U-214

Type

VIID

Ordered

16 Feb 1940

Laid down

5 Oct 1940

F. Krupp Germaniawerft AG, Kiel (werk 646)

Launched

18 Sep 1941

Commissioned

1 Nov 1941

Oblt. Günther Reeder

Commanders

1 Nov 1941 - 10 May 1943	Kptlt. Günther Reeder
7 May 1943 - 10 May 1943	Oblt. Rupprecht Stock
11 May 1943 - Jul, 1943	Oblt. Rupprecht Stock
29 Jul 1943 - Jul, 1944	Kptlt. Rupprecht Stock
Jul, 1944 - 26 Jul 1944	Oblt. Gerhard Conrad

Career

10 patrols

1 Nov 1941 - 30 Apr 1942 5. Flottille (training)
1 May 1942 - 26 Jul 1944 9. Flottille (front boat)

Successes

3 ships sunk for a total of 18,266 GRT
1 warship sunk for a total of 1,525 tons
1 ship damaged for a total of 6,507 GRT
1 auxiliary warship damaged for a total of 10,552 GRT

Fate

Sunk 26 July, 1944 in the English Channel south-east of Eddystone, in position 49.58N, 03.30W by depth charges from the British frigate HMS Cooke. 48 dead (all hands lost).

See the 6 ships hit by U-214 - View the 10 war patrols

Wolfpack operations

U-214 operated with the following Wolfpacks during its career:
   Blücher (12 Aug 1942 - 20 Aug 1942)
   Eisbär (23 Aug 1942 - 29 Aug 1942)
   Iltis (9 Sep 1942 - 23 Sep 1942)

Attacks on this boat

22 May 1942
The outbound boat was attacked and slightly damaged by 3 bombs from an aircraft in the North Sea. (Sources: Ritschel)

16 Jun 1942
At 03.44 hours, the outbound boat was strafed and attacked with 3 depth charges by a Leigh-Light equipped aircraft in the Bay of Biscay. A second attack was prevented by AA fire, but the damages forced the boat to return to Lorient. (Sources: Ritschel)

7 May 1943
At 10.14 hours, the outbound boat was attacked out of the sun by the British Halifax aircraft HR745 (58 Sqdn RAF/S, pilot W/C W.E. Oulton, DFC) in the Bay of Biscay. The aircraft was damaged by AA fire in the first attack, but made a second to drop the remaining 3 depth charges. The boat evaded both attacks and then crash-dived with only minor damages, but the commander Kptlt Günther Reeder had been severely wounded by gunfire (he did not sail again on U-boats). The I.WO Oblt Rupprecht Stock took over the command and brought U-214 back to base.

The aircraft was formerly credited with the destruction of U-663, but this boat sank after being attacked by an Australian Sunderland aircraft (10 Sqdn RAAF/W).

(Sources: 1989-11-01, Axel Niestle)

9 Sep 1943
At 15.25 hours, the boat was attacked by an American Avenger aircraft from USS Croatan 92 miles southwest of Santa Maria, Azores. The aircraft, piloted by Lt(jg) J.W. Steere, approached in the clouds with the help of radar and dropped four depth charges, but was damaged in the air intake and the bomb bay by AA fire. One of the depth charges actually hit the bridge, bounced off and exploded about 10 metres from the port side without damaging the boat. (Sources: Franks/Zimmerman)

11 Jun 1944
Aircraft attack, aircraft shot down:British B-24 Liberator (Sqdn 224/S). The boat, on a mine-laying patrol, was damaged and returned to Brest.

5 recorded attacks on this boat.

General notes on this boat

7 May 1943. U-214's IWO, Oblt. Stock, had to take command of the boat during patrol on 7 May, 1943, when the commander was badly wounded during an air-attack.

Schnorchel-fitted U-boat
This boat was fitted with a Schnorchel underwater-breathing apparatus in May 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-214 did not suffer any casualties (we know of) until the time of her loss.