German submarine U-233
Encyclopedia
German submarine U-233 was a Type XB
U-boat
of the German
Kriegsmarine
during World War II
.
She was laid down on 15 August 1941 and commissioned on 22 September 1943. U-233 was commanded throughout her career by Oberleutnant Hans Steen.
Her first and only patrol commenced on 27 May 1944 when she departed Kiel
to lay mines off Halifax
.
She was identified by sonar
, depth-charged to the surface and fired on by , before being rammed and sunk by .
32 of her crew were killed in the action, 29 others being rescued by the escorts. Steen was also picked up, but died of wounds the next day.
German Type X submarine
Type X U-boats were a special type of German submarine . Although intended as long-range mine-layers, they were later used as long-range cargo transports, a task they shared with the Type IXD and Italian Romolo-class submarines.-History:...
U-boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
of the German
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
Kriegsmarine
Kriegsmarine
The Kriegsmarine was the name of the German Navy during the Nazi regime . It superseded the Kaiserliche Marine of World War I and the post-war Reichsmarine. The Kriegsmarine was one of three official branches of the Wehrmacht, the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany.The Kriegsmarine grew rapidly...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
She was laid down on 15 August 1941 and commissioned on 22 September 1943. U-233 was commanded throughout her career by Oberleutnant Hans Steen.
Service history
U-233 was assigned to 4th U-boat Flotilla for training on 22 September 1943 and to 12th U-boat Flotilla on 1 June 1944 for active service.Her first and only patrol commenced on 27 May 1944 when she departed Kiel
Kiel
Kiel is the capital and most populous city in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 238,049 .Kiel is approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the north of Germany, the southeast of the Jutland peninsula, and the southwestern shore of the...
to lay mines off Halifax
Halifax Harbour
Halifax Harbour is a large natural harbour on the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia, Canada, located in the Halifax Regional Municipality.-Harbour description:The harbour is called Jipugtug by the Mi'kmaq first nation, anglisized as Chebucto...
.
Fate
On 5 July 1944 U-233 was intercepted by ships of the hunter-killer group.She was identified by sonar
Sonar
Sonar is a technique that uses sound propagation to navigate, communicate with or detect other vessels...
, depth-charged to the surface and fired on by , before being rammed and sunk by .
32 of her crew were killed in the action, 29 others being rescued by the escorts. Steen was also picked up, but died of wounds the next day.