German submarine U-106 (1940)

Unterseeboot 106 or U-106 was a German World War II Type IXB submarine.

She was laid down in November 1939 at AG Weser in Bremen, Germany and was commissioned on 24 September 1940. U-106 was assigned to "2. Unterseebootflottille" (U-Boat Flotilla) on 24 September 1940. U-106 would go on to serve nearly three years with 2. Unterseebootflottille.

U-106 was one of the most successful German submarines of World War II. She completed 10 wartime patrols and sank 22 ships totalling GRT|138,581|metric|first=yes. She also damaged: two ships totalling GRT|12,634|metric, one auxiliary warship totalling GRT|8,246|metric, and the battleship HMS "Malaya".

Patrols

The first patrol which U-106 completed lasted from 4 January until 10 February 1941; she patrolled north-west of Rockall and sank two ships. U-106's second patrol was from 26 February to 17 June of the same year, patrolling the central Atlantic, sinking eight ships. The third patrol started on 11 August and ended on 11 September; U-106 patrolled southwest of Ireland, but did not sink any ships. U-106's fourth patrol lasted from 21 October to 22 November; U-106 patrolled the North Atlantic and sunk one ship, but lost four crewmembers when they were washed overboard in heavy seas. On U-106's fifth patrol from 3 January to 22 February 1942, she patrolled the East Coast of the United States and sunk five ships, during the so-called second happy time. Among the ships sunk was the tanker SS "Rochester", which U-106 sunk with her 10.5 cm deck gun. During U-106's sixth patrol from 15 April to 29 June 1942, she operated in the Gulf of Mexico and sunk five ships. U-106's seventh patrol, from 25 July to 28 July, was cut short when she was attacked by a Wellington bomber of RAF No. 311 Squadron, just two days into her patrol. During the attack, U-106 was damaged, the commander wounded, and one officer killed. U-106's eighth patrol lasted from 22 September until 26 December; she patrolled the central Atlantic and Gulf of St Lawrence, and sunk one ship. U-106's ninth patrol started on 17 February 1943; she patrolled the Azores and Canary Islands, but did not sink any ships. U-106's 10th and last patrol started on 19 March 1943; she was sunk on 2 August of that year off northern Spain, after being damaged by a Wellington of RCAF No. 407 Squadron. U-106 tried to join E-boats (German surface torpedo boats), but was spotted by a Sunderland flying boat of RAF No. 228 Squadron flown by F/O Reader Hanbury. Although the anti-aircraft guns on U-106 fended off the Sunderland, U-106 was finished off by another Sunderland of No. 461 Squadron flown by F/Lt A. F. Clarke. 22 of U-106's crew were killed, and 26 survived the attack; they were later picked up by German E-Boats.

U-106 commanders

*Jürgen Oesten – September 1940 to October 1941
*Hermann Rasch – October 1941 to April 1943
*Wolf-Dietrich Damerow – June 1943 to loss of U-106

References

*Bishop, C. "Kriegsmarine U-Boats, 1939–45". Amber Books, 2006.
*Evans, J. "The Sunderland:Flying Boat Queen" Paterchurch Publications, 2004 ISBN 1870745132