Events on this day
12 July
This is a run-down from several databases on our site. It's meant to give a clear picture of events on this date, all year round.
U-boat Shipyard report
| Ordered (0) | Laid down (1) | Launched (2) | Commissioned (0) |
| No U-boat orders on this date | 1941: U-415 | 1941: U-160 1943: U-865 | No boats commissioned on this date |
| These are commissioned boats. For more see our Shipyard pages. | |||
Allied Ships hit on this date
| U-boat | Commander | Name of ship | Tons | Country | Convoy | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940 | |||||||
| U-99 | Kretschmer |  | Ia | 4,860 |  gr | ||
| U-99 | Kretschmer | | Merisaar captured | 2,136 |  es | ||
| 1942 | |||||||
| U-116 | Schmidt | | Cortona (d) | 7,093 |  br | OS-33 | |
| U-116 | Schmidt | | Shaftesbury | 4,284 | br | OS-33 | |
| U-129 | Witt | | Tachirá | 2,325 |  am | ||
| U-201 | Schnee | | Cortona | 7,093 | br | OS-33 | |
| U-201 | Schnee | | Siris | 5,242 | br | OS-33 | |
| U-582 | Schulte | HMNZS ML-1090 | 46 |  nz | |||
| U-582 | Schulte | | Port Hunter | 8,826 | br | OS-33 | |
| 1943 | |||||||
| U-172 | Emmermann | African Star | 6,507 | am | |||
| 48,412 | |||||||
| * Unless otherwise noted the ships listed here were sunk. (d) = damaged See all Allied ships hit by U-boats during WWII. | |||||||
Attacks on this day
1943
U-441. This flak boat was strafed by three British Beaufighters from 248 Sqdn RAF in the Bay of Biscay. Ten men died and 13 were wounded, including all officers except the ship's doctor. Dr Paul Pfaffinger took over command from Kplt von Hartmann, treated the wounded and brought the boat back to Brest. He was subsequently awarded the German Cross in Gold. This action led to the abandonment of the flak boat experiment, and all the boats involved were returned to their original armament configuration. (Franks/Zimmerman)
U-732. Two American OS2U Kingfisher reconnaissance aircraft attacked the boat in the Gulf of Gonave, Haiti, causing minor damage. (Blair, vol 2, page 364)
U-185. On 12 July 1943 some 90 miles (145 km) off Recife, Brazil, U-185 was attacked by a US Liberator aircraft (VB-107 USN/B-7). Although the bomber crew believed they had crippled the boat, U-185s radio report stated the attack caused only minor damage.
U-boats lost
1943: U-409 , U-506 , U-561
101 men died when those 3 U-boats were lost on this date. 48 men survived.
Survivors from U-boats almost always landed in allied captivity.
- For more information on U-boat losses check out our Fates section.
U-boat Men Lost or Wounded
1943
U-709
A torpedo explosion left two dead and one wounded.
- For more information on Men lost from U-boats check out this page.
Personnel Information
The following men were born on this day:
Heinz-Ehlert Clausen (1909), Heinrich Gehrken (1911), Ottoheinrich Junker (1905).
The following men died on this day:
Günter Behnisch (2010), Erich Würdemann (1943).
See the entire U-boat commander listing showing all U-boat commanders.
We might include more officers (Allied and Axis) at a later date.
U-boat departures and arrivals on 12 July
This section shows the U-boat departures and arrivals from bases on this day of the year. Current country names shown with harbour names. Boats entering port display days at sea during that patrol.
