Unterseeboot 99 (1940)

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Career (Nazi Germany)
Name: U-99
Ordered: December 15, 1937
Builder: Germaniawerft, Kiel, yard 593
Laid down: March 31, 1939
Launched: March 12, 1940
Commissioned: April 18, 1940
Fate: Scuttled March 17, 1941 south-east of Iceland. 3 dead and 40 survivors.
Class and type: Type VII U-boat
Service record
Part of Kriegsmarine: 7. Unterseebootsflottille
Identification codes M 17 046
Commanders Otto Kretschmer
Operations 11
Victories 35 ships sunk for a total of 198.218 gross register tons (GRT)
3 auxiliary warships sunk for a total of 46.440 GRT
5 ships damaged for a total of 37.965 GRT
1 ship taken as prize for a total of 2.136 GRT

Unterseeboot 99 (usually abbreviated to U-99) was a German Type VIIB U-boat built during World War II. Her keel was laid on March 31, 1939 at the Krupp Germaniawerft in Kiel. She was launched on April 12, 1940 under the command of Otto Kretschmer and was assigned to the 7. Unterseebootsflottille based in Kiel and later in St Nazaire.

U-99 was one of the most successful boats in the entire war, succeeding in sinking 38 ships for a total tonnage of 244,658 GRT of allied shipping in 8 patrols, damaged 5 more ships and even 1 ship taken as prize.

[edit] Fate

On March 17, 1941 U-99 had just fired the last of her torpedoes and sunk MV Korshamn when the Watch Officer spotted a destroyer, south-east of Iceland in approximate position 61° N 12° W. He immediately ordered a dive, but once the boat was under it was quickly fixed on ASDIC and attacked by HMS Walker and HMS Vanoc. U-99 was driven deep by the attack and severely damaged. Kretschmer had no choice but to surface and he ordered that the boat should be scuttled. 40 crew including Kretschmer were rescued to become POWs, while 3 crewmen lost their lives.

[edit] References

See Also: List of U-boats and List of successful U-boats

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