German submarine U-347

German submarine U-347 was a Type VIIC U-boat of the Nazi German Kriegsmarine during World War II.

She was a member of three wolfpacks.

She was on her fourth patrol when she was sunk by a British aircraft in July 1944.

She sank or damaged no ships.

Service history
The submarine was laid down on 19 October 1942 at the Nordseewerke yard at Emden as 'werk' 219, launched on 21 May 1943 and commissioned on 7 July under the command of Oberleutnant Johahn de Buhr.

U-347 served with the 8th U-boat Flotilla, for training and the 9th flotilla for operations from 1 March 1944. She was reassigned to the 11th flotilla on 1 June 1944.

1st patrol
U-347 had sailed from Kiel in Germany to Stavanger in Norway March 1944, but her first patrol began when she departed Stavanger on 9 May. She arrived at Narvik on the 13th.

2nd patrol
Her second foray began on 15 May 1944 when she departed Narvik (a port she would use as a base for the rest of her career), for the Norwegian Sea. She returned on 8 June.

3rd patrol
U-347 departed Narvik on 23 June 1944; she returned the same day.

4th patrol and loss
The boat had departed Narvik on 3 July 1944. On the 17th, she was sunk by a B-24 Liberator of No. 86 Squadron RAF.

Forty-nine men died in the U-boat's sinking; there were no survivors.

Previously recorded fate
U-347 was thought to have been sunk on 17 July 1944 west of Narvik by a British PBY Catalina of No. 210 Squadron RAF. The pilot, Flying Officer John Cruickshank, was awarded the Victoria Cross for sinking U-361.