U-197

Type

IXD2

 
Ordered4 Nov 1940
Laid down 5 Jul 1941 AG Weser, Bremen (werk 1043)
Launched21 May 1942
Commissioned10 Oct 1942Kptlt. Robert Bartels
Commanders
10 Oct 1942 - 20 Aug 1943  KrvKpt. Robert Bartels
Career1 patrol 10 Oct 1942 - 31 Mar 1943  4. Flottille (training)
1 Apr 1943 - 20 Aug 1943  12. Flottille (front boat)
Successes3 ships sunk for a total of 21,267 GRT
1 ship damaged for a total of 7,181 GRT
Fate

Sunk 20 Aug, 1943 south of Madagascar, in position 28.40S, 42.36E, by depth charges from 2 British Catalina aircraft (Sqdn. 259/C & 265/N). 67 dead (all hands lost).

See the 4 ships hit by U-197 - View the 1 war patrol

Attacks on this boat

20 May 1943
The boat was bombed and strafed by an American Mitchell aircraft northeast of Ascension. The periscope was damaged and gunfire wounded a crew member, who died the next day. [Bootsmaat Viktor Rainer] (Sources: Ritschel)

1 recorded attack on this boat.

Men lost from the boat

4 Nov 1942
Obermaschinist Alfred Wernicke died after an accident in Kiel.

  Related: For more info on such losses see - Men lost from U-boats -



U-Boat Operations of the Second World War - Vol 2

Wynn, Kenneth


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Books dealing with this subject include:

Dark Sky, Deep Water. Franks, Norman, 1997. (transl.)
German U-Boat Losses During World War II. Niestle, Axel, 1998.
Hitler's U-boat War. Blair, Clay, 1996.
Hitler's U-boat War, Vol II. Blair, Clay, 1998.
U-Boat Operations of the Second World War - Vol 1. Wynn, Kenneth, 1998.
U-Boat Operations of the Second World War - Vol 2. Wynn, Kenneth, 1998.