German submarine U-97 (1940)

History
Germany
Name	U-97
Ordered	30 May 1938
Builder	Friedrich Krupp Germaniawerft, Kiel
Yard number	Werk 602
Laid down	27 September 1939
Launched	15 August 1940
Commissioned	28 September 1940
Fate	Sunk on 16 June 1943, by an Australian aircraft
General characteristics
Type	Type VIIC submarine
Displacement	list error: <br /> list (help); 769 tonnes (757 long tons) surfaced; 871 t (857 long tons) submerged
Length	list error: <br /> list (help); 67.1 m (220 ft 2 in) o/a; 50.5 m (165 ft 8 in) pressure hull
Beam	list error: <br /> list (help); 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	list error: <br /> list (help); 2 × supercharged Germaniawerft 6-cylinder 4-stroke F46 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	list error: <br /> list (help); 17.7 kn (20.4 mph; 32.8 km/h) surfaced; 7.6 knots (8.7 mph; 14.1 km/h) submerged
Range	list error: <br /> list (help); 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	list error: <br /> list (help); 230 m (750 ft); Crush depth: 250–295 m (820–968 ft)
Complement	44–52 officers & ratings
Armament	list error: <br /> list (help); • 5 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four bow, one stern); • 14 × G7e torpedoes or 26 TMA mines; • 1 × 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun (220 rounds); • Various AA guns
Service record
Part of:	list error: <br /> list (help); Kriegsmarine:; 7th U-boat Flotilla (Training); 7th U-boat Flotilla (Operational Boat, 11 patrols); 24th U-boat Flotilla (Training); 22nd U-boat Flotilla (Schoolboat)
Commanders:	list error: <br /> list (help); Kptlt. Udo Heilmann; Oblt. Friedrich Bürgel; Kptlt. Hans-Georg Trox
Operations:	list error: <br /> list (help); Thirteen; 1st patrol:; 17 February–7 March 1941; 2nd patrol:; 20 March–10 April 1941; 3rd patrol:; 1–30 May 1941; 4th patrol:; 2 July–8 August 1941; 5th patrol:; 20 September–27 October 1941; 6th patrol:; 23 December–9 January 1942; 7th patrol:; 12–31 January 1942; 8th patrol:; 14–30 March 1942; 9th patrol:; 5 April–12 May 1942; 10th patrol:; 15 June–4 July 1942; 11th patrol:; 22 July 1942–4 August 1942; 12th patrol:; 22 July 1942–10 April 1943; 13th patrol:; 5–16 June 1943
Victories:	list error: <br /> list (help); 15 ships sunk for a total of 64,404 GRT GRT uses unsupported parameter (help); One auxilary warship sunk - of 6,833 GRT; One ship damaged - of 9,718 GRT

German submarine U-97 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for the German Kriegsmarine for service during the Second World War. She carried out thirteen patrols during her career, sinking sixteen ships and damaging a seventeenth. She was a member of two wolfpacks.

U-97 was sunk on 16 June 1943 while operating in the Mediterranean Sea, west of Haifa.^[1] She was depth charged by an Australian aircraft.

Construction and deployment

U-97 was laid down at the F. Krupp Germaniawerft in Kiel as 'werk' 602. She was launched on 15 August 1940 and commissioned on 28 September under the command of Kapitänleutnant Udo Heilmann.

Serving with the 7th U-boat Flotilla, U-97 completed training in late 1940 and early 1941 before commencing operations.

Operational history

1st patrol

The boat's first patrol began with her departure from Kiel on 17 February 1941. Her route took her across the North Sea and through the 'gap' between Iceland and the Faroe Islands.

She sank three ships on the 24th; the Mansepool, the Jonathon Holt, both southwest of the Faroe Islands and theBritish Gunner 273 mi (439 km) northwest of Cape Wrath (northern Scotland). The Flower class corvette HMS Petunia had ordered the crew of British Gunner to abandon their vessel even though the master had said the ship could be towed to safety.

The U-boat then damaged the G.C. Brøvig. The Norwegian tanker was a victim of U-97's third attack on Convoy OB-289. The torpedo strike caused her to lose her bow, but the bulkhead held and the engines remained usable. With assistance from HMS Petunia, she arrived at Stornoway (in the Outer Hebrides),^[2] on 27 February. She was subsequently repaired and returned to service.

