German submarine U-118 (1941)

U-118 under attack by aircraft from USS Bogue
History
Nazi Germany
Name:	U-118
Ordered:	31 January 1939
Builder:	Germaniawerft, Kiel
Yard number:	617
Laid down:	1 March 1940
Launched:	3 May 1941
Commissioned:	23 September 1941
Fate:	Sunk on 12 June 1943 by US aircraft
General characteristics
Class and type:	Submarine minelayer
Displacement:	1,763 tonnes (1,735 long tons) surfaced 2,177 tonnes (2,143 long tons) submerged
Length:	89.80 m (294 ft 7 in) o/a 70.90 m (232 ft 7 in) pressure hull
Beam:	9.20 m (30 ft 2 in) o/a 4.75 m (15 ft 7 in) pressure hull
Height:	10.20 m (33 ft 6 in)
Draught:	4.71 m (15 ft 5 in)
Propulsion:	2 × supercharged GW F 46 a 9 pu 9 cylinder, four-stroke diesel engines, 4,800 PS (4,700 bhp; 3,500 kW) 2 × AEG GU 720/8-287 electric motors, 1,100 PS (1,100 shp; 810 kW)
Range:	18,450 nautical miles (34,170 km; 21,230 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced 93 nmi (172 km; 107 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth:	Calculated crush depth: 220 m (720 ft)
Complement:	5 officers, 47 enlisted
Armament:	2 × 53.3 cm (21 in) stern torpedo tubes 15 × torpedoes 66 × SMA mines 1 × 10.5 cm (4.1 in) deck gun (200 rounds)
Service record
Part of:	2nd U-boat Flotilla (26 July 1941 - 31 January 1942) 1st U-boat Flotilla (1 February - 6 October 1942)
Commanders:	K.Kapt. Werner Czygan (6 December 1941 - 12 June 1943)
Operations:	Four 1st patrol: 19 September - 16 October 1942 2nd patrol: 12 November - 13 December 1942 3rd patrol: 25 January - 26 February 1943 4th patrol: 25 May - 12 June 1943
Victories:	Three ships sunk (14,064 GRT) One warship sunk - 925 tons Two ships damaged - 11,945 GRT

German submarine U-118 was a Type XB minelaying U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

She was ordered on 31 January 1939 and laid down on 1 March 1940 at the Friedrich Krupp Germaniawerft in Kiel, as yard number 617. She was launched on 23 September 1941 and commissioned on 6 December under the command of Korvettenkapitän Werner Czygan.

After a period of training as part of the 4th U-boat Flotilla, U-118 was assigned to the front-line as part of the 10th U-boat Flotilla on 1 October 1942. She was reassigned to the 12th flotilla a month later on 1 November. She was a member of three wolfpacks.

U-118 sank three merchant vessels and a warship; a total of 14,989 gross register tons (GRT) of shipping in three patrols. She also damaged two others, for a total of 11,945 GRT.

U-118's first patrol began on 19 September 1942 with her departure from Kiel. Her route took her across the North Sea, through the 'gap' between Iceland and the Faroe Islands and into the Atlantic Ocean. The boat was attacked south of Iceland by an aircraft on 29 September which caused only slight damage. She reached her destination, which was Lorient in occupied France, on 16 October.