U-217

U-217 was a Type VIID U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. Commissioned in early 1942, it was designed as a dedicated minelayer, carrying an extensive load of SMA mines in its vertical shafts. The vessel conducted two war patrols in the Atlantic Ocean, primarily laying minefields off the eastern coast of North America before being sunk with all hands by United States Navy aircraft in 1943.

Service history

Ordered on 16 October 1939, U-217 was laid down at the Friedrich Krupp Germaniawerft shipyard in Kiel. It was commissioned into the Kriegsmarine on 31 January 1942 under the command of Kapitänleutnant Kurt Reichenbach-Klinke. Following training with the 5th U-boat Flotilla, the boat was assigned to front-line service with the 9th U-boat Flotilla based in Brest. Its operational career was brief, spanning from June 1942 until its loss in June 1943, during which it operated in the Mid-Atlantic gap and off the coast of New England.

Construction and specifications

U-217 was one of six Type VIID U-boats constructed, a variant of the ubiquitous Type VII submarine specifically modified for minelaying. It displaced 965 tonnes surfaced and 1,080 tonnes submerged. The most distinctive feature was the addition of five vertical mine shafts housed in a raised saddle section aft of the conning tower, allowing it to carry and deploy 15 SMA moored mines. Its armament otherwise included a standard complement of torpedoes fired from four bow and one stern tube, as well as an 8.8 cm SK C/35 naval gun and anti-aircraft guns. Propulsion was provided by two MAN diesel engines and two Siemens-Schuckert electric motors, giving a surface speed of 16 knots.

Patrols and engagements

U-217 undertook two combat patrols, both under the command of Kurt Reichenbach-Klinke. Its first patrol began on 15 June 1942 from Kiel, transiting around the British Isles to its operational area off Halifax. The boat laid its first minefield near Sable Island on 6 July. A second field was laid off Boston on 12 July. These mines claimed no verified victims. The patrol concluded with arrival at Brest on 7 August after 54 days at sea. The second patrol commenced on 28 October 1942, with the boat operating southwest of the Azores as part of the Westwall group. It was redirected to lay mines off Delaware Bay and Chesapeake Bay in November. On 5 December 1942, it torpedoed and sank the unescorted Panamanian merchant ship Markay southeast of Cape Race, its only confirmed successful attack.

Fate

On 5 June 1943, while operating northeast of the Lesser Antilles, U-217 was located by aircraft from the American escort carrier USS ''Bogue''. It was attacked and sunk by Grumman TBF Avenger and Grumman F4F Wildcat aircraft from Composite Squadron 9 (VC-9). Depth charges and aerial rockets struck the submarine, which sank at position 30.18°N, 42.50°W. All 50 members of its crew were lost. The wreck site was later identified and surveyed.

Commanding officers

* 31 January 1942 – 5 June 1943: Kapitänleutnant Kurt Reichenbach-Klinke Kurt Reichenbach-Klinke commanded U-217 for its entire service life, from its commissioning through both war patrols until its sinking. He was posthumously promoted to Korvettenkapitän.

Category:World War II submarines of Germany Category:Type VIID submarines Category:Maritime incidents in June 1943