The patrol was somewhat marred when a crew-member was lost overboard on 3 March. The submarine docked at Lorient in occupied France on 7 March.

2nd patrol

U-97 sank three more ships between Cape Farewell (Greenland)^[3] and southern Ireland in March and April 1941. They were: the Chama and the Hørda (on 23 and 24 March respectively) and the Conus on 4 April. There were no survivors from the Hørda or the Conus.

3rd and 4th patrols

The boat sank HMS Camito, a requisitioned Ocean Boarding Vessel and the Sangro, west southwest of Cape Clear (southern Ireland)^[4] on 6 May 1941. Two days later (on the 8th), she struck again, sinking the Ramillies southeast of Cape Farewell.

Sortie number four was relatively uneventful, starting from St. Nazaire on 2 July 1941 and terminating in the same port on 8 August.

5th patrol

Departing St. Nazaire on 20 September 1941, U-97 steamed south, she slipped past the heavily guarded British post at Gibraltar and into the Mediterranean Sea. She sank the Pass of Balmaha 50 mi (80 km) west of Alexandria on 17 October. The merchant ship had been part of the fourth convoy of Operation Cultivate, the relief of Tobruk. She also sank the Samos on the same day.

An accident which left the IIWO (second watch officer) badly injured on 24 October forced the boat to cut her patrol short. She arrived at Salamis in Greece on the 27th.

6th and 7th patrols

Human frailties also came to the fore during the boat's sixth patrol when, having crossed the Aegean towards Turkey, she was obliged by a sick crew-member, on 7 January 1942, to return to Salamis on the 9th.

The submarine's seventh patrol started and finished in Salamis.

8th and 9th patrols

Having moved to La Spezia in northwest Italy in February, U-97 was attacked by a Sunderland flying boat of No. 230 Squadron RAF off the North African coast. The aircraft dropped five bombs on the boat, but caused no damage.

Patrol number nine continued the shuttle-sequence between Salamis and La Spezia.

10th patrol

The situation improved for the crew when they sank the Zealand and the Memos 14 mi (23 km) southwest of Haifa on 28 June 1942. The Marilyese Moller went to the bottom on 1 July about 27 mi (43 km) west of Rafah^[5] in Palestine. The armed trawler HMS Burra reacted with three depth charges, but was unsuccessful.

11th and 12th patrols

These patrols began in Salamis and La Spezia; the latter finished in Pola (now Pula) in Croatia in May 1943.

13th patrol and loss

U-97's final patrol started with her departure from Pola on 5 June 1943. She sank the Palima 30 mi (48 km) south southwest of Beirut on the 12th. She was also successful against the Athelmonarch northwest of Jaffa on the 15th.

The U-boat was sunk by a Lockheed Hudson of 459 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force on 16 June 1943 west of Haifa. Twenty-seven men died, there were twenty-one survivors.

Summary of raiding history

Date	Ship	Nationality	Tonnage	Fate^[6]
24 February 1941	British Gunner	Great Britain	6,894	Sunk
24 February 1941	G.C. Brøvig	Norway	9,718	Damaged
24 February 1941	Johnathon Holt	Great Britain	4,973	Sunk
24 February 1941	Mansepool	Great Britain	4,894	Sunk
24 March 1941	Chama	Great Britain	8,077	Sunk
24 March 1941	Hørda	Norway	4,301	Sunk
4 April 1941	Conus	Great Britain	8,132	Sunk
6 May 1941	HMS Camito	Great Britain	6,833	Sunk
6 May 1941	Sangro	Italy	6,466	Sunk
8 May 1941	Ramilles	Great Britain	4,553	Sunk
17 October 1941	Pass of Balmaha	Great Britain	758	Sunk
17 October 1941	Samos	Greece	1,208	Sunk
28 June 1942	Memas	Greece	1,755	Sunk
28 June 1942	Zealand	Great Britain	1,433	Sunk
1 July 1942	Marilyse Moller	Great Britain	786	Sunk
12 June 1943	Palima	Netherlands	1,179	Sunk
15 June 1943	Athelmonarch	Great Britain	8,995	Sunk

