U-40
Type | IX | |||||
| Ordered | 29 Jul, 1936 | |||||
| Laid down | 1 Jul, 1937 | AG Weser, Bremen (werk 945) | ||||
| Launched | 9 Nov, 1938 | |||||
| Commissioned | 11 Feb, 1939 | Kptlt. Werner von Schmidt | ||||
| Commanders |
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| Career | 2 patrols | 11 Feb, 1939 - 31 Aug, 1939 6. Flottille (front boat) 1 Sep, 1939 - 13 Oct, 1939 6. Flottille (front boat) | ||||
| Successes | No ships sunk or damaged | |||||
| Fate | Sunk 13 Oct, 1939 in the English Channel, in position 50.41,6N, 00.15,1E, by mines. 45 dead and 3 survivors. | |||||
Her wreck might have been located by divers in 1994 in position 50.22,08N, 01.44,17W but this seems a bit too distant from the official location of loss.
Men lost from U-boats
Unlike many other U-boats, which during their service lost men due to accidents and various other causes, U-40 did not suffer any casualties (we know of) until the time of her loss.
 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 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-40 in World War One
That boat was launched from its shipyard on 22 Oct, 1914 and commissioned into the Imperial Navy on 14 Feb, 1915. The Naval war in WWI was brought to an end with the Armistice signed on 11 Nov, 1918. Read about the U 40 during WWI.