German submarine U-96 (1940)

For other ships of the same name, see German submarine U-96.

The U-96 returns to base. Note the laughing sawfish emblem on the conning tower.
Career (Nazi Germany)
Name:	U-96
Ordered:	30 May 1938
Builder:	Germaniawerft, Kiel
Yard number:	601
Laid down:	16 September 1939
Launched:	1 August 1940
Commissioned:	14 September 1940
Fate:	Sunk on 30 March 1945 by US bombs in Wilhelmshaven.
General characteristics
Type:	Type VIIC submarine
Displacement:	769 tonnes (757 long tons) surfaced 871 t (857 long tons) submerged
Length:	67.1 m (220 ft 2 in) o/a 50.5 m (165 ft 8 in) pressure hull
Beam:	6.2 m (20 ft 4 in) o/a 4.7 m (15 ft 5 in) pressure hull
Draft:	4.74 m (15 ft 7 in)
Propulsion:	2 × supercharged Germaniawerft 6-cylinder 4-stroke M6V 40/46 diesel engines, totalling 2,800–3,200 bhp (2,100–2,400 kW). Max rpm: 470-490 2 × electric motors, totalling 750 shp (560 kW) and max rpm: 296
Speed:	17.7 knots (20.4 mph; 32.8 km/h) surfaced 7.6 knots (8.7 mph; 14.1 km/h) submerged
Range:	15,170 km (8,190 nmi) at 10 kn (19 km/h) surfaced 150 km (81 nmi) at 4 kn (7.4 km/h) submerged
Test depth:	230 m (750 ft) Crush depth: 250–295 m (820–968 ft)
Complement:	44–52 officers & ratings
Armament:	• 5 × 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes (4 bow, 1 stern) • 14 × torpedoes or 26 TMA mines • 1 × C35 88mm gun/L45 deck gun (220 rounds) • Various AA guns
Service record
Part of:	Kriegsmarine: 7th U-boat Flotilla (Training) 7th U-boat Flotilla (Front Boat, 11 patrols) 24th U-boat Flotilla (Training) 22nd U-boat Flotilla (Schoolboat)
Identification codes:	M 29 052
Commanders:	Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock Hans-Jürgen Hellriegel Wilhelm Peters Robert Rix
Victories:	27 ships sunk for a total of 181,206 gross register tons (GRT) 4 ships damaged for a total of 33,043 GRT 1 ship a total loss for a total of 8,888 GRT

German submarine U-96 was a Type VIIC U-boat of the German Kriegsmarine during World War II. Her keel was laid down September 16, 1939 by Germaniawerft, of Kiel. She was commissioned September 14, 1940 with Kapitänleutnant Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock in command. Lehmann-Willenbrock was relieved in March 1942 by Oberleutnant zur See Hans-Jürgen Hellriegel. He was relieved in turn in March 1943 by Oblt. Wilhelm Peters. In February 1944 Oblt. Horst Willner took command, turning the boat over to Oblt. Robert Rix in June of that year. Rix commanded the boat until February 1945.

As part of the 7th Flotilla, stationed in Saint Nazaire, France, U-96 conducted 11 patrols, sinking 28 ships totalling 190,094 tons and damaging four others totalling 33,043 tons. On March 30, 1945, U-96 was sunk by US bombs while in the submarine pens in Wilhelmshaven. In her entire career, U-96 suffered no casualties to her crew. The boat was also known for its emblem, a green laughing sawfish. The laughing sawfish became the symbol of the 9th Flotilla after Lehmann-Willenbrock took command in March 1942.

During 1941, war correspondent Lothar-Günther Buchheim joined U-96 for a single patrol. His orders were to photograph and describe the U-boat in action for propaganda purposes. From his experiences, he wrote a short story, "Die Eichenlaubfahrt" ("The Oak-Leaves Patrol") and a 1973 novel which was to become an international best-seller, Das Boot, followed in 1976 by U-Boot-krieg ("U-Boat War"), a nonfiction chronicle of the voyage. In 1981 Wolfgang Petersen brought the novel to the big screen with the critically acclaimed, Das Boot.

