German submarine U-394

German submarine U-394 was a Type VIIC U-boat of the Nazi German Kriegsmarine during World War II.

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

She was sunk by a British aircraft and warships in the Norwegian Sea in September 1944.

Service history
The submarine was laid down on 31 January 1941 at the Howaldtswerke (yard) at Flensburg as 'werk' 26, launched on 19 June 1943 and commissioned on 7 August under the command of Oberleutnant Ernst-Günther Unterhorst.

The boat was a member of two wolfpacks.

She served with the 5th U-boat Flotilla from 7 August 1943 and the 1st flotilla from 1 April 1944. She was reassigned to the 11h flotilla on 1 June.

Her first patrol was preceded by a series of short journey from Kiel in Germany to Arendal (northeast of Kristiansand), Bergen and Narvik in Norway.

1st patrol
The boat departed Narvik on 1 June 1944. She was soon sweeping the Norwegian Sea between Jan Mayen island and the Norwegian mainland. She arrived at Hammerfest on 8 July.

2nd patrol and loss
U-394 left Hammerfest on 27 July 1944. She patrolled the Greenland and Barents seas. On 2 September, southeast of Jan Mayen, she was sunk by rockets and depth charges from a Fairey Swordfish of 825 Naval Air Squadron (this aircraft was from the escort carrier HMS Vindex), the British destroyers HMS Keppel and Whitehall. The sloops Mermaid and Peacock were also involved.

50 men died in the U-boat; there were no survivors.