German submarine U-106 (1940)

For other ships of the same name, see German submarine U-106.

A Type IXB submarine, believed to be U-106, under attack by a Sunderland flying boat
Career (Nazi Germany)
Name:	U-106
Ordered:	24 May 1938
Builder:	AG Weser, Bremen
Yard number:	969
Laid down:	26 November 1939
Launched:	17 June 1940
Commissioned:	24 September 1940
Homeport:	Lorient, France
Fate:	Sunk, 2 August 1943
Class and type:	Type IXB submarine
Service record
Part of:	Kriegsmarine: 2nd U-boat Flotilla
Commanders:	Kptlt. Jürgen Oesten (September 1940–October 1941) Kptlt. Hermann Rasch (October 1941–April 1943) Oblt. Wolf-Dietrich Damerow (June–August 1943)
Operations:	10 patrols
Victories:	Sank 22 ships totalling 138,581 gross register tons (GRT) Damaged 2 ships totalling 12,634 GRT Damaged 1 auxiliary warship of 8,246 GRT Damaged the battleship HMS Malaya

German submarine U-106 was a Type IXB U-boat of the German Kriegsmarine that operated during World War II. She was laid down in November 1939 at AG Weser in Bremen, Germany, and was commissioned on 24 September 1940. U-106 was assigned to 2nd U-boat Flotilla on 24 September 1940, in which she would serve for nearly three years.

U-106 was one of the most successful German submarines of World War II. She completed 10 wartime patrols and sank 22 ships totalling 138,581 gross register tons (GRT). She also damaged two ships totalling 12,634 GRT, one auxiliary warship totalling 8,246 GRT, and the battleship HMS Malaya. U-106 catalyzed Mexico's entry into World War II on the side of the Allies by sinking the oil tanker SS Faja de Oro.

Service history

1941

The first patrol which U-106 completed lasted from 4 January until 10 February 1941; she patrolled north-west of Rockall and sank two ships. U-106's second patrol was from 26 February to 17 June, patrolling the central Atlantic, sinking eight ships, one of these was the Zealandic a general cargo ship. The third patrol started on 11 August and ended on 11 September; U-106 patrolled southwest of Ireland, but did not sink any ships. U-106's fourth patrol lasted from 21 October to 22 November; U-106 patrolled the North Atlantic and sunk one ship, but lost four crewmembers when they were washed overboard in heavy seas.

1942

On U-106's fifth patrol from 3 January to 22 February 1942, she patrolled the East Coast of the United States and sank five ships, during the so-called "Second Happy Time". Among the ships sunk were SS Empire Wildebeeste and the tanker SS Rochester, which U-106 sunk with her 10.5 cm deck gun.

During U-106's sixth patrol from 15 April to 29 June 1942, she operated in the Gulf of Mexico and sunk five ships. U-106's seventh patrol, from 25 to 28 July, was cut short when she was attacked by a Wellington bomber of No. 311 Squadron RAF, just two days into her patrol. During the attack, U-106 was damaged, the commander wounded, and one officer killed. U-106's eighth patrol lasted from 22 September until 26 December; she patrolled the central Atlantic and Gulf of St Lawrence, and sunk one ship.

1943

U-106's ninth patrol started on 17 February 1943; she patrolled the Azores and Canary Islands, but did not sink any ships.

U-106's 10th and last patrol started on 19 March 1943; she was sunk on 2 August of that year off northern Spain, after being damaged by a Wellington of No. 407 Squadron RCAF. U-106 tried to join E-boats (German surface torpedo boats), but was spotted by a Sunderland flying boat of No. 228 Squadron RAF flown by F/O Reader Hanbury. Although the anti-aircraft guns on U-106 fended off the Sunderland, U-106 was finished off by another Sunderland of No. 461 Squadron RAAF flown by F/Lt A. F. Clarke. According to the Allied crews, and photographs taken of the attack, the U-Boat partially exploded, before sinking vertically. 22 of U-106's 48-man crew were killed. 26 survived the attack and were later picked up by German E-boats.

