German submarine U-844

U-Boat Infobox
type=VIIC
fieldpost number=
yard number=
order date=
keel=April 21, 1942
launch=December 15, 1942
commission=April 7, 1943
yard=AG Weser, Bremen
U-Boat Patrol
startdate=Start Date
enddate=End Date
assigned unit=Assigned Unit
U-Boat Patrol
startdate=No Patrols
enddate=
assigned unit=4th FlotillaU-Boat Patrol
startdate=October 6 1943
enddate=October 16 1943
assigned unit=10th FlotillaU_Boat Command
startdate=April, 1943
enddate=October, 1943
name=Kptlt. Günther Möller
U_Boat Sink
type=Type of Ship Sunk
total=Number of Ships Sunk
tonnage=Gross Registered Tonnage
U_Boat Sink
type=Commercial Vessels
total=None
tonnage=0
U_Boat Sink
type=Military Vessels
total=None
tonnage=0

"U-844" was a German Type VIIC U-boat of the Kriegsmarine built for service during the Second World War. An extremely short-lived boat, "U-844" served just ten days on her only patrol and was sunk with two other boats whilst preparing for a failed attack on a well-defended convoy within range of allied air support.

Built by the large AG Weser shipyards in Hamburg, "U-844" was rapidly completed and readied for service, her entire building program taking just under a year. Given to Kptlt. Günther Möller, she passed her initial working-up and training schedule well, and was despatched to her first patrol in the Atlantic Ocean in the first week of October 1943 to try to stem the terrible losses being incurred by U-boats at this time.

War Patrol

Ten days after her departure whilst she sailed south of Ireland she received orders to attach herself to "U-470" and "U-964" and to proceed southwards to attack Convoy ON-206 in the Western Approaches. The boats had to travel on the surface to have any hope of reaching their target, and it was this which caused disaster, as the three submarines were spotted in broad daylight by a Liberator aircraft, which rapidly called allies in the form of more Liberators from 59 Squadron and 86 Squadron Royal Air Force amongst other forces.

During the day long battle which followed, the anti-aircraft weapons of the boats were brought into use, downing two Liberators and killing a number of crewmen. It was not however enough to stave off the inevitable, and one by one the boats were separated and sunk, having been prevented from diving by constant attention from allied aircraft. "U-844" was eventually lost to a direct hit from a bomb dropped by a Liberator, the boat blowing to pieces and killing all 53 of her crew.

References

* Sharpe, Peter, "U-Boat Fact File", Midland Publishing, Great Britain: 1998. ISBN 1-85780-072-9.
* [http://www.uboat.net/boats/u844.htm U-boat.net webpage for "U-844"]

See Also: List of U-boats