U-99
Type | VIIB | |||
| Ordered | 15 Dec, 1937 | |||
| Laid down | 31 Mar, 1939 | Germaniawerft, Kiel (werk 593) | ||
| Launched | 12 Mar, 1940 | |||
| Commissioned | 18 Apr, 1940 | Kptlt. Otto Kretschmer (Knights Cross/Swords) | ||
| Commanders |
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| Career | 8 patrols | 18 Apr, 1940 - 30 Jun, 1940 7. Flottille (training) 1 Jul, 1940 - 17 Mar, 1941 7. Flottille (front boat) | ||
| Successes | 35 ships sunk for a total of 198.218 GRT 3 auxiliary warships sunk for a total of 46.440 GRT 1 ship captured for a total of 2.136 GRT 5 ships damaged for a total of 37.965 GRT | |||
| Fate | Scuttled at 0343hrs on 17 Mar 1941 south-east of Iceland, in approximate position 61N, 12W, after being depth charged by the British destroyer HMS Walker. 3 dead and 40 survivors. | |||
See the 44 ships hit by U-99 - View the 8 war patrols
Wolfpack operations
U-99 operated with the following Wolfpacks during its career:
Without name (20 Sep, 1940 - 22 Sep, 1940)
Without name (17 Oct, 1940 - 19 Oct, 1940)
Attacks on this boat
21 Jun, 1940
The boat, while inbound to Bergen with a sick crewman, sailed into the path of the German battlecruiser Scharnhorst and its Ar196 scout aircraft mistook the boat for a British submarine attacking it causing damages that forced the boat back to Germany for repairs. (Sources: Blair, vol 1, page 171)
23 Jun, 1940
The damaged boat was returning from Bergen to Wilhelmshaven when bombed by aircraft twice that day, causing only minor damage. (Sources: Ritschel)
29 Jun, 1940
The outbound boat was attacked in error by a German aircraft with 3 bombs and hit the bottom of the sea after crash-diving. It continued patrol after repairing the damages while lying on the ground. (Sources: Ritschel)
7 Jul, 1940
At 14.14 hours the boat tried to stop the armed merchant Manistee by gunfire after missing her with a G7e torpedo at 14.01 hours. No hits were scored in the gun duel, but the Germans broke off the attack when the shots fell 100-200 metres from the U-boat. (Sources: Ritschel)
8 Jul, 1940
After a successful attack on HX-53 south of Fastnet, the boat was attacked by the escorts for 14 hours with 107 depth charges and escaped undamaged. (Sources: Ritschel)
31 Jul, 1940
After a successful attack on OB-191, the boat was attacked by the escorts with 20 depth charges but escaped undamaged. In the evening, U-99 surfaced to attack the convoy again, but was twice forced to dive and bombed by a flying boat without being damaged. (Sources: Ritschel)
27 Sep, 1940
During a night air attack on Lorient, two bombs fell close to the moored boat and rocks damaged the deck slightly. (Sources: Ritschel)
7 recorded attacks on this boat.
General notes on this boat
On 12 July, 1940, the Estonian steamer Merisaar was ordered by U-99 to sail to Bordeaux, France (the port was then already under German control). Her captain complied but on the way there she was sunk (on July 15th) by bombs from a German aircraft south of Queenstown.
At 2250hrs on 3 November, 1940, one of the most dramatic battles of the U-boat war began. U-99 attacked the armed merchant cruisers HMS Laurentic and HMS Patroclus. They were both sunk within seven hours in which the U-boat fired ten torpedoes and four rounds with the deck gun, while the vessels returned fire without damaging the U-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-99 did not suffer any casualties (we know of) until the time of her loss.
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Books dealing with this subject include: German U-Boat Losses During World War II, Niestle, Axel, 1998 The Golden Horseshoe, Robertson, Terence, 2000 (transl.) KTB U 51 - U 99, Ritschel, Herbert, 2000  Opération Kiebitz, Dugas, Jean-Guy, 1992 U-Boat Adventures, Wiggins, Melanie, 1999 U-Boat Killer, Macintyre, Donald, 2000 (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-99 in World War One
That boat was launched from its shipyard on 27 Jan, 1917 and commissioned into the Imperial Navy on 28 Mar, 1917. The Naval war in WWI was brought to an end with the Armistice signed on 11 Nov, 1918. Read about the U 99 during WWI.