Unterseeboot 214
Encyclopedia
German submarine U-214 was a Type VIID mine-laying
U-boat
of the German
Kriegsmarine
during World War II
.
Laid down on 5 October 1940 by Germaniawerft in Kiel, the boat was commissioned on 1 November 1941 with Kapitänleutnant Günther Reeder in command. She trained with the 5th U-boat Flotilla from 1 November 1941 until 30 April 1942, and was then assigned to the 9th U-boat Flotilla from 1 May 1942 until her sinking on 26 July 1944.
The wreck of U214 was found by the archaeologist Innes McCartney in 2006 at the location reported by the Allies after the war.
on 18 May 1942, arriving at Kristiansand
on the 20th. She sailed the next day, heading for Brest
. On 22 May while in the North Sea
, she was attacked by an aircraft, and slightly damaged by three bombs. The U-boat arrived at Lorient
on 2 June, and sailed to Brest the next day.
Her second patrol began on 13 June, but on 16 June at 03:44, she was strafed, and three depth charges were dropped by a Leigh light
-equipped aircraft in the Bay of Biscay
. A second attack was fought off with flak, but the U-boat sustained damage which forced her to return to Lorient on 17 June.
were she struck the 4,426 ton unescorted Polish merchant ship Paderewski with torpedoes 40 miles off Trinidad
, before sinking her by gunfire. The U-boat returned to her homeport on 24 February 1943 after a voyage of 87 days.
U-214s fifth patrol was cut short when she was attacked on 7 May 1943 by a British Halifax
bomber of 58 Squadron
in the Bay of Biscay, after only three days at sea. The U-boat crash-dived, suffering only minor damage, but her commander Kptlt. Günther Reeder was severely wounded, and first Officer Oberleutnant
Rupprecht Stock brought the U-boat safely back to base.
laid by U-214 five miles west of Dakar
, blowing off her bows. After abandoning ship, she was later re-boarded by her crew, and towed to Dakar for repairs. The U-boat arrived back at Brest on 26 June.
. While outbound on 9 September, 92 miles south-west of Santa Maria, Azores
, she was attacked by an American Avenger
aircraft from the escort carrier . The aircraft approached by radar and dropped four depth charges, but was damaged in the air intake and the bomb bay by the U-boat's flak. One depth charge hit the U-boat, but bounced off and exploded without damaging her.
On 8 October, five miles off Colón
, U-214 laid a minefield of 15 mines. One of these may have sunk the United States Navy submarine on or about 14 October. On 12 October the U-214 was attacked twice, but not damaged, by an aircraft of US Navy Patrol Squadron 210. U-214 returned home on 30 November after 101 days at sea.
on 11 June, under the command of the newly-promoted Kapitänleutnant Stock, however she had no successes, and the patrol was curtailed after the U-boat was attacked by a British B-24 Liberator
of 224 Squadron
, sustaining damage which forced her to return to Brest on 2 July.
s from the . All 48 hands were lost.
Minelayer
Minelaying is the act of deploying explosive mines. Historically this has been carried out by ships, submarines and aircraft. Additionally, since World War I the term minelayer refers specifically to a naval ship used for deploying naval mines...
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...
.
Laid down on 5 October 1940 by Germaniawerft in Kiel, the boat was commissioned on 1 November 1941 with Kapitänleutnant Günther Reeder in command. She trained with the 5th U-boat Flotilla from 1 November 1941 until 30 April 1942, and was then assigned to the 9th U-boat Flotilla from 1 May 1942 until her sinking on 26 July 1944.
The wreck of U214 was found by the archaeologist Innes McCartney in 2006 at the location reported by the Allies after the war.
1st & 2nd patrol
U-214 sailed from KielKiel
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...
on 18 May 1942, arriving at Kristiansand
Kristiansand
-History:As indicated by archeological findings in the city, the Kristiansand area has been settled at least since 400 AD. A royal farm is known to have been situated on Oddernes as early as 800, and the first church was built around 1040...
on the 20th. She sailed the next day, heading for Brest
Brest, France
Brest is a city in the Finistère department in Brittany in northwestern France. Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Breton peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French military port after Toulon...
. On 22 May while in the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
, she was attacked by an aircraft, and slightly damaged by three bombs. The U-boat arrived at Lorient
Lorient
Lorient, or L'Orient, is a commune and a seaport in the Morbihan department in Brittany in north-western France.-History:At the beginning of the 17th century, merchants who were trading with India had established warehouses in Port-Louis...
on 2 June, and sailed to Brest the next day.
Her second patrol began on 13 June, but on 16 June at 03:44, she was strafed, and three depth charges were dropped by a Leigh light
Leigh light
The Leigh Light was a British World War II era anti-submarine device used in the Second Battle of the Atlantic.It was a powerful carbon arc searchlight of 24 inches diameter fitted to a number of the British Royal Air Force's Coastal Command patrol bombers to help them spot surfaced...
-equipped aircraft in the Bay of Biscay
Bay of Biscay
The Bay of Biscay is a gulf of the northeast Atlantic Ocean located south of the Celtic Sea. It lies along the western coast of France from Brest south to the Spanish border, and the northern coast of Spain west to Cape Ortegal, and is named in English after the province of Biscay, in the Spanish...
. A second attack was fought off with flak, but the U-boat sustained damage which forced her to return to Lorient on 17 June.
