German submarine U-203

History
Nazi Germany
Name	U-203
Ordered	23 September 1939
Builder	Germaniawerft, Kiel
Yard number	632
Laid down	28 March 1940
Launched	4 January 1941
Commissioned	18 February 1941
Fate	Sunk 25 April 1943 by British aircraft and a British warship. 10 dead, 38 survivors
General characteristics
Class and type	Type VIIC U-boat
Displacement	769 tonnes (757 long tons) surfaced; 871 t (857 long tons) submerged;
Length	67.10 m (220.1 ft) o/a; 50.50 m (165.7 ft) pressure hull;
Beam	6.20 m (20.3 ft) o/a; 4.70 m (15.4 ft) pressure hull;
Draught	4.74 m (15.6 ft)
Installed power	2,800–3,200 PS (2,100–2,400 kW; 2,800–3,200 bhp) (diesels); 750 PS (550 kW; 740 shp) (electric);
Propulsion	2 shafts; 2 × diesel engines; 2 × electric motors;
Speed	17.7 knots (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph) surfaced; 7.6 knots (14.1 km/h; 8.7 mph) submerged;
Range	8,500 nmi (15,700 km; 9,800 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced; 80 nmi (150 km; 92 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged;
Test depth	Calculated crush depth: 220 m (720 ft)
Complement	4 officers, 40–56 enlisted
Armament	4 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (bow); 14 torpedoes or 26 TMA mines; 1 × 8.8 cm (3.5 in) deck gun with 220 rounds; various anti-aircraft guns;
Service record
Part of:	1st U-boat Flotilla; 18 February 1941 – 25 April 1943;
Identification codes:	M 36 449
Commanders:	Kptlt. Rolf Mützelburg; 18 February 1941 – 11 September 1942; Oblt.z.S. Hans Seidel; 11 – 20 September 1942; Kptlt. Hermann Kottmann; 21 September 1942 – 25 April 1943;
Operations:	11 patrols:; 1st patrol:; 5 – 29 June 1941; 2nd patrol:; 10 – 31 July 1941; 3rd patrol:; 20 – 30 September 1941; 4th patrol:; 18 October – 12 November 1941; 5th patrol:; 25 December 1941 – 29 January 1942; 6th patrol:; a. 12 March – 30 April 1942; b. 3 – 4 June 1942 ; 7th patrol:; 4 June – 29 July 1942; 8th patrol:; a. 27 August – 11 September 1942; b. 11 – 18 September 1942; 9th patrol:; 15 October – 6 November 1942; 10th patrol:; 6 December 1942 – 7 January 1943; 11th patrol:; 3 – 25 April 1943;
Victories:	21 merchant ships sunk ; (94,270 GRT); 3 merchant ships damaged ; (17,052 GRT);

German submarine U-203 was a German Type VIIC submarine U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II.

Built as yard number 632 of Friedrich Krupp Germaniawerft AG in Kiel, she was laid down on 28 March 1940, launched on 4 January 1941 and commissioned on 18 February under Kapitänleutnant Rolf Mützelburg.

U-203 carried out eleven patrols with the first flotilla and is credited with sinking 21 ships for 94,270 gross register tons (GRT) and damaging a further three for 17,052 GRT. She was a member of eleven wolfpacks.

She was sunk by British carrier-borne aircraft and a British warship southeast of Greenland on 25 April 1943.

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