German submarine U-396

German submarine U-396 was a Type VIIC U-boat of the Nazi German Kriegsmarine during World War II.

She carried out five patrols. She did not sink or damage any ships.

She was posted missing in mid or late April 1945.

Service history
The submarine was laid down on 6 June 1942 at the Howaldtswerke (yard) at Flensburg as 'werk' 28, launched on 27 August 1943 and commissioned on 16 October under the command of Kapitänleutnant Ernst-Günther Unterhorst.

She served with the 5th U-boat Flotilla from 16 October 1943 and the 1st flotilla from 1 June 1944. She was reassigned to the 11h flotilla on 1 October.

1st patrol
The boat departed Kiel on 20 June 1944. On 28 July she was attacked by a British Catalina flying boat of No. 210 Squadron RAF. The only damage was a carbon monoxide leak which was serious enough to cause the submarine to abort her patrol. She arrived at Bergen on 3 July.

2nd and 3rd patrols
These two sorties were relatively uneventful.

4th patrol
U-396 departed Trondheim on 1 October 1944. She entered the north Atlantic Ocean via the 'gap' between Iceland and the Faroe Islands and sailed southeast of Cape Farewell (Greenland). She returned to Trondheim on 19 December. At 60 days, it was her longest patrol.

5th patrol and possible loss
The boat departed Trondheim for Atlantic weather reporting duties on 13 March 1945. It is known that she sailed between the Faroe and Shetland Islands. She was posted missing in mid or late April. No conclusive explanation for her loss exists.

45 men were aboard the U-boat; there were no survivors.

Previously recorded fate
U-396 was thought to have been sunk on 23 April 1945 southwest of the Shetland Islands by depth charges dropped by a British B-24 Liberator of No. 86 Squadron RAF. This attack was probably against a 'nonsub' target.