List of all U-boats

U-97

Type

VIIC

 
Ordered30 May 1938
Laid down27 Sep 1939 F. Krupp Germaniawerft AG, Kiel (werk 602)
Launched15 Aug 1940
Commissioned28 Sep 1940Kptlt. Udo Heilmann
Commanders
28 Sep 1940 - May, 1942  Kptlt. Udo Heilmann (German Cross in Gold)
May, 1942 - 15 Oct 1942  Oblt. Friedrich Bürgel
2 Feb 1943 - 16 Jun 1943  Kptlt. Hans-Georg Trox
Career
13 patrols
28 Sep 1940-31 Jan 1941  7. Flottille (training)
1 Feb 1941-31 Oct 1941  7. Flottille (active service)
1 Nov 1941-30 Apr 1942  23. Flottille (active service)
1 May 1942-16 Jun 1943  29. Flottille (active service)
Successes15 ships sunk, total tonnage 64,404 GRT
1 auxiliary warship sunk, total tonnage 6,833 GRT
1 ship damaged, total tonnage 9,718 GRT
Fate

Sunk on 16 June 1943 in the Mediterranean Sea west of Haifa, in position 33.00N, 34.00E, by depth charges from an Australian Hudson aircraft (459 Sqn RAAF/T). 27 dead and 21 survivors.

Loss position

See the 17 ships hit by U-97 - View the 13 war patrols

Wolfpack operations

U-97 operated with the following Wolfpacks during its career:
   West (8 May 1941 - 27 May 1941)
   Goeben (20 Sep 1941 - 29 Sep 1941)

Attacks on this boat and other events

27 Mar 1942
20.00 hrs, eastern Mediterranean: a British Sunderland flying boat (Sqdn 230) dropped five bombs on U-97. No damage. (Sources: Rohwer/Ritschel)

1 Jul 1942
HMS Burra located U-97 and dropped three depth charges a few minutes after the U-boat had sunk Marilyse Moller approx 27 miles (43 km) west of Rafah, Palestine. (Sources: ADM 199/1273)

2 recorded attacks on this boat.

Men lost from the boat

3 Mar 1941
A man was lost overboard in the Bay of Biscay. [Bootsmaat Artur Mei]

24 Oct 1941
The IIWO of U-97 was badly injured in an accident on board, forcing the boat to return to base.

  Related: For more info on such losses see - Men lost from U-boats -

U-boat Emblems

We have 1 emblem entry for this boat. See the emblem page for this boat or view emblems individually below.


Seahorse on Red Shield

Media links


Hitler's U-boat War, Vol II
Blair, Clay


U-Boat Operations of the Second World War - Vol 1
Wynn, Kenneth


German U-Boat Losses During World War II
Niestle, Axel


Hitler's U-boat War
Blair, Clay

There was another U-97 in World War One
That boat was launched from its shipyard on 4 Apr 1917 and commissioned into the Imperial Navy on 16 May 1917. The Naval war in WWI was brought to an end with the Armistice signed on 11 Nov, 1918. Read about SM U 97 during WWI.




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