German submarine U-400

German submarine U-400 was a Type VIIC U-boat of the German Navy (Kriegsmarine) during World War II.

The submarine was laid down on 18 November 1942 at the Howaldtswerke yard in Kiel as 'werk' 32, launched on 8 January 1944 and commissioned on 18 March under the command of Kapitänleutnant Horst Creutz.

Service history
After training with the 5th U-boat Flotilla, U-400 was attached to the 11th U-boat Flotilla for front-line service on 1 November 1944.

The U-boat sailed from Horten in Norway for her first war patrol on 15 November 1944, and headed for the waters off Land's End. Despite repeated requests for reports by the German U-boat Command, none were received. The U-boat was eventually listed as "missing" at the end of January 1945. After the war, the Allies attributed the loss of U-400 to a depth charge attack by the frigate HMS Nyasaland (K587) on 17 December 1944, about 30 miles south-east of Kinsale, Ireland.

Discovery
The wreck of U-400 was finally identified by nautical archaeologist Innes McCartney and historian Axel Niestle in 2006, about 10 mi north-west of Padstow, Cornwall, at position 50.665°N, -5.08333°W close to the wrecks of two other U-boats, GS U-325 and GS U-1021. All three submarines were sunk in the Bristol Channel by a deep-trap minefield.

The U-boat sunk by Nyasaland is now believed to have been GS U-772.

Previously recorded fate
U-400 was noted as sunk in mid-December 1944 in the British minefield 'HX A1' off the Cornish coast.