1941

U-201. After a successful attack on convoy OB 318 the boat was attacked for almost five hours by escorts HMS Amazon, HMS Nigella and HMS St. Apollo, dropping 99 depth charges which caused severe damage. The boat managed to escape on the surface during the night and was initally able to continue her patrol after repairs, but a damaged fuel tank forced her to return to base on 13 May.

1942

U-507. A US Navy Catalina flying boat attacked approx. 225 miles (362 km) south of its base at Pensacola. (Ragnar J. Ragnarsson)

1943

U-666. Aircraft attack, aircraft shot down:
British Halifax bomber HR743 (58 Sqn RAF/N, pilot F/S J.A. Hoather, DFM)

1028hrs, Bay of Biscay, outbound: the Halifax (misidentified as a Sunderland) only strafed the boat on its first attack and received several AA hits in one of the port engines during a second run. The pilot then apparently lost control when turning to come in again and the Halifax crashed into the sea about 500m (546 yds) from the boat, killing the crew of eight.

U-666. 12.25 hours, Atlantic NW of Corunna, Spain, outbound: U-666 was attacked by British Whitley bomber BD278 (10 OTU RAF/C, pilot Sgt A.J. Salvage). The aircraft was hit by flak during the intial strafing run and its depth charges fell wide. After the boat dived the aircraft was forced to return to base due to damage to the tail. (Franks/Zimmerman)

30 men died when those 2 U-boats were lost on this date. 65 men survived.

Survivors from U-boats almost always landed in allied captivity.

- For more information on U-boat losses check out our Fates section.

There were no men lost from U-boats on this date, 9 May.

- For more information on Men lost from U-boats check out this page.

The following men were born on this day:
Paul Brasack (1916), Heinrich Brodda (1903), Ernst-August Gerke (1921), Karl Grafen (1915).

The following men died on this day:
Servais Cabolet (1976), Fritz-Julius Lemp (1941).

See the entire U-boat commander listing showing all U-boat commanders.
We might include more officers (Allied and Axis) at a later date.

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.

1942

Sailed:
From Kirkenes: U-251
From Salamis, Greece: U-331

U-boats entering base:
To Lorient, France: U-154 (60 days)
To Salamis, Greece: U-371 (19 days)

1943

Sailed:
From Hammerfest, Norway: U-354
From St. Nazaire, France: U-641

U-boats entering base:
To Brest, France: U-306 (74 days)

1944

Sailed:
From Kiel, Germany: U-767, U-857, U-1191
From Stavanger, Norway: U-347
From Toulon, France: U-586

U-boats entering base:
To Arendal U-719 (4 days)
To Bogenbucht U-739 (24 days)
To Stavanger, Norway: U-958 (4 days)

1945

Sailed:
From Kilbotn: U-312

U-boats entering base:
To Bergen, Norway U-245 (31 days)
To Kristiansand, Norway U-1163 (25 days)
To Narvik, Norway: U-278 (30 days)
To Narvik, Norway U-992 (9 days)

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-7, U-9, U-32, U-65, UA.
5 boats at sea.

1941

U-38, U-69, U-74, U-75, U-93, U-94, U-95, U-96, U-97, U-98, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-109, U-111, U-123, U-141, U-143, U-147, U-201, U-556, UA.
23 boats at sea.

1942

U-66, U-69, U-81, U-83, U-84, U-86, U-94, U-96, U-97, U-98, U-103, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-109, U-124, U-125, U-126, U-128, U-130, U-135, U-136, U-155, U-156, U-157, U-158 (+), U-161, U-162, U-201, U-205, U-213, U-331, U-333, U-402, U-404, U-405, U-406, U-432, U-437, U-455, U-456, U-459, U-502 (+), U-504, U-506, U-507, U-553, U-558, U-562, U-564, U-565, U-566, U-569, U-572, U-575, U-576, U-578, U-582, U-584, U-588, U-590, U-593, U-594, U-653, U-654, U-751, U-752, U-753.
68 boats at sea.

1943

U-9, U-66, U-89 (+), U-91, U-92, U-103, U-105 (+), U-107, U-108, U-117, U-119 (+), U-123, U-126 (+), U-128 (+), U-129, U-154, U-160, U-161, U-168, U-176 (+), U-177, U-178, U-180, U-181, U-182 (+), U-183, U-186 (+), U-190, U-195, U-196, U-197 (+), U-198, U-202 (+), U-212, U-214, U-217 (+), U-218, U-221, U-223, U-226, U-228, U-230, U-231, U-232 (+), U-258 (+), U-260, U-262, U-264, U-266 (+), U-267, U-270, U-304 (+), U-336, U-340, U-354, U-358, U-359, U-371, U-377, U-378, U-380, U-381 (+), U-383, U-386, U-402, U-403, U-405, U-406, U-410, U-413, U-418 (+), U-436 (+), U-448, U-454, U-456 (+), U-459, U-460, U-461, U-466, U-468, U-487, U-504, U-509, U-514, U-515, U-521 (+), U-525, U-528 (+), U-532, U-533, U-552, U-558 (+), U-561, U-565, U-569 (+), U-575, U-584, U-598, U-600, U-601, U-603, U-607, U-608, U-610, U-614, U-616, U-621, U-625, U-628, U-631, U-634, U-636, U-640 (+), U-641, U-642, U-645, U-648, U-650, U-657 (+), U-662, U-664, U-666, U-703, U-706, U-707, U-709, U-731, U-732, U-752 (+), U-753 (+), U-760, U-952, U-954 (+).
133 boats at sea.

