U-202

Type

VIIC

Ordered

23 Sep 1939

Laid down

18 Mar 1940

F. Krupp Germaniawerft AG, Kiel (werk 631)

Launched

10 Feb 1941

Commissioned

22 Mar 1941

Kptlt. Hans-Heinz Linder

Commanders

22 Mar 1941	-	1 Sep 1942		Kptlt. Hans-Heinz Linder
2 Sep 1942	-	2 Jun 1943		Kptlt. Günter Poser

Career
9 patrols

22 Mar 1941	-	1 Jun 1941	1. Flottille (training)
1 Jun 1941	-	2 Jun 1943	1. Flottille (active service)

Successes

9 ships sunk, total tonnage 34,615 GRT
4 ships damaged, total tonnage 35,427 GRT

Fate

Sunk at 0030hrs on 2 June 1943 in the North Atlantic south-east of Cape Farewell, in position 56.12N, 39.52W, by depth charges and gunfire from the British sloop HMS Starling. 18 dead and 30 survivors.

Loss position

See the 13 ships hit by U-202 - View the 9 war patrols

Wolfpack operations

U-202 operated with the following Wolfpacks during its career:
   Grönland (17 Aug 1941 - 27 Aug 1941)
   Markgraf (27 Aug 1941 - 11 Sep 1941)
   Schlagetot (20 Oct 1941 - 1 Nov 1941)
   Raubritter (1 Nov 1941 - 5 Nov 1941)
   Delphin (20 Jan 1943 - 9 Feb 1943)
   Rochen (9 Feb 1943 - 28 Feb 1943)
   Tümmler (1 Mar 1943 - 19 Mar 1943)
   Without name (5 May 1943 - 10 May 1943)
   Lech (10 May 1943 - 15 May 1943)
   Donau 2 (15 May 1943 - 26 May 1943)

Attacks on this boat and other events

7 Sep 1942
While outbound through the Bay of Biscay, the boat was attacked by a Czech Wellington bomber (311 Sqn RAF/Q) but only suffered damage to two of the torpedoes and continued her patrol.

29 Sep 1942
While attacking a large tanker off Trinidad U-202 was attacked by a US Catalina flying boat (Sqdn VP-53, USN). The two depth charges dropped damaged the air compressor, severely limiting the boats ability to dive. She nonetheless continued on patrol, and sank two ships before returning to base at Brest.

2 recorded attacks on this boat.

General notes on this boat

12 Jun 1942. Saboteur landings in America
The boat left Brest, France on a very special patrol on 27 May 1942. On 12 June, after crossing the Atlantic submerged by day and surfaced by night, they landed a saboteur team of four men on Long Island, USA as part of Operation Pastorius. This was one of two such teams landed within a week of each other on the US east coast, the other came aboard U-584. This was intended to be the first of many such operations. The boat then returned safely to Brest on 25 July.

Men lost from U-boats

Unlike many other U-boats, which during their service lost men due to accidents and various other causes, U-202 did not suffer any casualties (we know of) until the time of her loss.