German submarine U-229

German submarine U-229 was a Type VIIC U-boat of the Nazi German Kriegsmarine during World War II.

The submarine was laid down on 3 November 1941 at the Friedrich Krupp Germaniawerft yard at Kiel as 'werk' 659, launched on 20 August 1942, and commissioned on 3 October under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Robert Schetelig.

After training with the 5th U-boat Flotilla at Kiel, U-229 was transferred to the 6th U-boat Flotilla, (which was based at Saint-Nazaire on the French Atlantic coast), on 1 March 1943, for front-line service. She was a member of four wolfpacks. In three war patrols the U-boat sank two merchant ships, totalling and damaged another of 3,670 GRT.

She was sunk by a British warship in September 1943.

1st patrol
U-229 left Kiel on 20 February 1942. She crossed the North Sea, passed through the 'gap' between Iceland and the Faroe Islands and entered the Atlantic Ocean.

She sank the British freighter Nailsea Court - part of convoy SC-121 on 10 March 1943 southeast of Cape Farewell, Greenland. In the same attack she damaged the British freighter Coulmore (this ship was salvaged and returned to service in July 1943).

She then sank the Swedish Vaalaren in the same vicinity on 5 April. There were no survivors.

U-229 arrived at St. Nazaire on 17 April.

2nd patrol
The boat's second foray commenced with her departure from St. Nazaire on 11 May 1943. On the 17th, west of the Bay of Biscay, she was attacked by a Catalina flying boat of No. 190 Squadron RAF. The damage inflicted was such that she was forced to return to France, arriving in Bordeaux on 7 June.

3rd patrol
Having moved from Bordeaux to La Pallice in early August 1943, the boat departed the latter port on the 31st. She was sunk on 22 September south-east of Cape Farewell, in position 54.6°N, -36.41667°W, by depth charges, gunfire and ramming by the British destroyer HMS Keppel (D84). All 50 hands were lost.