German submarine U-108 (1940)

German submarine ''U-108'' was a Type IXB U-boat of Nazi Germany's ''Kriegsmarine'' that operated during World War II. She was laid down at DeSchiMAG AG Weser in Bremen as yard number 971 on 27 December 1938, launched on 15 July 1940 and commissioned on 22 October under ''Korvettenkapitän'' Klaus Scholtz.

Her service career began with training as part of the 2nd U-boat Flotilla; she went on to operations, first with the second flotilla, then with the 8th U-boat Flotilla.

Design

German Type IXB submarines were slightly larger than the original German Type IX submarines, later designated IXA. ''U-108'' had a displacement of when at the surface and while submerged. The U-boat had a total length of , a pressure hull length of , a beam of , a height of , and a draught of . The submarine was powered by two MAN M 9 V 40/46 supercharged four-stroke, nine-cylinder diesel engines producing a total of for use while surfaced, two Siemens-Schuckert 2 GU 345/34 double-acting electric motors producing a total of for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to .

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of and a maximum submerged speed of . When submerged, the boat could operate for at ; when surfaced, she could travel at . ''U-108'' was fitted with six torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and two at the stern), 22 torpedoes, one SK C/32 naval gun, 180 rounds, and a SK C/30 as well as a C/30 anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of forty-eight.

Service history

''U-108'' carried out eleven war patrols, during which she sank 25 ships, a total of and one auxiliary warship of 16,644 GRT. She was a member of seven wolfpacks.

First, second and third patrols

The boat's first patrol began with her departure from Wilhelmshaven on 15 February 1941. She crossed the North Sea and entered the Atlantic via the gap between Iceland and the Faroe Islands, sinking ''Texelstroom'' on 22 February. She also sank ''Effna'' on the 28th; both ships met their end south of Iceland. She then docked at Lorient in occupied France on 12 March. She would be based there for most of the rest of her career.

Her second foray involved the sinking of , an armed merchant cruiser, west of Reykjavík on 13 April 1941. The Convoy Commodore, four officer and 35 ratings were lost.

''U-108'' sank ''Michael E.'', a CAM ship or 'Catapult Armed Merchantman', on the submarine's third patrol on 2 June 1941 in mid-Atlantic. She went on to sink ''Baron Nairn'' west of Cape Race (eastern Newfoundland and Labrador) on the eighth; the Greek ship ''Dirphys'' east of Newfoundland, also on 8 July; ''Christian Krohg'' on the tenth; ''Ellinco'' on the 25th; ''Nicholas Pateras'' on the same day and ''Toronto'' on 1 July. The latter was a weather ship situated about north of the Azores.

Fourth, fifth and sixth patrols

Patrol number four saw the boat covering the 'gap' between South America and Africa. She departed Lorient on 19 August 1941 and returned on 21 October.

She sank ''Cassequel'', a neutral vessel, on 14 December 1941, southwest of Cape St. Vincent, Portugal and ''Ruckinge'' (convoy HG 76) on the 19th, west of Lisbon as part of her fifth sortie.

The boat's sixth patrol, as part of Operation Drumbeat (''Paukenschlag''), took her to the east coast of North America where she was again successful, sinking ''Ocean Venture'' on 8 February 1942, ''Tolosa'' on the ninth and ''Blink'' on the 12th. The U-boat had chased ''Blink'', which had been hit by a non-detonating torpedo, the two vessels almost collided; which was only avoided by ''U-108'' diving underneath the merchant ship.

She also sank ''Ramapo'' northwest of Bermuda on 16 February and ''Somme'' on the 18th.

Seventh, eighth and ninth patrols

The boat's seventh patrol was almost as successful as her sixth, sinking ''Modesta'' on 25 April 1942, ''Mobiloil'' on the 29th (which required a total of six torpedoes and many rounds from the 20mm and 37mm guns), ''Afoundria'' on 5 May, and ''Abgara'' a day later. On the return leg she encountered ''Norland'' on the 25th.

More success pennants were flown after her eighth patrol, which took her almost to the northern South American coast. She sank ''Tricula'' on 3 August 1942, ''Breňas'' on the seventh and ''Louisiana'' on the 17th.

The boat's ninth patrol was carried out in opposition to Operation '' Torch'', (the Allied landings in North Africa). The submarine had not been off Morocco long before being attacked by a destroyer. The damage incurred was serious enough that the boat was obliged to return to France where effective repairs might be carried out.

Tenth and eleventh patrols

The U-boat was attacked by a Catalina flying boat of 202 Squadron RAF on 10 February 1943 west of Morocco. The damage to the forward torpedo tubes forced her to return to Lorient.

In her last operational patrol, she departed Lorient on 1 April 1943. On 19 April 1943 U-108 sank the American ''Robert Gray'' from Convoy HX 234. The Liberty ship had straggled behind the convoy. She was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean (50°57′N 40°35′W) with the loss of all 62 crew. U-108 was attacked by a destroyer on the 22nd but continued to shadow Convoy ON (S) 4 southeast of Greenland. She arrived at Stettin in modern-day Poland on 16 May. Bombed and sunk there 11 April, raised and decommissioned 17 July 1944. Scuttled there 24 April 1945.

Wolfpacks

''U-108'' took part in seven wolfpacks, namely.
* West (2 – 20 June 1941)
* Seeräuber (14 – 22 December 1941)
* Schlagetot (9 – 17 November 1942)
* Rochen (28 January - 11 February 1943)
* Adler (7 – 13 April 1943)
* Meise (13 – 27 April 1943)
* Specht (27 – 28 April 1943)

Summary of raiding history

References

Notes

Citations

Bibliography

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External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:U0109
German Type IX submarines
U-boats commissioned in 1940
U-boats sunk in 1944
U-boats sunk by US aircraft
World War II submarines of Germany
1940 ships
Ships built in Bremen (state)
U-boats sunk by depth charges
Maritime incidents in April 1944
Maritime incidents in April 1945