German submarine U - 197 German submarine " U - 197 " was a Type IXD2 U - boat of the Nazi German " Kriegsmarine " during World War II . The submarine was laid down on 5 July 1941 at the AG Weser yard in Bremen as ' werk ' 1043 . She was launched on 21 May 1942 , and commissioned on 10 October under the command of " Korvettenkapitän " Robert Bartels . After training with the 4th U - boat Flotilla at Stettin , " U - 197 " was transferred to the 12th U - boat Flotilla for front - line service on 1 April 1943 . Service history . " U - 197 " sailed from Kiel on 3 April 1943 on her first and only combat patrol , sailing around the Cape of Good Hope to the waters south of Madagascar . On 20 May , while in the South Atlantic , north - east of Ascension Island , she torpedoed the 4 , 763 ton Dutch tanker " Benakat " . After the crew of 44 men abandoned ship in three lifeboats a second torpedo broke the ship in two , and the bow section sank . The U - boat surfaced and sank the stern section with her deck gun . She torpedoed the unescorted 9 , 583 ton Swedish tanker " Pegasus " south - west of Madagascar on 24 July . The ship , loaded with 12 , 855 tons of gasoline , sank in flames . All 38 of her crew survived . On 30 July , the unescorted 7 , 181 ton American Liberty ship " William Ellery " was hit by a single torpedo about east southeast of Durban . A second torpedo narrowly missed , and despite a hole in the port side , the ship escaped and arrived at Durban on 1 August under her own power . The unescorted 6 , 921 ton British merchant ship " Empire Stanley " was torpedoed and sunk south southeast of Cap Sainte Marie , Madagascar on 17 August . From the 54 men aboard , 25 lost their lives , while the 29 survivors were later picked up in two lifeboats . Sinking . On 20 August 1943 " U - 197 " was attacked south of Madagascar , in position , by a British PBY Catalina aircraft of No . 259 Squadron RAF with six depth charges and slightly damaged . As the aircraft had no more bombs , it attempted to strafe with her machine guns , but the U - boat responded with ferocious AA fire . The aircraft then circled the U - boat at a safe distance and radioed for assistance . The U - boat remained on the surface , perhaps assuming that any support was unlikely , and that the aircraft would eventually have to abandon her vigil . Unfortunately another Catalina , FP 313 of 265 Squadron and piloted by captain Ernest Robin , ( receiving the D . F . C . [ Distinguished Flying Cross ] for the sinking of the vessel ) , arrived . " U - 197 " promptly crash - dived , and the aircraft dropped three depth charges , two of which detonated to port of the U - boat , but the third hit her squarely , killing all 67 hands . Eitel - Friedrich Kentrat , commander of , was severely criticised by the " Befehlshaber der U - Boote " ( BdU ) [ U - boat headquarters ] for his lack of support for " U - 197 " . " KrvKpt . " Robert Bartels of " U - 197 " had radioed a distress signal . The correct response by any boat in the vicinity , according to orders , would have been to assist at top speed . The BdU twice ordered " U - 196 " to aid " U - 197 " before Kentrat responded , and by that time " U - 197 " and the entire crew were lost .