U-69

Type

VIIC

 
Ordered30 May 1938
Laid down11 Nov 1939 F. Krupp Germaniawerft AG, Kiel (werk 603)
Launched19 Sep 1940
Commissioned2 Nov 1940Kptlt. Jost Metzler (Knights Cross)
Commanders
2 Nov 1940 - 28 Aug 1941  Kptlt. Jost Metzler (Knights Cross)
24 Aug 1941 - 28 Aug 1941  Oblt. Hans-Jürgen Auffermann
28 Aug 1941 - 31 Mar 1942  Kptlt. Wilhelm Zahn
31 Mar 1942 - 17 Feb 1943  Kptlt. Ulrich Gräf
Career
11 patrols
2 Nov 1940-31 Jan 1941  7. Flottille (training)
1 Feb 1941-17 Feb 1943  7. Flottille (front boat)
Successes16 ships sunk for a total of 67,500 GRT
1 ship damaged for a total of 4,887 GRT
1 ship a total loss for a total of 5,445 GRT
Fate

Sunk on 17 Feb, 1943 in the North Atlantic east of Newfoundland in position 50.36N, 41.07W by depth charges from the British destroyer HMS Fame. 46 dead (all hands lost).

See the 18 ships hit by U-69 - View the 11 war patrols

Previously recorded fate
(Last revised by FDS/NHB during April 1997. More on revised fates.)

Sunk 17 Feb, 1943 in North Atlantic, in position 50.50N, 40.50W, by British destroyer HMS Viscount.

This attack actually resulted in the sinking of U-201.

Wolfpack operations

U-69 operated with the following Wolfpacks during its career:
   Seewolf (4 Sep 1941 - 15 Sep 1941)
   Brandenburg (15 Sep 1941 - 24 Sep 1941)
   Störtebecker (5 Nov 1941 - 19 Nov 1941)
   Gödecke (19 Nov 1941 - 25 Nov 1941)
   Letzte Ritter (25 Nov 1941 - 3 Dec 1941)
   Falke (8 Jan 1943 - 19 Jan 1943)
   Haudegen (19 Jan 1943 - 15 Feb 1943)

Attacks on this boat

22 Feb 1941
The U-boat was attacked twice with depth-charges by a Sunderland aircraft. (Sources: Kenneth Wynn)

24 Feb 1941
After a night attack on the convoy OB-288, the U-boat was attacked for three hours by one of the escorts with 22 depth charges, but escaped undamaged. (Sources: Kenneth Wynn)

21 Mar 1941
The boat was depth charged for several hours by 2 convoy escorts protecting an inbound convoy from Halifax. No reported damages to the boat. (Sources: Blair, vol 1, page 259)

27 Jun 1941
The boat, after sinking 2 ships from convoy SL-78 was briefly attacked by gunfire from its escorts in the confusion after the attack. She escaped unharmed. (Sources: Blair, vol 1, page 302)

4 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-69 did not suffer any casualties (we know of) until the time of her loss.


We have emblem entries for this boat!

You can view the emblems here. (The emblem on the left is not the emblem for this boat).



U-Boat Operations of the Second World War - Vol 2

Wynn, Kenneth


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Books dealing with this subject include:

German U-Boat Losses During World War II. Niestle, Axel, 1998.
Hitler's U-boat War. Blair, Clay, 1996.
Hitler's U-boat War, Vol II. Blair, Clay, 1998.
The Laughing Cow. Metzler, Jost, 2004.
Night of the Caribou. How, Douglas, 1988.
On The Triangle Run. Lamb, James B., 2000.
Sehrohr südwärts. Metzler, Jost, 1943.
U-69, Die lachende Kuh. Metzler, Jost, 1954. (transl.)
U-Boat Operations of the Second World War - Vol 1. Wynn, Kenneth, 1998.
U-Boat Operations of the Second World War - Vol 2. Wynn, Kenneth, 1998.


There was another U-69 in World War One
That boat was launched from its shipyard on 24 Jun 1915 and commissioned into the Imperial Navy on 4 Sep 1915. The Naval war in WWI was brought to an end with the Armistice signed on 11 Nov, 1918. Read about the U 69 during WWI.