German submarine U-107 was a Type IXB U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine that operated during World War II. Between January 1941 and August 1944, she sailed on 13 active patrols at a time when a U-boat averaged a lifespan of seven to ten patrols. During that time, U-107 sank 39 Allied ships and damaged four. The U-boat was launched on 2 July 1940, based at the U-boat port of Lorient, with a crew of 53 under the initial command of Günter Hessler. She was later commanded, in order, by Harald Gelhaus, Valker Simmermacher and her final commander, Karl Heinz Fritz.
Design Type IXB submarines were slightly larger than the original Type IX submarines, later designated IXA. U-107 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-107 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
First patrol
DateNameFlagTonnageMerchant ship tonnages are in gross register tons which is a measure of internal capacity. Military vessels are listed by tons displacement which is a measure of ship weight.ConvoyPosition3 February 1941Empire Citizen4,683Convoy OB 2793 February 19415,051Convoy OB 2806 February 1941Maplecourt3,388Convoy SC 2023 February 19415,360Convoy OB 288
Second patrol and most successful period
DateNameFlagTonnage (GRT)ConvoyPosition8 April 1941Helena Margareta3,316Convoy OG 578 April 1941Eskdene3,829Convoy OG 579 April 1941Harpathian4,671Convoy OG 579 April 1941Duffield8,516Convoy OG 5721 April 1941Calchas10,30530 April 1941Lassell7,417Convoy OB 30917 May 1941Marisa8,02918 May 1941Piako8,28627 May 1941Colonial5,108Convoy OB 31828 May 1941Papalemos3,74831 May 1941Sire5,6641 June 1941Alfred Jones5,013Convoy OB 3208 June 1941Adda7,816Convoy OB 32313 June 1941Pandias4,981
Third patrol DateNameFlagTonnage (GRT)ConvoyPosition24 September 1941Dixcove3,790Convoy SL 8724 September 1941Lafian4,876Convoy SL 8724 September 1941John Holt4,975Convoy SL 87
Fifth patrol
DateNameFlagTonnage (GRT)ConvoyPosition31 January 1942San Arcadio7,4196 February 1942Major Wheeler3,431E of Cape Hatteras21 February 1942Egda10,068Convoy ON 65 Damaged
Sixth patrol
DateNameFlagTonnage (GRT)ConvoyPosition29 May 1942Western Head2,5991 June 1942Bushranger4,5367 June 1942Castilla3,9108 June 1942Suwied3,24910 June 1942Merrimack2,60619 June 1942Cheerio3526 June 1942Jagersfontein10,083
Eighth patrol
DateNameFlagTonnage (GRT)ConvoyPosition3 September 1942Hollinside4,1723 September 1942Penrose4,3937 October 1942Andalucia Star14,943
Ninth patrol 4 March 1943, came under attack from an unidentified Allied aircraft. Moderately damaged by the attack. 22 March 1943 at 14:35 she came under attack from another unidentified Allied aircraft Undamaged
DateNameFlagTonnage (GRT)ConvoyPosition22 February 1943Roxborough Castle7,80113 March 1943Oporto2,352Convoy OS 4413 March 1943Marcella4,592Convoy OS 4413 March 1943Sembilangan4,990Convoy OS 4413 March 19435,442Convoy OS 44
Tenth patrol DateNameFlagTonnage (GRT)ConvoyPosition1 May 1943Port Victor12,411
Eleventh patrol DateNameFlagTonnageMerchant ship tonnages are in gross register tons. Military vessels are listed by tons displacement.ConvoyPosition28 August 19437,176Off Savannah, Georgia Damaged11 September 19438,246Convoy NG 385 Damaged
Fifteenth patrol DateNameFlagTonnage (GRT)ConvoyPosition13 June 1944Lark148 Damaged
Sixteenth and final patrol On 16 August 1944, U-107 departed from Lorient on a transport run to La Pallice. She was intercepted on 18 August in the Bay of Biscay, west of La Rochelle, in position , by Allied forces, and was sunk by depth charges from a Short Sunderland (serialEJ150) of No. 201 Squadron, Royal Air Force. All 58 hands were lost.
Wolfpacks U-107 took part in 15 wolfpacks, namely: Störtebecker (5 – 7 November 1941) Seeräuber (14 – 23 December 1941) Blücher (23 – 28 August 1942) Iltis (6 – 23 September 1942) Hartherz (3 – 7 February 1943) Delphin (11 – 14 February 1943) Robbe (16 February – 13 March 1943) Amsel 2 (4 – 6 May 1943) Elbe (7 – 10 May 1943) Elbe 2 (10 – 14 May 1943) Weddigen (24 November – 7 December 1943) Coronel (7 – 8 December 1943) Coronel 2 (8 – 14 December 1943) Coronel 3 (14 – 17 December 1943) Borkum (18 – 30 December 1943)
Summary of raiding history DateNameNationalityTonnage(GRT)Fate3 February 1941Empire Citizen4,683Sunk3 February 19415,051Sunk6 February 1941Maplecourt3,388Sunk23 February 1941HMS Manistee5,360Sunk8 April 1941Eskdene3,829Sunk8 April 1941Helena Margareta3,316Sunk9 April 1941Harpathian4,671Sunk9 April 1941Duffield8,516Sunk21 April 1941Calchas10,305Sunk30 April 1941Lassell7,417Sunk17 May 1941Marisa8,029Sunk18 May 1941Piako8,286Sunk27 May 1941Colonial5,108Sunk28 May 1941Papalemos3,748Sunk31 May 1941Sire5,664Sunk1 June 1941Alfred Jones5,013Sunk8 June 1941Adda7,816Sunk13 June 1941Pandias4,981Sunk24 September 1941John Holt4,975Sunk24 September 1941Dixcove3,790Sunk24 September 1941Lafian4,876Sunk31 January 1942San Arcadio7,419Sunk6 February 1942Major Wheeler3,431Sunk21 February 1942Egda10,068Damaged29 May 1942Western Head2,599Sunk1 June 1942Bushranger4,536Sunk7 June 1942Castilla3,910Sunk8 June 1942Suwied3,249Sunk10 June 1942Merrimack2,606Sunk19 June 1942Cheerio35Sunk26 June 1942Jagersfontein10,083Sunk3 September 1942Hollinside4,172Sunk3 September 1942Penrose4,393Sunk7 October 1942Andalucia Star14,943Sunk22 February 1943Roxborough Castle7,801Sunk13 March 19435,442Sunk13 March 1943Marcella4,592Sunk13 March 1943Oporto2,352Sunk13 March 1943Sembilangan4,990Sunk1 May 1943Port Victor12,411Sunk28 August 19437,176Damaged11 September 19438,246Damaged13 June 1944Lark148Damaged
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