U-716

Type

VIIC

Ordered

10 Apr 1941

Laid down

16 Apr 1942

H C Stülcken Sohn, Hamburg (werk 782)

Launched

15 Jan 1943

Commissioned

15 Apr 1943

Oblt. Hans Dunkelberg

Commanders

15 Apr 1943	-	24 Jan 1945	Oblt. Hans Dunkelberg
22 Jan 1945	-	12 Feb 1945	Oblt. Friedrich-August Greus (in deputize) -- acting
Feb, 1945	-	9 May 1945	Oblt. Jürgen Thimme

Career
10 patrols

15 Apr 1943	-	31 Dec 1943	5. Flottille (training)
1 Jan 1944	-	30 Sep 1944	11. Flottille (active service)
1 Oct 1944	-	31 Mar 1945	13. Flottille (active service)
1 Apr 1945	-	8 May 1945	14. Flottille (active service)

Successes

1 ship sunk, total tonnage 7,200 GRT
1 warship sunk, total tonnage 54 tons (lost aboard transport ships)

Fate

Surrendered at Narvik, Norway on 9 May 1945.

Transferred to Loch Ryan, Scotland via Loch Eriboll and Lisahally.

Operation Deadlight (post-war Allied operation, info)
Sunk on 11 December, 1945 at 55.50N x 10.05W as an air target.

Final location

See the 2 ships hit by U-716 - View the 10 war patrols

The U-boats that were in the Narvik area at the end of the war were all moved to the Skjomenfjord upon Allied orders to avoid conflicts with the Norwegians on 12 May. On 15 May, a German convoy of five ships (the fleet tender Grille with the staff of FdU Norwegen aboard, the fleet oiler Kärnten, the repair ship Kamerun and the depot ships Huascaran and Stella Polaris) and 15 U-boats (U-278, U-294, U-295, U-312, U-313, U-318, U-363, U-427, U-481, U-668, U-716, U-968, U-992, U-997 and U-1165) left for transfer to Trondheim, but was intercepted after two days by the 9th Escort Group off the Norwegian coast and officially capitulated. While the ships were allowed to proceed to Trondheim, the U-boats were escorted to Loch Eriboll, Scotland, arriving on 19 May. All U-boats were later that month transferred to Lisahally or Loch Ryan for Operation Deadlight.

Wolfpack operations

U-716 operated with the following Wolfpacks during its career:
   Eisenbart (16 Dec 1943 - 5 Jan 1944)
   Isegrim (25 Jan 1944 - 27 Jan 1944)
   Werwolf (27 Jan 1944 - 17 Feb 1944)
   Keil (5 Apr 1944 - 16 Apr 1944)
   Trutz (20 Jun 1944 - 10 Jul 1944)
   Rasmus (6 Feb 1945 - 11 Feb 1945)
   Hagen (13 Mar 1945 - 21 Mar 1945)

Attacks on this boat and other events

19 Jul 1944
19.15 hrs, Norwegian Sea: U-716 was attacked by B-24 Liberator FL985 (59 Sqn RAF/F, pilot FO R.C. Penning) on A/S patrol after being sighted by the starboard beam gunner. The aircraft attacked despite heavy but inaccurate AA fire which was returned by the nose gunner, flying directly over the U-boat from the port quarter and dropping six depth charges. The last two overshot, but the other four straddled the boat, which was lifted and badly shaken by the explosions, causing water to enter through the galley hatch and disabling all electrical equipment including the radio transmitters. The aircraft immediately attacked again and dropped two depth charges that were seen to fall equidistant from the bows in a perfect straddle. The Germans continued to fire at the circling aircraft but their aim was poor, as the guncrew lacked experience on the new 37mm flak gun, and five men on the bridge were slightly wounded by splinters from machine gun rounds hitting the gun shields. The boat escaped further attacks by diving at 19.41 hrs, but the damage forced a return to base. (Sources: Norman Franks, ADM 199/1786)

23 Apr 1945
U-716 was depth charged by a hunter-killer group in the Barents Sea off Polyarny, Russia. Damage forced the boat to return to base at Narvik.

2 recorded attacks on this boat.

Men lost from U-boats

Unlike many other U-boats, which during their service lost men due to accidents and various other causes, U-716 did not suffer any casualties (we know of) until the time of her loss.