U-86

Type

VIIB

 
Ordered9 Jun 1938
Laid down 20 Jan 1940 Flender Werke AG, Lübeck (werk 282)
Launched10 May 1941
Commissioned8 Jul 1941Oblt. Walter Schug
Commanders
8 Jul 1941 - 29 Nov 1943  Kptlt. Walter Schug
Career8 patrols 8 Jul 1941 - 31 Aug 1941  5. Flottille (training)
1 Sep 1941 - 30 Nov 1941  1. Flottille (training)
1 Dec 1941 - 29 Nov 1943  1. Flottille (front boat)
Successes3 ships sunk for a total of 9,614 GRT
1 ship damaged for a total of 8,627 GRT
Fate

Sunk 29 Nov, 1943 east of the Azores, in position 40.52N, 18.54W, by depth charges from the British destroyers HMS Tumult and HMS Rocket. 50 dead (all hands lost).

See the 4 ships hit by U-86 - View the 8 war patrols

U-86 reported for the last time on 28 Nov, 1943, while operating against the combined convoys MKS-31/SL-140 in position 39.40N, 17.10W. She was then ordered to operate with the wolfpacks Weddigen and Coronel in the eastern North Atlantic, but was listed as missing effective 14 December after failing answer radio calls.

Previously recorded fate
(Last revised by Axel Niestlé during January 2005. More on revised fates.

Sunk 29 Nov, 1943 east of the Azores, in position 39.33N, 19.01W, by depth charges from aircraft (VC-19) of the US escort carrier USS Bogue.

This attack in fact was directed towards U-764 that escaped undamaged.

Wolfpack operations

U-86 operated with the following Wolfpacks during its career:
   Wolf (13 Jul 1942 - 21 Jul 1942)
   Westwall (25 Nov 1942 - 25 Dec 1942)
   Neuland (6 Mar 1943 - 12 Mar 1943)
   Dranger (14 Mar 1943 - 20 Mar 1943)
   Seewolf (25 Mar 1943 - 30 Mar 1943)

Men lost from U-boats

Unlike many other U-boats, which during their service lost men due to accidents and various other causes, U-86 did not suffer any casualties (we know of) until the time of her loss.



U-Boat Operations of the Second World War - Vol 2
Wynn, Kenneth


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Books dealing with this subject include:

German U-Boat Losses During World War II. Niestle, Axel, 1998.
Hitler's U-boat War. Blair, Clay, 1996.
Hitler's U-boat War, Vol II. Blair, Clay, 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-86 in World War One
That boat was launched from its shipyard on 7 Nov 1916 and commissioned into the Imperial Navy on 30 Nov 1916. The Naval war in WWI was brought to an end with the Armistice signed on 11 Nov, 1918. Read about the U 86 during WWI.