German submarine U-206

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German submarine U-206 was a Type VIIC U-boat of the Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 17 June 1940 by the Friedrich Krupp Germaniawerft yard at Kiel as 'werk' 635, launched on 5 April 1941 and commissioned on 17 May under the command of Oberleutnant Herbert Opitz.

She was possibly sunk in November 1941 by a British-laid minefield.

Operational career
Part of the 3rd U-boat Flotilla, U-206 carried out three patrols in the North Atlantic.

1st patrol
U-206's first patrol began when she left Trondheim in Norway on 5 August 1941; she travelled through the 'gap' between Iceland and the Faroe Islands and headed south, towards the west of Ireland. She sank the Ocean Victor on 9 August south of Iceland. She arrived at St. Nazaire in occupied France on 10 September.

2nd patrol
On her second foray, she sank HMS Fleur de Lys on 14 October 1941 55 mi west of Gibraltar and the Baron Kelvin, close to the Rock on the 19th.

3rd patrol and loss
U-206 was posted missing from about 30 November 1941. She is believed to have been the victim of a minefield laid by the RAF, (code-named 'Beech'), west of St. Nazaire. Forty-six men died; there were no survivors.