German submarine U-211

German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-211 had a displacement of {{convert|769|t|LT}} when at the surface and {{convert|871|t|LT}} while submerged.{{sfn|Gröner|1991|pp=43-46}} She had a total length of {{convert|67.10|m|ftin|abbr=on}}, a pressure hull length of {{convert|50.50|m|ftin|abbr=on}}, a beam of {{convert|6.20|m|ftin|abbr=on}}, a height of {{convert|9.60|m|ftin|abbr=on}}, and a draught of {{convert|4.74|m|ftin|abbr=on}}. The submarine was powered by two Germaniawerft F46 four-stroke, six-cylinder supercharged diesel engines producing a total of {{convert|2800 to 3200|PS|kW shp|-1}} for use while surfaced, two AEG GU 460/8–27 double-acting electric motors producing a total of {{convert|750|PS|kW shp}} for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two {{convert|1.23|m|ft|abbr=on|0}} propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to {{convert|230|m}}.{{sfn|Gröner|1991|pp=43-46}}

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of {{convert|17.7|kn}} and a maximum submerged speed of {{convert|7.6|kn}}.{{sfn|Gröner|1991|pp=43-46}} When submerged, the boat could operate for {{convert|80|nmi}} at {{convert|4|kn}}; when surfaced, she could travel {{convert|8500|nmi}} at {{convert|10|kn}}. U-211 was fitted with five {{convert|53.3|cm|in|0|abbr=on}} torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and one at the stern), fourteen torpedoes, one 8.8 cm SK C/35 naval gun, 220 rounds, and a 2 cm FlaK 30 anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.{{sfn|Gröner|1991|pp=43-46}}

Having moved to Bergen via Arendal in Norway in August 1942, U-211{{'}}s first patrol began from the larger Nordic port on 26 August. Her route took her through the gap between Iceland and the Faroe Islands and into the Atlantic Ocean.

On 12 September, she damaged Empire Moonbeam southwest of Cape Clear, (southern Ireland) with one torpedo and Hektoria with two. Her next victim was Esso Williamsburg which was damaged on the 23rd about {{convert|500|nmi|abbr=on}} south of Cape Farewell (Greenland). This ship had already been unsuccessfully attacked the previous day. She was eventually sunk by {{GS|U-254||2}} on 3 October. There were no survivors.

U-211 arrived at Brest in occupied France on 7 October 1942.

The boat left Brest for her second foray on 11 November 1942. On 17 December, as part of Wolfpack Raufbold she sank a British destroyer, {{HMS|Firedrake|H79}}, which at the time was on escort duty protecting Convoy ON 153, in mid-Atlantic. The ship broke into two pieces on being hit. The bow sank immediately, but the stern remained afloat for some hours. There were 26 survivors out of a ships' company of 196.

The submarine returned to Brest on 29 December.

All was well on the boat's third sortie until 20 February 1943 when she was attacked by a US B-24 Liberator west of the Bay of Biscay. The aircraft dropped six depth charges, causing enough damage to bring the patrol to a premature end.

This time it was the turn of the Royal Air Force. While still outbound, an Armstrong Whitworth Whitley of No. 10 Squadron dropped three depth charges north of Finisterre in Spain on 15 May 1943 - the damage was not so great. Having left Brest on the tenth, U-211 returned on 16 July.

U-211 moved from Brest to Lorient in September 1943. On 11 October, she began what would turn out to be her final outing. After a lot of to-ing and fro-ing west of Portugal, she was sunk by depth charges from a British Vickers Wellington of 179 Squadron east of the Azores.

54 men died; there were no survivors.

U-211 took part in eight wolfpacks, namely:

• Vorwärts (3 – 26 September 1942)
• Panzer (27 November – 11 December 1942)
• Raufbold (11 – 21 December 1942)
• Trutz (1 – 16 June 1943)
• Trutz 3 (16 – 29 June 1943)
• Geier 2 (30 June – 10 July 1943)
• Schill (25 October – 16 November 1943)
• Schill 1 (16 – 19 November 1943)

{{Reflist|group=Note}}

{{reflist}}

{{Refbegin}}

• {{cite book | last1 = Busch | first1 = Rainer | last2 = Röll | first2 = Hans-Joachim | translator-last = Brooks | translator-first = Geoffrey | title = German U-boat commanders of World War II : a biographical dictionary | publisher = Greenhill Books, Naval Institute Press | location = London, Annapolis, Md | year = 1999 | isbn = 1-55750-186-6 }}
• {{cite book

|last1=Busch

|first1=Rainer

|last2=Röll

|first2=Hans-Joachim

|title=Deutsche U-Boot-Verluste von September 1939 bis Mai 1945

|trans-title=German U-boat losses from September 1939 to May 1945

|series=Der U-Boot-Krieg

|volume=IV

|publisher=Mittler

|location=Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn

|year=1999

|isbn=3-8132-0514-2

|language=de

}}

• {{cite book

|last=Edwards

|first=Bernard

|title=Dönitz and the Wolf Packs - The U-boats at War

|year=1996

|isbn=0-304-35203-9

|pages=105, 108

|publisher=Cassell Military Classics

|ref={{sfnRef|Edwards}}

}}

• {{cite book

|last1=Gröner

|first1=Erich

|last2=Jung

|first2=Dieter

|last3=Maass

|first3=Martin

|translator-last1=Thomas

|translator-first1=Keith

|translator-last2=Magowan

|translator-first2=Rachel

|year=1991

|title=U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels

|volume=2

|series=German Warships 1815–1945

|location=London

|publisher=Conway Maritime Press

|isbn=0-85177-593-4

|ref=CITEREFGröner1991

}}

{{Refend}}

• {{Cite web

|url=http://uboat.net/boats/u211.html

|title=The Type VIIC boat U-211

|last=Helgason

|first=Guðmundur

|website=German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net

|access-date=9 December 2014

}}

• {{cite web

|url=http://www.u-boot-archiv.de/dieboote/u0211.html

|title=U 211

|last=Hofmann

|first=Markus

|website=Deutsche U-Boote 1935-1945 - u-boot-archiv.de

|language=de

|access-date=9 December 2014

}}

{{German Type VII submarines}}

{{November 1943 shipwrecks}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2014}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:U0211}}

Category:German Type VIIC submarines

Category:World War II submarines of Germany

Category:World War II shipwrecks in the Atlantic Ocean

Category:U-boats commissioned in 1942

Category:U-boats sunk in 1943

Category:U-boats sunk by British aircraft

Category:1942 ships

Category:Ships built in Kiel

Category:U-boats sunk by depth charges

Category:Submarines lost with all hands

Category:Maritime incidents in November 1943