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U-20

Type

IIB

 
Ordered2 Feb, 1935
Laid down 1 Aug, 1935 Germaniawerft, Kiel (werk 550)
Launched14 Jan, 1936
Commissioned1 Feb, 1936Kptlt. Hans Eckermann
Commanders
1 Feb, 1936 - 30 Sep, 1937   Hans Eckermann
1 Oct, 1937 - 17 Jan, 1940  Kptlt. Karl-Heinz Moehle (Knights Cross)
17 Jan, 1940 - 15 Apr, 1940  Kptlt. Harro von Klot-Heydenfeldt
2 Apr, 1940 - 15 Apr, 1940   Heinrich Driver
16 Apr, 1940 - 7 Jun, 1940   Hans-Jürgen Zetzsche
8 Jun, 1940 - 5 Jan, 1941   Ottokar Arnold Paulshen
6 Jan, 1941 - 19 May, 1941  Kptlt. Herbert Schauenburg
20 May, 1941 - 4 Dec, 1941   Wolfgang Sträter
5 Dec, 1941 - 27 Mar, 1942   Kurt Nölke
7 May, 1942 - 26 Sep, 1942   Clemens Schöler
27 May, 1943 - 31 Oct, 1943  Kptlt. Clemens Schöler
1 Nov, 1943 - 10 Sep, 1944  Oblt. Karl Grafen
Career17 patrols 1 Feb, 1936 - 1 Aug, 1939  3. Flottille (front boat)
1 Sep, 1939 - 31 Dec, 1939  3. Flottille (front boat)
1 Jan, 1940 - 30 Apr, 1940  1. Flottille (front boat)
1 May, 1940 - 30 Jun, 1940  1. U-Ausbildungsflottille (school boat)
1 Jul, 1940 - 30 Sep, 1942  21. Flottille (school boat)
1 Oct, 1942 - 10 Sep, 1944  30. Flottille (front boat)
Successes13 ships sunk for a total of 30.067 GRT
1 ship damaged for a total of 1.846 GRT
2 ships a total loss for a total of 8.446 GRT
Fate

Scuttled at 2130hrs on 10 Sept, 1944 off the coast of Turkey in the Black Sea in position 41.10N, 30.47E.

See the 16 ships hit by U-20 - View the 17 war patrols

Attacks on this boat

26 Jun, 1943
The boat unsuccessfully tried to attack a Soviet submarine hunter off Tuapse, but was attacked itself with 8 depth charges and then kept submerged by aircraft for 4 hours. Afterwards the boat had to return to base due to mechanical failures. (Sources: Ritschel)

1 recorded attacks on this boat.

General notes on this boat

7 Feb 2008
The 3 boats, U-19, U-20 and U-23, scuttled in September 1944 off the Turkish coast have been located. They are reported to be in excellent condition.

Men lost from U-boats

Unlike many other U-boats, which during their service lost men due to accidents and various other causes, U-20 did not suffer any casualties (we know of) until the time of her loss.


We have an emblem for this boat!

You can view it here. (The emblem on the left is not the emblem for this boat).



German U-Boat Losses During World War II
Niestle, Axel

Buy this title at
amazon.co.uk
See more sellers 		Books dealing with this subject include:

German U-Boat Losses During World War II, Niestle, Axel, 1998
Okrety plyna po ladzie, Piwowoñski, Jan, 1959
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


There was another U-20 in World War One
That boat was launched from its shipyard on 18 Dec, 1912 and commissioned into the Imperial Navy on 5 Aug, 1913. The Naval war in WWI was brought to an end with the Armistice signed on 11 Nov, 1918. Read about the U 20 during WWI.