1941
Sailed:
From Horten, Norway: U-501
From Kiel, Germany: U-82
From St. Nazaire, France: U-93, U-94
U-boats entering base:
To Lorient, France: U-103 (103 days)
To Oxhöft U-142 (22 days)
1942
U-boats entering base:
To Narvik, Norway: U-355 (27 days)
To Salamis, Greece: U-372 (28 days)
1943
Sailed:
From Trondheim, Norway: U-625
U-boats entering base:
To Hammerfest, Norway: U-307 (4 days)
To Narvik, Norway: U-212 (40 days)
To Toulon, France: U-371 (10 days)
1944
Sailed:
From Bergen, Norway: U-294
From Brest, France: U-309
From Haugsund: U-1060
U-boats entering base:
To Bogenbucht U-739 (6 days)
To Helsinki, Finland: U-748 (2 days)
To Narvik, Norway: U-307 (49 days)
To Reval U-370 (4 days)
U-boats at sea on 12 July
Boats entering port on this day are not counted, but boats departing for patrol are. (+) indicates the boat was lost during this patrol.
1940
U-34, U-43, U-52, U-56, U-58, U-61, U-62, U-99, UA.
9 boats at sea.
1941
U-66, U-68, U-74, U-93, U-94, U-95, U-97, U-98, U-109, U-123, U-124, U-126, U-140, U-143, U-144, U-146, U-201, U-202, U-203, U-331, U-372, U-401 (+), U-431, U-553, U-561, U-562, U-564, U-565, UA.
29 boats at sea.
1942
U-43, U-66, U-67, U-71, U-84, U-86, U-89, U-90 (+), U-116, U-126, U-128, U-129, U-130, U-132, U-134, U-154, U-155, U-159, U-160, U-161, U-162 (+), U-166 (+), U-171 (+), U-172, U-173, U-201, U-202, U-203, U-251, U-255, U-332, U-375, U-376, U-379 (+), U-402, U-404, U-408, U-437, U-453, U-454, U-457, U-458, U-459, U-460, U-461, U-463, U-505, U-507, U-508, U-509, U-510, U-552, U-561, U-562, U-564, U-565, U-571, U-572, U-575, U-576 (+), U-582, U-584, U-597, U-598, U-654 (+), U-658, U-703, U-704, U-752, U-754 (+).
70 boats at sea.
1943
U-18, U-20, U-23, U-66, U-67 (+), U-84 (+), U-86, U-134 (+), U-135 (+), U-155, U-159 (+), U-160 (+), U-168, U-172, U-177, U-178, U-181, U-183, U-185 (+), U-188, U-190, U-193, U-195, U-196, U-197 (+), U-198, U-199 (+), U-211, U-221, U-228, U-230, U-257, U-267, U-271, U-277, U-302, U-306, U-333, U-336, U-340, U-355, U-358, U-359 (+), U-373, U-375 (+), U-382, U-387, U-406, U-407, U-415, U-420, U-441, U-445, U-453, U-455, U-466, U-468 (+), U-487 (+), U-505, U-508, U-509 (+), U-510, U-511, U-513 (+), U-516, U-527 (+), U-532, U-533 (+), U-558 (+), U-565, U-566, U-571, U-572 (+), U-591 (+), U-592, U-598 (+), U-600, U-603, U-604 (+), U-607 (+), U-608, U-613 (+), U-615 (+), U-617, U-618, U-625, U-629, U-634 (+), U-641, U-642, U-648, U-653, U-662 (+), U-667, U-669, U-709, U-713, U-732, U-757, U-759 (+), U-953.
101 boats at sea.
1944
U-107, U-129, U-181, U-196, U-198 (+), U-212 (+), U-247, U-286, U-299, U-309, U-319 (+), U-347 (+), U-354, U-361 (+), U-365, U-387, U-415, U-475, U-481, U-516, U-530, U-534, U-537, U-539, U-546, U-547, U-636, U-672 (+), U-673, U-679, U-716, U-736 (+), U-741, U-742 (+), U-763, U-771, U-804, U-855 (+), U-857, U-858, U-859 (+), U-861, U-862, U-921, U-953, U-956, U-963, U-965, U-992, U-994, U-995.
51 boats at sea.
1945
U-977.
1 boats at sea.
General Events on 12 July
1940
The Estonian steamer Merisaar was ordered by U-99 to sail to Bordeaux, France (the port being already under German control). Her captain complied, but on the way she was bombed and sunk (on 15th July) by a German aircraft south of Queenstown.
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