U-106 commanders

• Jürgen Oesten – September 1940 to October 1941
• Hermann Rasch – October 1941 to April 1943
• Wolf-Dietrich Damerow – June 1943 to August 1943, and loss of U-106

Raiding Career

Date	Ship	Nationality	Tonnage	Convoy	Fate	Location	Deaths
17 January 1941	Zealandic	British	10,578		Sunk	58.28°N 20.43°W / 58.28; -20.43	73
29 January 1941	Sesostris	Egyptian	2,962	SC-19	Sunk	56.00°N 15.23°W / 56.00; -15.23	Unknown
11 March 1941	Memnon	British	7,506		Sunk	20.41°N 21.00°W / 20.41; -21.00	5
16 March 1941	Almkerk	Dutch	6,810		Sunk	13.21°N 20.25°W / 13.21; -20.25	0
17 March 1941	Andalusian	British	3,082	SL-68	Sunk	14.33°N 21.06°W / 14.33; -21.06	0
17 March 1941	Tapanoeli	Dutch	7,034	SL-68	Sunk	15.56°N 20.49°W / 15.56; -20.49	0
20 March 1941	HMS Malaya	British	31,100	SL-68	Damaged	20.02°N 25.50°W / 20.02; -25.50	Unknown
20 March 1941	Meekerk	Dutch	7,995	SL-68	Damaged	20.00°N 26.00°W / 20.00; -26.00	Unknown
24 March 1941	Eastlea	British	4,267		Sunk	16.18°N 22.05°W / 16.18; -22.05	37
30 May 1941	Silveryew	British	6,373		Sunk	16.42°N 25.29°W / 16.42; -25.29	1
31 May 1941	Clan Macdougall	British	6,843		Sunk	16.50°N 25.10°W / 16.50; -25.10	2
6 June 1941	Sacramento Valley	British	4,573	OB-324	Sunk	17.10°N 30.10°W / 17.10; -30.10	3
28 October 1941	King Malcolm	British	5,120	SC-50	Sunk	51.28°N 28.30°W / 51.28; -28.30	38
30 October 1941	USS Salinas	American	8,246	ON-28	Damaged	46.56°N 37.46°W / 46.56; -37.46	Unknown
24 January 1942	Empire Wildebeeste	British	5,631	ON-53	Sunk	39.30°N 59.54°W / 39.30; -59.54	9
26 January 1942	Traveller	British	3,963		Sunk	40.00°N 61.45°W / 40.00; -61.45	52
30 January 1942	Rochester	American	6,836		Sunk	37.10°N 73.58°W / 37.10; -73.58	4
3 February1942	Amerikaland	Swedish	15,355		Sunk	36.36°N 74.10°W / 36.36; -74.10	5
6 February 1942	Opawa	British	10,354		Sunk	38.21°N 61.13°W / 38.21; -61.13	56
5 May 1942	Lady Drake	Canadian	7,985		Sunk	35.43°N 64.43°W / 35.43; -64.43	12
21 May 1942	Faja de Oro	Mexican	6,067		Sunk	23.30°N 84.24°W / 23.30; -84.24	10
26 May 1942	Carrabulle	American	5,030		Sunk	26.18°N 89.21°W / 26.18; -89.21	22
27 May 1942	Atenas	American	4,639		Damaged	25.50°N 89.05°W / 25.50; -89.05	0
28 May 1942	Mentor	British	7,383		Sunk	24.11°N 87.02°W / 24.11; -87.02	4
1 June 1942	Hampton Roads	American	2,689		Sunk	22.45°N 85.13°W / 22.45; -85.13	5
11 October 1942	Waterton	British	2,140	BS-31	Sunk	47.07°N 59.54°W / 47.07; -59.54	0

References

Bibliography

• Bishop, C. Kriegsmarine U-Boats, 1939–45. Amber Books, 2006.
• Bowyer, Chaz. Coastal Command at War. Ian Allan. 1979, ISBN 0-7110-0980-5
• Evans, J. The Sunderland: Flying Boat Queen Paterchurch Publications, 2004 ISBN 1870745132
• U-106 at U-boat.net

See also

• List of German U-boats