U-120
Type | IIB | |||||||||||||||
| Ordered | 28 Sep 1937 | |||||||||||||||
| Laid down | 31 Mar 1938 | Flender Werke AG, Lübeck (werk 268) | ||||||||||||||
| Launched | 16 Mar 1940 | |||||||||||||||
| Commissioned | 20 Apr 1940 | Oblt. Ernst Bauer (Knights Cross) | ||||||||||||||
| Commanders |
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| Career | No patrols | 20 Apr 1940 - 30 Jun 1940 U-Bootschulflottille (school boat) 1 Jul 1940 - 16 Mar 1945 21. Flottille (school boat) 17 Mar 1945 - 2 May 1945 31. Flottille (training) | ||||||||||||||
| Successes | No ships sunk or damaged | |||||||||||||||
| Fate | Scuttled 2 May, 1945 at Bremerhaven. Raised in 1950 and broken up. | |||||||||||||||
General notes on this boat
The to-become Oblt. z. S. Alfred Radermacher was from 09.40 to 04.42 the Obersteuermann on U-96 (Buchheim described him in his novel Das Boot). Later he became an officer and Commander of U-120 and U-393.
Sunk by a toilet?
In many sources it is stated that this boat was lost due to a toilet problem. This is not true but U-1206, a much larger boat, did have similar problems that helped to contribute to its loss in April 1945.
Men lost from U-boats
Unlike many other U-boats, which during their service lost men due to accidents and various other causes, U-120 did not suffer any casualties (we know of) until the time of her loss.
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There was another U-120 in World War One
That boat was launched from its shipyard on 20 Jun 1918 and commissioned into the Imperial Navy on 31 Aug 1918. The Naval war in WWI was brought to an end with the Armistice signed on 11 Nov, 1918. Read about the U 120 during WWI.