3rd patrol
Not until her third patrol did U-214 score a victory. On 9 August 1942 she sailed from Brest, and on 18 August attacked Convoy SL-118, west of Portugal, and sank the 6,318 ton Dutch cargo ship Balingkar, and the 7,522 ton British cargo ship Hatarana, as well as damaging the armed merchant cruiser . She returned to Brest on 9 October after 62 days at sea.4th and 5th patrols
U-214s fourth patrol took her to the Caribbean SeaCaribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean located in the tropics of the Western hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico and Central America to the west and southwest, to the north by the Greater Antilles, and to the east by the Lesser Antilles....
were she struck the 4,426 ton unescorted Polish merchant ship Paderewski with torpedoes 40 miles off Trinidad
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...
, before sinking her by gunfire. The U-boat returned to her homeport on 24 February 1943 after a voyage of 87 days.
U-214s fifth patrol was cut short when she was attacked on 7 May 1943 by a British Halifax
Handley Page Halifax
The Handley Page Halifax was one of the British front-line, four-engined heavy bombers of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. A contemporary of the famous Avro Lancaster, the Halifax remained in service until the end of the war, performing a variety of duties in addition to bombing...
bomber of 58 Squadron
No. 58 Squadron RAF
No. 58 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Air Force.- History :No. 58 Squadron was first formed at Cramlington, Northumberland, on 8 June 1916 as a squadron of the Royal Flying Corps....
in the Bay of Biscay, after only three days at sea. The U-boat crash-dived, suffering only minor damage, but her commander Kptlt. Günther Reeder was severely wounded, and first Officer Oberleutnant
Oberleutnant
Oberleutnant is a junior officer rank in the militaries of Germany, Switzerland and Austria. In the German Army, it dates from the early 19th century. Translated as "Senior Lieutenant", the rank is typically bestowed upon commissioned officers after five to six years of active duty...
Rupprecht Stock brought the U-boat safely back to base.
6th patrol
Now under the command of Oblt. Stock, U-214 sailed from Brest on 18 May 1943, and headed for the coast of West Africa. There, on 20 June, the American 6,507 ton merchant ship Santa Maria struck a mineNaval mine
A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, an enemy vessel...
laid by U-214 five miles west of Dakar
Dakar
Dakar is the capital city and largest city of Senegal. It is located on the Cap-Vert Peninsula on the Atlantic coast and is the westernmost city on the African mainland...
, blowing off her bows. After abandoning ship, she was later re-boarded by her crew, and towed to Dakar for repairs. The U-boat arrived back at Brest on 26 June.
7th patrol
U-214s seventh patrol took her to the waters off PanamaPanama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
. While outbound on 9 September, 92 miles south-west of Santa Maria, Azores
Santa Maria Island
Santa Maria , Portuguese for Saint Mary, is an island located in the eastern group of the Azores archipelago and the southernmost island in the Azores...
, she was attacked by an American Avenger
TBF Avenger
The Grumman TBF Avenger was a torpedo bomber developed initially for the United States Navy and Marine Corps, and eventually used by several air or naval arms around the world....
aircraft from the escort carrier . The aircraft approached by radar and dropped four depth charges, but was damaged in the air intake and the bomb bay by the U-boat's flak. One depth charge hit the U-boat, but bounced off and exploded without damaging her.
On 8 October, five miles off Colón
Colón, Panama
Colón is a sea port on the Caribbean Sea coast of Panama. The city lies near the Atlantic entrance to the Panama Canal. It is capital of Panama's Colón Province and has traditionally been known as Panama's second city....
, U-214 laid a minefield of 15 mines. One of these may have sunk the United States Navy submarine on or about 14 October. On 12 October the U-214 was attacked twice, but not damaged, by an aircraft of US Navy Patrol Squadron 210. U-214 returned home on 30 November after 101 days at sea.
8th and 9th patrol
U-214s next patrol, from 19 February–29 April 1944, took her south to the west African coast, but without success. The U-boat was then fitted with a schnorkel before returning to active service. U-214 headed north into the shallow waters of the English ChannelEnglish Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
on 11 June, under the command of the newly-promoted Kapitänleutnant Stock, however she had no successes, and the patrol was curtailed after the U-boat was attacked by a British B-24 Liberator
B-24 Liberator
The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and a small number of early models were sold under the name LB-30, for Land Bomber...
of 224 Squadron
No. 224 Squadron RAF
No. 224 Squadron RAF was formed on 1 April 1918, at Alimini, Italy from part of No. 6 Wing RNAS, equipped with the De Havilland DH.4. In June 1918 it re-equipped with the De Havilland DH.9. The squadron moved to Taranto in December 1918, disbanding their in May 1919.On 1 February 1937, the squadron...
, sustaining damage which forced her to return to Brest on 2 July.
10th patrol
U-214 sailed from Brest on 22 July 1944 under the command of 21-year old Oblt. Gerhard Conrad, one of the youngest U-boat commanders of World War II. After only five days, on 26 July 1944, the U-boat was sunk in the English Channel at 49°58′N 03°30′W by depth chargeDepth charge
A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare weapon intended to destroy or cripple a target submarine by the shock of exploding near it. Most use explosives and a fuze set to go off at a preselected depth in the ocean. Depth charges can be dropped by either surface ships, patrol aircraft, or from...
s from the . All 48 hands were lost.