List of all U-boats

U-20

Type

IIB

 
Ordered2 Feb 1935
Laid down1 Aug 1935 F. Krupp Germaniawerft AG, Kiel (werk 550)
Launched14 Jan 1936
Commissioned1 Feb 1936Kptlt. Hans Eckermann
Commanders
1 Feb 1936 - 30 Sep 1937  Kptlt. Hans Eckermann
1 Oct 1937 - 17 Jan 1940  Kptlt. Karl-Heinz Moehle (Knights Cross)
17 Jan 1940 - 15 Apr 1940  Kptlt. Harro von Klot-Heydenfeldt
2 Apr 1940 - 15 Apr 1940  Oblt. Heinrich Driver (German Cross in Gold)
16 Apr 1940 - 7 Jun 1940  Oblt. Hans-Jürgen Zetzsche (German Cross in Gold)
8 Jun 1940 - 5 Jan 1941  Oblt. Ottokar Arnold Paulssen
6 Jan 1941 - 19 May 1941  Kptlt. Herbert Schauenburg
20 May 1941 - 4 Dec 1941  Oblt. Wolfgang Sträter
5 Dec 1941 - 27 Mar 1942  Oblt. Kurt Nölke
7 May 1942 - 26 Aug 1942  Oblt. Clemens Schöler
27 May 1943 - 31 Oct 1943  Kptlt. Clemens Schöler
1 Nov 1943 - 10 Sep 1944  Oblt. Karl Grafen (German Cross in Gold)
Career
16 patrols
1 Feb 1936-1 Aug 1939  3. Flottille (active service)
1 Sep 1939-31 Dec 1939  3. Flottille (active service)
1 Jan 1940-30 Apr 1940  1. Flottille (active service)
1 May 1940-30 Jun 1940  1. U-Ausbildungsflottille (school boat)
1 Jul 1940-26 Aug 1942  21. Flottille (school boat)
27 May 1943-10 Sep 1944  30. Flottille (active service)
Successes13 ships sunk, total tonnage 30,067 GRT
1 ship damaged, total tonnage 1,846 GRT
2 ships a total loss, total tonnage 8,446 GRT
Fate

Scuttled at 2130hrs on 10 September 1944 in the Black Sea north of Karasu, Turkey, in position 41.10N, 30.47E.

Loss position

See the 16 ships hit by U-20 - View the 16 war patrols

This boat is a dive site

7 Feb 2008. The 3 boats, U-19, U-20 and U-23, scuttled in September 1944 off the Turkish coast have been located. They are reported to be in excellent condition.

27 Dec 2009. The U-20 was dived on and photographed by Mr. Taner Aksoy. See our U 20 in the Black Sea gallery.

Position (lat, long): 41.10, 30.47

See more U-boat dive sites.

Attacks on this boat and other events

26 Jun 1943
U-20 attempted to torpedo a Soviet submarine chaser in the Black Sea off Tuapse, but the target went on the offensive, dropping eight depth charges. The boat was then kept submerged by aircraft for four hours and subsequently forced to return to base by mechanical failures. (Sources: Ritschel)

1 recorded attack on this boat.

General notes on this boat

27 Dec 2009. The boat was dived on and photographed by Mr. Taner Aksoy. See our U 20 in the Black Sea gallery.

Men lost from U-boats

Unlike many other U-boats, which during their service lost men due to accidents and various other causes, U-20 did not suffer any casualties (we know of) until the time of her loss.

U-boat Emblems

We have 4 emblem entries for this boat. See the emblem page for this boat or view emblems individually below.


The Olympic Rings - Crew 36
Alligator/crocodile and Umbrella
Boot
Boy with Staff and Goose

Media links


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, Vol II
Blair, Clay


Hitler's U-boat War
Blair, Clay

There was another U-20 in World War One
That boat was launched from its shipyard on 18 Dec 1912 and commissioned into the Imperial Navy on 5 Aug 1913. The Naval war in WWI was brought to an end with the Armistice signed on 11 Nov, 1918. Read about SM U 20 during WWI.




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