German submarine U-86 (1941)

German submarine U-86 was a Type VIIB U-boat of the Nazi German Kriegsmarine during World War II.

She was laid down at the Flender Werke in Lübeck on 20 January 1940 as Werk 282. Launched on 10 May 1941, she was commissioned on 8 July and completed training with the 5th U-boat Flotilla under the command of Kapitänleutnant (Kptlt.) Walter Schug. She was reassigned to the 1st flotilla, initially for further training on 1 September before being ready for operations from 1 December. She stayed with that organization until her loss on 29 November 1943.

U-86 completed eight war patrols with the flotilla, sinking three ships, totalling. She also damaged a ship of 8,627 GRT. She was a member of ten wolfpacks.

She was sunk in November 1943 by two British warships.

1st patrol
U-86 departed Kiel on 7 December 1941 for her first patrol. She docked at Brest on the French Atlantic coast on the 22nd where she would be based for the rest of her career.

2nd patrol
U-86's second patrol started on 27 December 1941. She damaged the British Toorak on 16 January 1942. On the 18th, she sank the Greek Dimitios G. Thermiotis.

3rd and 4th patrols
On her third foray, she left Brest on 25 March 1942. It was relatively uneventful. She returned on 26 May.

Sortie number four began on 2 July 1942. On 6 August, she sank an American sailing ship, the Wawaloam with her deck gun.

5th, 6th and 7th patrols
This (fifth) outing was also quiet, starting on 31 October 1942 and finishing on 7 January 1943.

Having left Brest on 24 February 1943, she encountered and sank her final victim, the Norwegian Brant County on 11 March.

U-86's seventh patrol was between 8 July and 11 September 1943.

8th patrol and loss
The boat departed Brest for the last time on 11 November 1943. She was sunk east of the Azores on the 29th by depth charges from the British destroyers HMS Tumult (R11) and HMS Rocket (R11).

50 men died; there were no survivors.

Previously recorded fate
U-86 was listed as missing in the North Atlantic from 28 November 1943. The boat was claimed sunk by aircraft from the USS Bogue (CVE-9) on 29 November 1943. This attack was subsequently attributed to GS U-764 which escaped undamaged.

Summary of raiding career
* Sailing ship