German submarine U-340

German submarine U-340 was a Type VIIC U-boat of the Nazi German Kriegsmarine during World War II.

The submarine was laid down on 1 October 1941 at the Nordseewerke yard at Emden, launched on 20 August 1942, and commissioned on 16 October 1942 under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Hans-Joachim Klaus. U-340 served with the 8th U-boat Flotilla, for training and then with the 6th U-boat Flotilla for operational service from 1 May to 2 November 1943.

1st patrol
U-340 sailed from Kiel on 29 April 1943, and out into the Atlantic to the waters south-east of Cape Farewell, Greenland, before returning to Bordeaux on 31 May, after 33 days at sea with no successes.

2nd patrol
U-340's next patrol took her from Bordeaux on 6 July 1943, south to the coast of West Africa. On 25 August she rescued five Luftwaffe airmen off the coast of Spain, and was attacked by an aircraft shortly afterwards, suffering some damage; several men were wounded. She returned to Saint-Nazaire on 2 September.

3rd patrol
U-340's third and final patrol began on 17 October 1943, sailing from Saint-Nazaire south to the Strait of Gibraltar. There she was sunk on 2 November 1943, near Tangier at position 35.55°N, -6.61667°W, by depth charges from the sloop HMS Fleetwood (U73), the destroyers HMS Active (H14) and Witherington and a Liberator bomber of No. 179 Squadron RAF. One of U-340's crew was killed and 48 survived the attack.