The U-boat war in Maps

The English Channel

The first U-boat lost in the Channel were the U-12, U-16 and U-40 in 1939. From then on U-boats avoided the Channel for the most part due to fear of large allied minefields there.

The last boats to be sunk here were U-1063, U-1195, U-275 and U-772 in Dec 44 - April 1945.

U-boats lost in the English Channel

This map shows of 4 U-boat losses in or near the English Channel during WWII. The exact position where the English Channel ends and the Bay of Biscay starts is a matter of some guesswork.

Missing from this map
U-683 (Kptlt. Günter Keller) and U-1055 (Oblt. Rudolf Meyer) are listed as missing in or near the English Channel. U-12 (Kptlt. Dietrich von der Ropp) was sunk by a mine near Dover in an unknown position on 8 Oct 1939. These boats are included in the figure of lost boats.

U-boats lost in June - Aug 1944 against D-Day landings

From June 6 to the end of August 1944 1 U-boats were lost in the Channel when trying to attack the Allied landings at Normandy against overwhelming odds (over 1,200 Allied warships).

Selected media links


HMS Rodney

Iain Ballantyne (2012)


amazon.co.uk
(£ 16.99)


Donitz's Last Gamble

Lawrence Patterson (2008)


amazon.co.uk
(£ 25.00)


Neptunus Rex

Prados, Edward F. (1998)


amazon.com
($ 16.98)


The Invasion Before Normandy

Hoyt, Edwin Palmer (1999)


S.S. Leopoldville Disaster

Andrade, Allan (1999)


The Maps