damaged

Sixth patrol
U-107 meets a supply ship in the South Atlantic
Date Name Flag Tonnage (GRT) Convoy Position
29 May 1942 Western Head  United Kingdom 2,599 19°57′N 74°18′W
1 June 1942 Bushranger  Panama 4,536 18°15′N 81°25′W
7 June 1942 Castilla  Honduras 3,910 20°15′N 83°18′W
8 June 1942 Suwied  United States 3,249 20°00′N 84°48′W
10 June 1942 Merrimack  United States 2,606 19°47′N 85°55′W
19 June 1942 Cheerio  United States 35 18°02′N 67°40′W
26 June 1942 Jagersfontein  Netherlands 10,083 31°56′N 54°48′W

Eighth patrol
Date Name Flag Tonnage (GRT) Convoy Position
3 September 1942 Hollinside  United Kingdom 4,172 38°00′N 09°00′W
3 September 1942 Penrose  United Kingdom 4,393 38°00′N 09°00′W
7 October 1942 Andalucia Star  United Kingdom 14,943 06°38′N 15°46′W

Ninth patrol
  • 4 March 1943, came under attack from an unidentified Allied aircraft.
Moderately damaged by the attack.
  • 22 March 1943 at 14:35 it came under attack from another unidentified Allied aircraft
Undamaged
Date Name Flag Tonnage (GRT) Convoy Position
22 February 1943 Roxborough Castle  United Kingdom 7,801 38°12′N 26°22′W
13 March 1943 Oporto  United Kingdom 2,352 Convoy OS 44 42°45′N 13°31′W
13 March 1943 Marcella  United Kingdom 4,592 Convoy OS 44 42°45′N 13°31′W
13 March 1943 Sembilangan  Netherlands 4,990 Convoy OS 44 42°45′N 13°31′W
13 March 1943 SS Clan Alpine  United Kingdom 5,442 Convoy OS 44 42°45′N 13°31′W

Tenth patrol
Date Name Flag Tonnage (GRT) Convoy Position
1 May 1943 Port Victor  United Kingdom 12,411 47°49′N 22°02′W

Eleventh patrol
Date Name Flag Tonnage[Note 1] Convoy Position
28 August 1943 Albert Gallatin  United States 7,176 Off Savannah, Georgia Damaged
11 September 1943 USS Rapidan  United States Navy 8,246 Convoy NG 385 32°39′N 79°43′W Damaged

Fifteenth patrol
Date Name Flag Tonnage (GRT) Convoy Position
13 June 1944 Lark  United States 148 43°00′N 65°12′W Damaged

Sixteenth and final patrol

Wolfpacks

U-107 took part in 15 wolfpacks, namely.

  • Störtebecker (5–7 November 1941)
  • Seeräuber (14–23 December 1941)
  • Blücher (23–28 August 1942)
  • Iltis (6–23 September 1942)
  • Hartherz (3–7 February 1943)
  • Delphin (11–14 February 1943)
  • Robbe (16 February – 13 March 1943)
  • Amsel 2 (4–6 May 1943)
  • Elbe (7–10 May 1943)
  • Elbe 2 (10–14 May 1943)
  • Weddigen (24 November – 7 December 1943)
  • Coronel (7–8 December 1943)
  • Coronel 2 (8–14 December 1943)
  • Coronel 3 (14–17 December 1943)
  • Borkum (18–30 December 1943)
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References

Notes
  1. Merchant ship tonnages are in gross register tons. Military vessels are listed by tons displacement.

Citations
  1. Kemp 1999, p. 210.
  2. Gröner 1991, p. 68.
  3. Busch & Röll 1997, p. 447.
  4. Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type IXB boat U-107". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 22 February 2010.
  5. Landers, Brian. "Caught on the Surface". Aeroplane. Cudham: Kelsey Publishing (April 2012): 16–22. ISSN 0143-7240.

Bibliography
  • Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (1999). German U-boat commanders of World War II : a biographical dictionary. Translated by Brooks, Geoffrey. London, Annapolis, Md: Greenhill Books, Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-186-6.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (1999). Deutsche U-Boot-Verluste von September 1939 bis Mai 1945 [German U-boat losses from September 1939 to May 1945]. Der U-Boot-Krieg (in German). IV. Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn: Mittler. ISBN 3-8132-0514-2.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Gröner, Erich; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. German Warships 1815–1945. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4.
  • Kemp, Paul (1999). U-Boats Destroyed - German Submarine Losses in the World Wars. London: Arms & Armour. ISBN 1-85409-515-3.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type IXB boat U-107". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
  • Hofmann, Markus. "U 107". Deutsche U-Boote 1935-1945 - u-boot-archiv.de (in German). Retrieved 13 December 2015.

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