German submarine U-199

Career (Nazi Germany)
Name: U-199
Ordered: 4 November 1940
Builder: DeSchiMAG AG Weser, Bremen
Yard number: 1045
Laid down: 10 October 1941
Launched: 11 July 1942
Commissioned: 28 November 1942
Fate: Sunk, 31 July 1943 by US and Brazilian aircraft
General characteristics [1]
Class and type:Type IXD2 submarine
Displacement:1,616 t (1,590 long tons) surfaced
1,804 t (1,776 long tons) submerged
Length:87.60 m (287.4 ft) o/a
68.50 m (224.7 ft) pressure hull
Beam:7.50 m (24.6 ft) o/a
4.40 m (14.4 ft)
Draught:5.40 m (17.7 ft) pressure hull
Propulsion:surfaced 5,400 hp
submerged 1,100 hp
Speed:surfaced 19.2 knots (35.6 km/h; 22.1 mph)
submerged 6.9 knots (12.8 km/h; 7.9 mph)
Range:surfaced 12,750 nmi (23,610 km; 14,670 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph)
submerged 57 nmi (106 km; 66 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph)
Test depth:Calculated crush depth: 230 m (750 ft)
Armament:
Service record[2][3]
Part of: 4th U-boat Flotilla
(28 November 194230 April 1943)
12th U-boat Flotilla
(1 May31 July 1943)
Commanders: Kptlt. Hans-Werner Kraus
(28 November 194231 July 1943)
Operations: 13 May31 July 1943
Victories: Two commercial ships sunk (4,181 GRT)

German submarine U-199 was a Type IXD2 U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.
The submarine was laid down on 10 October 1941 at the DeSchiMAG AG Weser yard at Bremen as yard number 1045, launched on 11 July 1942 and commissioned on 28 November. She was commanded by Ritterkreuz recipient Kapitänleutnant Hans-Werner Kraus, who had previously successfully commanded U-47 and U-83.

After training with the 4th U-boat Flotilla at Stettin, U-199 was transferred to the 12th U-boat Flotilla for front-line service from 1 May 1943.[2]

She was sunk off the Brazilian coast in 1943 by a combination of attacks by Brazilian and American aircraft.

Operational history

U-199 sailed from Kiel on 13 May 1943 on her first and only operational patrol;[4] she negotiated the 'gap' between Iceland and the Faroe Islands, before heading south and had crossed the Equator by 17 June, targeting ships in the South Atlantic Ocean. Operating off the Brazilian coast, she torpedoed and damaged the Brazilian armed merchant ship Bury, which returned fire and managed to escape. On 4 July, the submarine was spotted on the surface by the small fishing boat Changri-Lá.[5] The Brazilian boat was sunk with the loss of all hands by gun fire. U-199 had her first and only significant success, sinking the British merchant ship Henzada on 25 July.[6]

Fate

U-199 was found on the surface, off Rio de Janeiro, in position 23°54′S 42°54′W / 23.900°S 42.900°WCoordinates: 23°54′S 42°54′W / 23.900°S 42.900°W, by three aircraft, a PBY Catalina and a Lockheed Hudson (both Brazilian) and an American PBM Mariner on 31 July.[2] The Catalina, codenamed Arará, hit U-199 with depth charges, sinking her. The pilot of the Catalina was 2º Ten.-Av. (2nd Lt.) Alberto M. Torres.[7] Forty-nine of the crew were killed, although twelve Germans managed to escape the doomed submarine, including the captain. This was possible due to the actions of the Catalina’s crew, who threw a lifeboat to the survivors. They were rescued by the USS Barnegat and taken to Brazil, and then on to captivity in the United States.

Summary of raiding career

Date Name Nationality Tonnage
(GRT)
Fate
4 July 1943 Changri-Lá  Brazil 20 Sunk
24 July 1943 Henzada  United Kingdom 4,161 Sunk

References

  1. Gröner 1985, pp. 105-6.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type IXD2 boat U-199 — German U-boats of WWII". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 9 March 2010.
  3. Helgason, Guðmundur. "War Patrols by German U-boat U-199". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 9 March 2010.
  4. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Patrol of U-boat U-199 from 13 May 1943 to 31 Jul 1943". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 9 March 2010.
  5. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Changri-Lá (Sailing ship)". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 9 March 2010.
  6. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Henzada (Steam merchant)". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 9 March 2010.
  7. Morison, Samuel Eliot (March 2001). History of United States Naval Operations in World War II. Vol.10: The Atlantic Battle Won. Castle Books. p. 219. ISBN 0-7858-1311-X.

Bibliography

External links