U-218

Type

VIID

Ordered

16 Feb 1940

Laid down

17 Mar 1941

F. Krupp Germaniawerft AG, Kiel (werk 650)

Launched

5 Dec 1941

Commissioned

24 Jan 1942

Oblt. Richard Becker

Commanders

24 Jan 1942	-	Aug, 1944		Kptlt. Richard Becker
Aug, 1944	-	8 May 1945		Kptlt. Rupprecht Stock

Career
10 patrols

24 Jan 1942	-	31 Aug 1942	5. Flottille (training)
1 Sep 1942	-	30 Sep 1944	9. Flottille (active service)
1 Oct 1944	-	1 Mar 1945	8. Flottille (active service)
1 Mar 1945	-	8 May 1945	11. Flottille (active service)

Successes

2 ships sunk, total tonnage 346 GRT
1 ship damaged, total tonnage 7,361 GRT
1 auxiliary warship damaged, total tonnage 7,177 GRT

Fate

Surrendered at Bergen, Norway on 12 May 1945 (Waller & Niestlé, 2010).

Tansferred to Loch Ryan in Scotland later that month for her final fate in Operation Deadlight.

Operation Deadlight (post-war Allied operation, info)
Sunk on 4 Dec, 1945 8,9 nm of Inishtrabull, Northern Ireland in roughly position 55.28N, 07.18W.

Final location

See the 4 ships hit by U-218 - View the 10 war patrols

Wolfpack operations

U-218 operated with the following Wolfpacks during its career:
   Vorwärts (4 Sep 1942 - 15 Sep 1942)
   Natter (2 Nov 1942 - 8 Nov 1942)
   Westwall (8 Nov 1942 - 15 Nov 1942)
   Rochen (27 Jan 1943 - 25 Feb 1943)
   Naab (12 May 1943 - 15 May 1943)
   Donau 2 (15 May 1943 - 19 May 1943)
   Mosel (19 May 1943 - 24 May 1943)

Attacks on this boat and other events

12 Sep 1942
Escorts from convoy ON 127 attacked the boat and damaged her so seriously that she had to abort to France. (Sources: Blair, vol 2, page 31.)

15 Nov 1942
The mine-layer, attempting to sink an allied destroyer, was attacked by aircraft and surface ships and seriously damaged. She aborted to France. (Sources: Blair, vol 2, page 113)

22 May 1943
The boat, already damaged from previous action, was attacked by surface ships and damaged further. The boat escaped and reached France on June 2. (Sources: Blair, vol 2, page 337)

2 Aug 1943
6 men were wounded during an attack from a Wellington aircraft (Sqdn 547/B). The boat was damaged and had to abort its mine-laying mission and arrived in Brest, France on 6 August.

U-218 under attack

15 Jun 1944
After leaving France on 13 June to lay mines off Falmouth, U-218 was hunted mercilessly for 60 hours, but eventually managed, with great difficulty, to elude her attackers. After laying mines on 1 July she returned to France, arriving at Brest 10 July. (Date of attack is approximate). (Sources: Blair, vol 2, page 589)

5 recorded attacks on this boat.

General notes on this boat

* The 8th Flotilla in Danzig was normally a training-flotilla, but from June 1944 there were also a few U-boats on patrol in the Baltic Sea.

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.