German submarine U-202

German submarine U-202 was a Type VIIC U-boat of the Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 18 March 1940 by the Friedrich Krupp Germaniawerft yard at Kiel as 'werk' 631, launched on 10 February 1941, and commissioned on 22 March under the command of Kapitänleutnant Hans-Heinz Linder.

She sank nine ships totalling 34,615 GRT and damaged four more totalling 35,427 GRT.

She was sunk on 2 June 1943 in the North Atlantic by depth charges and gunfire from a British warship. 18 men died, there were 30 survivors.

Operational career
Part of the 1st U-boat Flotilla, U-202 conducted nine patrols in the North Atlantic, the last three under the command of Kptlt. Günter Poser; she was a member of ten wolfpacks.

1st, 2nd and 3rd patrols
U-202's first patrol began when she left Kiel on 17 June 1941; it passed without incident and concluded with her entry into Brest in France on 23 July after 37 days at sea.

She had more success on her second outing; departing Brest on 11 August, attacking and sinking two ships east of Greenland and south of Iceland before returning to Brest on 17 September 1941.

Her third patrol, beginning on 16 October, which was also successful, saw the destruction of the British-registered SS Flynderborg (1930) and the Gretavale northeast of Newfoundland. She returned to her French base on 13 November, after a voyage of 29 days.

4th, 5th and 6th patrols
The submarine's fourth sortie was towards the Moroccan coast. U-202 left Brest on 13 December 1941. She returned empty-handed on 27 December.

Her fifth patrol produced better results, damaging the British ships Athelviscount about 600 mi east southeast of Halifax on 22 March 1942 and sinking the Loch Don about 500 mi north northeast of Bermuda on 1 April. This patrol was from 1 March to 26 April, a total of 57 days.

Her sixth foray, commencing on 27 May, was also successful. On 12 June she landed four saboteurs at Amagansett, New York, on Long Island, as part of Operation Pastorius. The Argentinian Rio Tercero went to the bottom about 120 mi off New York on 22 June, followed by the American City of Birmingham about 250 mi east of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina on 1 July. The U-boat reached Brest on 25 July, after 60 days.

7th, 8th and 9th patrols
The boat's seventh patrol took in the northern coast of South America, leaving Brest on 6 September 1942. Things did not go well; U-202 was attacked by British aircraft on 8 September while still in the Bay of Biscay and again on 29 September southeast of Trinidad. Although damaged, the U-boat continued her patrol, sinking two ships before returning to base on 25 October.

She sank one ship and damaged three others after commencing her eighth patrol on 12 January 1943. She was attacked south of the Azores on 23 February. The U-boat returned to Brest on 26 March after 74 days away.

Her ninth and final sortie began on 29 April 1943 and came to an end when she was sunk on 2 June 1943.

Sinking
U-202 was detected by 'HF/DF' (radio detection equipment) of ships in the Second Support Group (headed by the British sloop HMS Starling commanded by Captain FJ Walker RN), when she transmitted a daily report. On closing the range, the surface ships found the U-boat with ASDIC (sonar) and attacked. Despite much evasive action, the submarine could not shake off her pursuers. After many hours, U-202 was forced to the surface where she was engaged by Starling's guns. A volley of depth charges followed which seemed to lift the U-boat out of the water before she sank.

It was a text-book attack that pleased Walker enough to signal 'splice the mainbrace' (issue rum) in celebration.

Portrayal in media
At least three books have been written about the 1942 raid, the 1959 book Eight Spies against America by John Dasch, the 1961 book They Came to Kill by Eugene Rachlis, and the 2004 book "Saboteurs:The Nazi Raid on America," by Michael Dobbs.