German submarine U-106 (1940)

A Type IXB submarine, believed to be U-106, under attack by a Sunderland flying boat
History
Nazi Germany
Name:	U-106
Ordered:	24 May 1938
Builder:	DeSchiMAG AG Weser, Bremen
Yard number:	969
Laid down:	26 November 1939
Launched:	17 June 1940
Commissioned:	24 September 1940
Homeport:	Lorient, France
Fate:	Sunk, 2 August 1943, northwest of Spain, by British and Australian aircraft
General characteristics
Class and type:	Type IXB submarine
Displacement:	1,051 t (1,034 long tons) surfaced 1,178 t (1,159 long tons) submerged
Length:	76.50 m (251 ft) o/a 58.75 m (192 ft 9 in) pressure hull
Beam:	6.76 m (22 ft 2 in) o/a 4.40 m (14 ft 5 in) pressure hull
Draught:	4.70 m (15 ft 5 in)
Range:	12,000 nmi (22,000 km; 14,000 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced 64 nmi (119 km; 74 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Armament:	6 × torpedo tubes (4 bow, 2 stern) 22 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedoes 1 × 10.5 cm SK C/32 naval gun (180 rounds) 1 × 3.7 cm (1.5 in) SK C/30 AA gun 1 × twin 2 cm FlaK 30 AA guns
Service record
Part of:	Kriegsmarine: 2nd U-boat Flotilla
Commanders:	Kptlt. Jürgen Oesten September 1940 – October 1941 Kptlt. Hermann Rasch October 1941 – April 1943 Oblt.z.S. Wolf-Dietrich Damerow June – August 1943
Operations:	Ten patrols 1st patrol: 4 January – 10 February 1941 2nd patrol: 26 February – 17 June 1941 3rd patrol: 11 August – 11 September 1941 4th patrol: 21 October – 22 November 1941 5th patrol: 3 January – 22 February 1942 6th patrol: 15 April – 29 June 1942 7th patrol: 25–29 July 1942 8th patrol: 22 September – 26 December 1942 9th patrol: 17 February – 4 April 1943 10th patrol: 28 July – 2 August 1943
Victories:	Sank 22 ships totalling 138,581 GRT Damaged two ships totalling 12,634 GRT Damaged one auxiliary warship of 8,246 GRT Damaged the battleship HMS Malaya

German submarine U-106 was a Type IXB U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine that operated during World War II. She was laid down on 26 November 1939 at DeSchiMAG AG Weser in Bremen as yard number 969, launched on 17 June 1940 and commissioned on 24 September. She was armed with six torpedo tubes and a 10.5 cm SK C/32 naval gun. U-106 was assigned to the 2nd U-boat Flotilla on 24 September 1940, in which she would serve for nearly three years.

U-106 was one of the most successful German submarines of World War II. She completed 10 wartime patrols and sank 22 ships totalling 138,581 gross register tons (GRT). She also damaged two ships totalling 12,634 GRT, one auxiliary warship of 8,246 GRT and the battleship HMS Malaya. U-106 helped to catalyze Mexico's entry into World War II on the side of the Allies by sinking one of two oil tankers; the Faja de Oro. (The other was the Potrero del Llano, sunk by U-564).

German Type IXB submarines were slightly larger than the original German Type IX submarines, later designated IXA. U-106 had a displacement of 1,051 tonnes (1,034 long tons) when at the surface and 1,178 tonnes (1,159 long tons) while submerged. The U-boat had a total length of 76.50 m (251 ft), a pressure hull length of 58.75 m (192 ft 9 in), a beam of 6.76 m (22 ft 2 in), a height of 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in), and a draught of 4.70 m (15 ft 5 in). The submarine was powered by two MAN M 9 V 40/46 supercharged four-stroke, nine-cylinder diesel engines producing a total of 4,400 metric horsepower (3,240 kW; 4,340 shp) for use while surfaced, two Siemens-Schuckert 2 GU 345/34 double-acting electric motors producing a total of 1,000 metric horsepower (740 kW; 990 shp) for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 1.92 m (6 ft) propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to 230 metres (750 ft).