1944

U-9, U-24, U-92, U-129, U-155, U-170, U-178, U-181, U-188, U-190, U-196, U-198 (+), U-230, U-267, U-312, U-313, U-315, U-347, U-348, U-365, U-385, U-407, U-453 (+), U-490 (+), U-505, U-516, U-534, U-537, U-539, U-541, U-543 (+), U-547, U-548, U-586, U-616 (+), U-667, U-672, U-731 (+), U-736, U-843, U-853, U-857, U-859 (+), U-860 (+), U-861, U-952, U-955 (+), U-960 (+), U-967, U-1222 (+).
50 boats at sea.

1945

U-190, U-234, U-244, U-249, U-255, U-287 (+), U-293, U-318, U-485, U-516, U-530, U-532, U-541, U-739, U-764, U-776, U-802, U-805, U-825, U-826, U-858, U-873, U-889, U-901, U-956, U-963, U-977, U-979 (+), U-1005, U-1009, U-1010, U-1023, U-1058, U-1105, U-1109, U-1228, U-1231, U-1272, U-1277 (+), U-1305, U-2326, U-2336, U-3008.
43 boats at sea.

1941

U-107 was supplied with 14 torpedoes and provisions by the German support ship Egerland, which was disguised as an American vessel. This is one reason why there were rumours after the war of American ships assisting U-boats.

"The Secret Capture"
U-110 was captured by the Royal Navy on May 9 1941. This was perhaps the most important capture of the entire war and was so secret that even the crew of U-110 did not know of it! U-110, under the command of Kptlt. Fritz Julius Lemp, had been attacking a convoy in the Atlantic south of Iceland together with U-201 (Oblt. Adalbert Schnee), when Lemp left his periscope up too long (probably to confirm a kill: he sank two ships totalling 7500 GRT that day) and the escort corvette HMS Aubretia sighted it and rushed to the scene and began depth charging. U-110 survived the first attacks, but then HMS Bulldog and HMS Broadway joined the hunt. U-110 was forced to surface, and HMS Bulldog immediately set course to ram (its commander realised it might be possible to capture U-110, and veered aside at the last moment) which caused Lemp to order "Abandon Ship". Lemp assumed the boat would be sunk, and its confidential material would go down with it. When he was in the water he realised the boat was not sinking, and attempted to swim back to prevent capture. That was the last seen of him. Members of U-110s crew later claimed he was shot in the water by the British boarding party, but that was never confirmed. The boarding party commanded by Lt David Balme made several journeys between U-110 and HMS Bulldog to collect whatever they could get their hands on inside the boat. This proved to be very fruitful, as U-110 was abandoned in a hurry, and being a type IXB U-boat, did not sink as rapidly as a type VIIC would have. It is almost certain that many U-boats were sunk as a result of the material found inside U-110, including an Enigma machine with rotors set and current code books. The day after the capture, the British Admiralty realised the importance of this, and that if the Germans knew the boat had been captured, they would assume the worst and change their codes and cipher system. The boat was accordingly ordered to be scuttled while being towed to Britain, the surviving crew were taken straight to Iceland to be interned, and everyone involved in the capture sworn to secrecy. 15 of U-110's crew died in the action and 32 were interned. This event was the subject of a British parliamentary motion in 1999 condemning the portrayal of the capture of U-110 and subsequent breaking of German codes as an American success in the film U-571.

U-110 was captured by the Royal Navy in what was probably the most important yet secret capture of the war. The retrieval of her Enigma machine and code books enabled British code breakers at Bletchley Park cipher HQ to read German signal traffic, leading to the sinking of many U-boats. U-110 was subsequently scuttled and her capture successfully concealed from the Germans.See U-110: "The Secret Capture"

1942

U-371 encountered an enemy submarine, but neither boat attacked.

1943

U-380 was on her way to Tunisia to support the German ground forces in Africa with ammunition. After receiving news of the capitulation, the crew threw the ammunition overboard off Pantelleria.

U-381 reported via radio for the last time from a position in the North Atlantic.

1944

U-24 encountered a Soviet submarine, but neither boat attacked.

U-313 had to return to base due to severe technical problems with the hydroplanes.

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