References

^ The Times Atlas of the World, Third edition, revised 1995, ISBN 0 7230 0809 4, p. 45
^ The Times Atlas of the World p. 8
^ The Times Atlas of the World, p. 55
^ The Times Atlas of the World, p. 9
^ The Times Atlas of the World, p. 45
^ http://uboat.net/boats/successes/u.97html

U-97 at Uboat.net

[1] The Times Atlas of the World, Third edition, revised 1995, ISBN 0 7230 0809 4, p. 45

[2] The Times Atlas of the World p. 8

[3] The Times Atlas of the World, p. 55

[4] The Times Atlas of the World, p. 9

[5] The Times Atlas of the World, p. 45

[6] ttp://uboat.net/boats/successes/u.97html

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

v t e German Type VII submarines
Type VIIA	U-27 U-28 U-29 U-30 U-31 U-32 U-33 U-34 U-35 U-36
Type VIIB	U-45 U-46 U-47 U-48 U-49 U-50 U-51 U-52 U-53 U-54 U-55 U-73 U-74 U-75 U-76 U-83 U-84 U-85 U-86 U-87 U-99 U-100 U-101 U-102
Type VIIC	U-69 U-70 U-71 U-72 U-77 U-78 U-79 U-80 U-81 U-82 U-88 U-89 U-90 U-91 U-92 U-93 U-94 U-95 U-96 U-97 U-98 U-132 U-133 U-134 U-135 U-136 U-201 U-202 U-203 U-204 U-205 U-206 U-207 U-208 U-209 U-210 U-211 U-212 U-221 U-222 U-223 U-224 U-225 U-226 U-227 U-228 U-229 U-230 U-231 U-232 U-235 U-236 U-237 U-238 U-239 U-240 U-241 U-242 U-243 U-244 U-245 U-246 U-247 U-248 U-249 U-250 U-251 U-252 U-253 U-254 U-255 U-256 U-257 U-258 U-259 U-260 U-261 U-262 U-263 U-264 U-265 U-266 U-267 U-268 U-269 U-270 U-271 U-272 U-273 U-274 U-275 U-276 U-277 U-278 U-279 U-280 U-281 U-282 U-283 U-284 U-285 U-286 U-287 U-288 U-289 U-290 U-291 U-301 U-302 U-303 U-304 U-305 U-306 U-307 U-308 U-309 U-310 U-311 U-312 U-313 U-314 U-315 U-316 U-331 U-332 U-333 U-334 U-335 U-336 U-337 U-338 U-339 U-340 U-341 U-342 U-343 U-344 U-345 U-346 U-347 U-348 U-349 U-350 U-351 U-352 U-353 U-354 U-355 U-356 U-357 U-358 U-359 U-360 U-361 U-362 U-363 U-364 U-365 U-366 U-367 U-368 U-369 U-370 U-371 U-372 U-373 U-374 U-375 U-376 U-377 U-378 U-379 U-380 U-381 U-382 U-383 U-384 U-385 U-386 U-387 U-388 U-389 U-390 U-391 U-392 U-393 U-394 U-396 U-397 U-398 U-399 U-400 U-401 U-402 U-403 U-404 U-405 U-406 U-407 U-408 U-409 U-410 U-411 U-412 U-413 U-414 U-415 U-416 U-417 U-418 U-419 U-420 U-421 U-422 U-423 U-424 U-425 U-426 U-427 U-428 U-429 U-430 U-431 U-432 U-433 U-434 U-435 U-436 U-437 U-438 U-439 U-440 U-441 U-442 U-443 U-444 U-445 U-446 U-447 U-448 U-449 U-450 U-451 U-452 U-453 U-454 U-455 U-456 U-457 U-458 U-465 U-466 U-467 U-468 U-469 U-470 U-471 U-472 U-473 U-475 U-476 U-477 U-478 U-479 U-480 U-481 U-482 U-483 U-484 U-485 U-486 U-551 U-552 U-553 U-554 U-555 U-556 U-557 U-558 