Raiding Career

Date	Ship	Nationality	Tonnage	Convoy	Fate	Location	Deaths
11 December 1940	Rotorua	British	10,890	HX-92	Sunk	58.56°N 11.20°W / 58.56; -11.20	22
11 December 1940	Towa	Dutch	5,419	HX-92	Sunk	58.50°N 10.10°W / 58.50; -10.10	18
12 December 1940	Macedonier	Belgian	5,227	HX-92	Sunk	57.52°N 08.42°W / 57.52; -08.42	4
12 December 1940	Stureholm	Swedish	4,575	HX-92	Sunk	57.50°N 08.40°W / 57.50; -08.40	32
14 December 1940	Empire Razorbill	British	5,118	OB-257	Damaged	59.31°N 13.15°W / 59.31; -13.15	0
14 December 1940	Western Prince	British	10,926		Sunk	59.32°N 17.47°W / 59.32; -17.47	14
18 December 1940	Pendrecht	Dutch	10,746	OB-259	Damaged	45.18°N 36.40°W / 45.18; -36.40	0
16 January 1941	Oropesa	British	14,118		Sunk	56.28°N 12.00°W / 56.28; -12.00	106
17 January 1941	Almeda Star	British	14,936		Sunk	58.16°N 13.40°W / 58.16; -13.40	360
13 February 1941	Arthur F. Corwin	British	10,516	HX-106	Sunk	60.25°N 17.11°W / 60.25; -17.11	46
13 February 1941	Clea	British	7,987	HX-106	Sunk	60.25°N 17.10°W / 60.25; -17.10	59
18 February 1941	Black Osprey	British	5,589	HX-107	Sunk	61.30°N 18.10°W / 61.30; -18.10	25
22 February 1941	Scottish Standard	British	6,999	OB-287	Sunk	59.20°N 16.12°W / 59.20; -16.12	5
23 February 1941	Anglo-Peruvian	British	5,457	OB-288	Sunk	59.30°N 21.00°W / 59.30; -21.00	29
24 February 1941	Linaria	British	3,385	OB-288	Sunk	61.00°N 25.00°W / 61.00; -25.00	34
24 February 1941	Sirikishna	British	5,458	OB-288	Sunk	58.00°N 21.00°W / 58.00; -21.00	43
28 April 1941	Caledonia	Norwegian	9,892	HX-121	Sunk	60.03°N 16.10°W / 60.03; -16.10	12
28 April 1941	Oilfield	British	8,516	HX-121	Sunk	60.05°N 17.00°W / 60.05; -17.00	47
28 April 1941	Port Hardy	British	8,897	HX-121	Sunk	60.14°N 15.20°W / 60.14; -15.20	1
19 May 1941	Empire Ridge	British	2,922	HG-61	Sunk	54.47°N 11.10°W / 54.47; -11.10	31
5 July 1941	Anselm	British	5,954		Sunk	44.25°N 28.35°W / 44.25; -28.35	254
31 October 1941	Bennekom	Dutch	5,998	OS-10	Sunk	51.20°N 23.40°W / 51.20; -23.40	8
19 February 1942	Empire Seal	British	7.965		Sunk	43.14°N 64.45°W / 43.14; -64.45	1
20 February 1942	Lake Osweya	American	2,398		Sunk	43.14°N 64.45°W / 43.14; -64.45	39
22 February 1942	Kars	British	8,888	HX-175	Total Loss	44.15°N 63.25°W / 44.15; -63.25	50
22 February 1942	Torungen	Norwegian	1,948		Sunk	44.00°N 63.30°W / 44.00; -63.30	19
9 March 1942	Tyr	Norwegian	4,265		Sunk	43.40°N 61.10°W / 43.40; -61.10	13
10 September 1942	Elisabeth van Belgie	Belgian	4,241	ON-127	Sunk	51.30°N 28.25°W / 51.30; -28.25	1
10 September 1942	F.J. Wolfe	British	12,190	ON-127	Damaged	51.30°N 28.25°W / 51.30; -28.25	0
10 September 1942	Sveve	Norwegian	6,313	ON-127	Sunk	51.28°N 28.30°W / 51.28; -28.30	0
11 September 1942	Delães	Portuguese	415		Sunk	50.03°N 29.32°W / 50.03; -29.32	0
25 September 1942	New York	British	4,989	RB-1	Damaged	54.34°N 25.44°W / 54.34; -25.44	0*

*Sunk the next day by U-91 with all hands lost.

See also

• List of German U-boats

References

• "Uboat.net". The Boats – U-96. http://uboat.net/boats/u96.htm. Retrieved 8 February 2007. 
• "Ubootwaffe.net". U-96. http://www.ubootwaffe.net/ops/boat.cgi?boat=96. Retrieved 8 February 2007.