The English Channel

The first U-boat lost in the Channel were the U-12, U-16 and U-40 in 1939. From then on U-boats avoided the Channel for the most part due to fear of large allied minefields there.

The last boats to be sunk here were U-1063, U-1195, U-275 and U-772 in Dec 44 - April 1945.

U-boats lost in the English Channel

This map shows of 4 U-boat losses in or near the English Channel during WWII. The exact position where the English Channel ends and the Bay of Biscay starts is a matter of some guesswork.

Missing from this map
U-683 (Kptlt. Günter Keller) and U-1055 (Oblt. Rudolf Meyer) are listed as missing in or near the English Channel. U-12 (Kptlt. Dietrich von der Ropp) was sunk by a mine near Dover in an unknown position on 8 Oct 1939. These boats are included in the figure of lost boats.

U-boats lost in June - Aug 1944 against D-Day landings

From June 6 to the end of August 1944 1 U-boats were lost in the Channel when trying to attack the Allied landings at Normandy against overwhelming odds (over 1,200 Allied warships).