U-559 U-560 U-561 U-562 U-563 U-564 U-565 U-566 U-567 U-568 U-569 U-570 U-571 U-572 U-573 U-574 U-575 U-576 U-577 U-578 U-579 U-580 U-581 U-582 U-583 U-584 U-585 U-586 U-587 U-588 U-589 U-590 U-591 U-592 U-593 U-594 U-595 U-596 U-597 U-598 U-599 U-600 U-601 U-602 U-603 U-604 U-605 U-606 U-607 U-608 U-609 U-610 U-611 U-612 U-613 U-614 U-615 U-616 U-617 U-618 U-619 U-620 U-621 U-622 U-623 U-624 U-625 U-626 U-627 U-628 U-629 U-630 U-631 U-632 U-633 U-634 U-635 U-636 U-637 U-638 U-639 U-640 U-641 U-642 U-643 U-644 U-645 U-646 U-647 U-648 U-649 U-650 U-651 U-652 U-653 U-654 U-655 U-656 U-657 U-658 U-659 U-660 U-661 U-662 U-663 U-664 U-665 U-666 U-667 U-668 U-669 U-670 U-671 U-672 U-673 U-674 U-675 U-676 U-677 U-678 U-679 U-680 U-681 U-682 U-683 U-701 U-702 U-703 U-704 U-705 U-706 U-707 U-708 U-709 U-710 U-711 U-712 U-713 U-714 U-715 U-716 U-717 U-718 U-719 U-720 U-721 U-722 U-731 U-732 U-733 U-734 U-735 U-736 U-737 U-738 U-739 U-740 U-741 U-742 U-743 U-744 U-745 U-746 U-747 U-748 U-749 U-750 U-751 U-752 U-753 U-754 U-755 U-756 U-757 U-758 U-759 U-760 U-761 U-762 U-763 U-764 U-765 U-766 U-767 U-768 U-771 U-772 U-773 U-774 U-775 U-776 U-777 U-778 U-779 U-821 U-822 U-825 U-826 U-901 U-903 U-904 U-905 U-907 U-921 U-922 U-923 U-924 U-925 U-926 U-927 U-928 U-951 U-952 U-953 U-954 U-955 U-956 U-957 U-958 U-959 U-960 U-961 U-962 U-963 U-964 U-965 U-966 U-967 U-968 U-969 U-970 U-971 U-972 U-973 U-974 U-975 U-976 U-977 U-978 U-979 U-980 U-981 U-982 U-983 U-984 U-985 U-986 U-987 U-988 U-989 U-990 U-991 U-992 U-993 U-994 U-1051 U-1052 U-1053 U-1054 U-1055 U-1056 U-1057 U-1058 U-1101 U-1102 U-1131 U-1132 U-1161 U-1162 U-1191 U-1192 U-1193 U-1194 U-1195 U-1196 U-1197 U-1198 U-1199 U-1200 U-1201 U-1202 U-1203 U-1204 U-1205 U-1206 U-1207 U-1208 U-1209 U-1210
Type VIIC/41	U-292 U-293 U-294 U-295 U-296 U-297 U-298 U-299 U-300 U-317 U-318 U-319 U-320 U-321 U-322 U-323 U-324 U-325 U-326 U-327 U-328 U-691 U-827 U-828 U-929 U-930 U-995 U-997 U-998 U-999 U-1000 U-1001 U-1002 U-1003 U-1004 U-1005 U-1006 U-1007 U-1008 U-1009 U-1010 U-1011 U-1013 U-1014 U-1015 U-1016 U-1017 U-1018 U-1019 U-1020 U-1021 U-1022 U-1023 U-1024 U-1025 U-1063 U-1064 U-1065 U-1103 U-1104 U-1105 U-1106 U-1107 U-1108 U-1109 U-1110 U-1163 U-1164 U-1165 U-1166 U-1167 U-1168 U-1169 U-1170 U-1171 U-1172 U-1271 U-1272 U-1273 U-1274 U-1275 U-1276 U-1277 U-1278 U-1279 U-1301 U-1302 U-1303 U-1304 U-1305 U-1306 U-1307 U-1308
Type VIID	U-213 U-214 U-215 U-216 U-217 U-218
Type VIIF	U-1059 U-1060 U-1061 U-1062
Preceded by: Type II Followed by: Type IX List of U-boats of Germany