U-212

Type

VIIC

Ordered

16 Oct, 1939

Laid down

17 May, 1941

Germaniawerft, Kiel (werk 641)

Launched

11 Mar, 1942

Commissioned

25 Apr, 1942

Oblt. Helmut Vogler

Commanders

25 Apr, 1942 - 21 Jul, 1944

Kptlt. Helmut Vogler

Career

15 patrols

25 Apr, 1942 - 30 Sep, 1942  8. Flottille (training)
1 Oct, 1942 - 31 May, 1943  11. Flottille (front boat)
1 Jun, 1943 - 31 Oct, 1943  13. Flottille (front boat)
1 Nov, 1943 - 21 Jul, 1944  3. Flottille (front boat)

Successes

1 ship sunk for a total of 80 GRT

Fate

Sunk 21 July, 1944 in the English Channel south of Brighton, in position 50.27N, 00.13W, by depth charges from the British frigates HMS Curzon and HMS Ekins. 49 dead (all hands lost).

See the 1 ships hit by U-212 - View the 15 war patrols

Attacks on this boat

14 Jan, 1944
At 21.30 hours, the outbound boat was strafed and attacked with 4 bombs by an unknown Leigh-Light equipped aircraft in the Bay of Biscay. The bombs fell wide and the boat was not damaged, but the 37mm AA gun had malfunctioned after the first shot and the barrel of a 20mm AA gun burst when fighting off a second strafing attack. (Sources: Ritschel)

25 Feb, 1944
The boat met U-549 (Krankenhagen) north of the Azores to hand over a Naxos and Borkum radar detection device. At 19.53 hours, they were attacked by an unknown Catalina aircraft and while the other boat dived, U-212 fought off a first attack and then dived herself. The boats suffered no damages and the transfer was completed shortly afterwards. (Sources: Ritschel)

8 Mar, 1944
At 21.57 hours, the inbound boat was strafed and attacked with 3 bombs by an unknown Liberator aircraft. The Germans repulsed the attack with AA fire, then crash-dived and escaped undamaged. (Sources: Ritschel)

7 Jun, 1944
While outbound to attack the D-day invasion fleet the boat was attacked by 2 Mosquito aircraft (Sqdn 228, pilots Douglas J. Turner and A. J. L. Bonnett) firing their 57mm Tsetse cannons. The boat aborted to base for repairs. (Sources: Blair, vol 2, page 584)

4 recorded attacks on this boat.

Schnorchel-fitted U-boat
This boat was fitted with a Schnorchel underwater-breathing apparatus in March 1944. Read more about the Schnorchel and see list of fitted boats.

Men lost from U-boats

Unlike many other U-boats, which during their service lost men due to accidents and various other causes, U-212 did not suffer any casualties (we know of) until the time of her loss.