Type | VIIB | |||||||||
| Ordered | 15 Dec 1937 | |||||||||
| Laid down | 31 Mar 1939 | F. Krupp Germaniawerft AG, Kiel (werk 593) | ||||||||
| Launched | 12 Mar 1940 | |||||||||
| Commissioned | 18 Apr 1940 | Kptlt. Otto Kretschmer (Knights Cross/Swords) | ||||||||
| Commanders |
| |||||||||
| Career 8 patrols |
| |||||||||
| Successes | 35 ships sunk, total tonnage 198,218 GRT 3 auxiliary warships sunk, total tonnage 46,440 GRT 1 ship captured, total tonnage 2,136 GRT 5 ships damaged, total tonnage 37,965 GRT | |||||||||
| Fate |
Scuttled at 0343hrs on 17 March 1941 in the North Atlantic south-east of Iceland, in position 61.00N, 11.48W, after being badly damaged by depth charges from the British destroyer HMS Walker. 3 dead and 40 survivors. | |||||||||
| Loss position | ||||||||||
Attacks on this boat and other events
21 Jun 1940
While inbound to Bergen with a medical casualty U-99 sailed into the path of the German battlecruiser Scharnhorst, whose Ar196 scout plane mistook the boat for a British submarine and attacked, causing damage that forced the boat back to Germany for repairs. (Sources: Blair, vol 1, page 171)
23 Jun 1940
The already damaged boat was returning from Bergen to Wilhelmshaven when bombed by aircraft twice this day, but only minor damage was caused. (Sources: Ritschel)
29 Jun 1940
In diving to escape an attack by a German aircraft which dropped three bombs, the boat suffered minor damage on striking the seabed. It continued the patrol after repairing the damage while settled on the bottom. (Sources: Ritschel)
7 Jul 1940
At 14.14 hours the boat tried to stop the armed merchant Manistee with 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 shots fell within 100-200m (109-118 yds) of U-99. (Sources: Ritschel)
8 Jul 1940
After a successful attack on convoy HX 53 south of Fastnet, escorts dropped a total of 107 depth charges over 14 hours, but the boat escaped unscathed. (Sources: Ritschel)
31 Jul 1940
Following a successful attack on convoy OB 191, escorts dropped 20 depth charges but U-99 escaped unscathed. In the evening the boat surfaced to attack the convoy again, but was twice forced to dive and bombed by a flying boat, again without being damaged. (Sources: Ritschel)
27 Sep 1940
During a night air raid on Lorient, two bombs fell close to the moored boat and debris caused slight damage to the deck. (Sources: Ritschel)
7 recorded attacks on this boat.
General notes on this boat
12 Jul 1940. 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.
3 Nov 1940. 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, during which the U-boat fired ten torpedoes and four rounds from 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.
U-boat Emblems
We have 1 emblem entry for this boat. See the emblem page for this boat or view emblems individually below.
 The Golden Horseshoe - U-99 |
Media links
|
|
|
|
|
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 SM U 99 during WWI.
As an Amazon Associate uboat.net earns a commission from qualifying purchases.