List of all U-boats
U-972
Type | VIIC | |||||||||
Ordered | 5 Jun 1941 | |||||||||
Laid down | 15 Jun 1942 | Blohm & Voss, Hamburg (werk 172) | ||||||||
Launched | 22 Feb 1943 | |||||||||
Commissioned | 8 Apr 1943 | Oblt. Klaus-Dietrich König | ||||||||
Commanders |
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Career 1 patrol |
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Successes | No ships sunk or damaged | |||||||||
Fate |
Missing since 15 December 1943 in the North Atlantic. There is no explanation for its loss. 49 dead (all hands lost). (Axel Niestlé, September 2003). | |||||||||
Loss position |
U-972 sent its last radio message on 15 December 1943 from approx. position 60.30N, 20.00W while en route to its operational area in the North Atlantic. The boat was ordered to operate with several wolfpacks during the following weeks and was only posted as missing on 1 February 1944 when it failed to arrive at Brest.
Previously recorded fate
- The boat was sunk by one of its own acoustic torpedoes in late Dec 1943 in the North Atlantic.
Wolfpack operations
U-972 operated with the following Wolfpacks during its career:
Coronel 1 (15 Dec 1943 - 17 Dec 1943)
Sylt (18 Dec 1943 - 23 Dec 1943)
Rügen 1 (23 Dec 1943 - 28 Dec 1943)
Rügen 2 (28 Dec 1943 - 1 Jan 1944)
Men lost from U-boats
Unlike many other U-boats, which during their service lost men due to accidents and various other causes, U-972 did not suffer any casualties (we know of) until the time of her loss.
U-boat Emblems
We have 1 emblem entry for this boat. See the emblem page for this boat or view emblems individually below.
Skull with Tophat |
Media links
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