German submarine U-136 (1941)

German submarine U-136 was a Type VIIC U-boat of the Nazi German Kriegsmarine during World War II.

She was laid down at the Vulkan-Vegesackerwerft in Bremen on 2 October 1940 as 'werk' 15, launched on 5 July 1941 and commissioned on 30 August with Kapitänleutnant Heinrich Zimmermann in command.

Her service career began with the commencement of crew training with the 6th U-boat Flotilla on her commissioning date. She became operational on 1 January 1942, also with the 6th flotilla.

She sank five ships, with a total of and two warships totalling 1,850 tons. She also damaged one ship of 8,955 GRT.

1st Patrol
Her first patrol was unusual in that it was divided into three parts. Part one saw the boat depart Kiel on 22 January 1942 and arrive at Kristiansand in Norway on the 24th. Part two was from Kristiansand to Bergen, also in Norway. Part three involved the boat crossing the North Sea and negotiating the passage between the Faroe and Shetland Islands into the Atlantic Ocean. While doing so, she sank HMS Arbutus on 5 February and HMCS Spikenard on the 11th. She also sank the Empire Comet on the 17th. She then sailed to St. Nazaire in occupied France, arriving on 1 March.

2nd patrol
During U-136'es second patrol, the boat damaged the Axtell J. Byles off the US North Carolina coast on 19 April 1942 and sink the Empire Drum about 280 mi southeast of New York on the 24th. All the crew survived; one of them, the third engineer, was found floating with a part of the ship's cargo tucked under each arm - it was TNT.

3rd patrol and loss
The boat's third and last patrol began with her departure from St. Nazaire on 29 June 1942. On 11 July, she was sunk with all hands (45 men), by depth charges from the Free French destroyer Léopard, the British frigate HMS Spey and the British sloop HMS Pelican west of Madeira.

Summary of raiding history

 * Bibliography
 * U-boat.net webpage for U-136