German submarine U-138 (1940)

German submarine U-138 was a Type IID U-boat of the German Kriegsmarine in World War II. Her keel was laid down on 16 November 1939 by Deutsche Werke in Kiel as 'werk' 267. She was launched on 18 May 1940 and commissioned on 27 June 1940 with Oberleutnant zur See Wolfgang Lüth in command.

U-138 conducted five patrols, sinking six ships totalling and damaged one vessel of 6,993 GRT.

She was sunk in June 1941 by British warships west of Cadiz in Spain. There were no casualties from her crew of 27.

1st patrol
U-138 departed Kiel on her first patrol on 10 September 1940. Her route took her through the Kattegat and Skagerrak before entering the North Sea. She then reached her area of operations off western Scotland and northern Northern Ireland after negotiating the 'gap' between the Faoroe and Shetland Islands.

Her first victim was the New Sevilla, quickly followed by the Boka and the City of Simla. The three ships all went down 52 mi northwest of Rathlin Island on 20 September. The following day, she hit the Empire Adventure. The ship sank while under tow by HMS Superman.

The boat docked in Lorient on the French Atlantic coast on 26 September.

2nd patrol
For her second foray, U-137 sank the Bonheur and damaged the British Glory on 15 October 1940 northwest of the Butt of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides. The British Glory was repaired and returned to service in January 1942.

3rd patrol
Patrol number three involved another passage west of the British Isles so that the submarine could safely dock in Kiel, but she did not add to her score.

4th patrol
The boat returned to Lorient on 27 May 1941, having sunk the Javanese Princess on the 20th.

5th patrol
U-138 was sunk by the British destroyers HMS Faulknor, Fearless, Forester, Foresight and Foxhound west of Cadiz in Spain on 18 June 1941. There were no casualties amongst her crew of 27.