German submarine U - 108 ( 1940 ) German submarine " U - 108 " was a Type IXB U - boat of the Nazi German " Kriegsmarine " that operated during World War II . She was laid down at AG Weser in Bremen as ' werk ' 971 on 27 December 1938 , launched on 15 July 1940 and commissioned on 22 October under " Korvettenkapitän " Klaus Scholtz . Her service career began with training as part of the 2nd U - boat Flotilla ; she went on to operations , first with the 2nd flotilla , then with the 8th flotilla . Operational career . " U - 108 " carried out eleven war patrols , during which she sank 25 ships , a total of 118 , 722 GRT ( Gross Registered Tons ) and one auxiliary warship of 16 , 444 tons . She was a member of seven wolfpack s . 1st , 2nd and 3rd patrols . The boat ' s first patrol began with her departure from Wilhelmshaven on 15 February 1941 . She crossed the North Sea and entered the Atlantic via the gap between Iceland and the Faroe Islands , sinking the " Texelstroom " on 22 February . She also sank the " Effna " on the 28th ; both ships met their end south of Iceland . She then docked at Lorient in occupied France on 12 March . She would be based there for most of the rest of her career . Her second foray involved the sinking of HMS " Rajputna " , an armed merchant cruiser , west of Reykjavík on 13 April 1941 . The Convoy Commodore , four officer and 35 ratings were lost . " U - 108 " sank the " Michael E . " , a CAM ship or ' Catapult Armed Merchantman ' , on the submarine ' s third patrol on 2 June 1941 in mid - Atlantic . She went on to sink the " Baron Nairn " west of Cape Race ( eastern Newfoundland and Labrador ) on the 8th ; the Greek ship " Dirphys " east of Newfoundland , also on 8 July ; the " Christian Krohg " on the 10th ; the " Ellinco " on the 25th ; the " Nicholas Pateras " on the same day and the " Toronto " on 1 July . The latter was a weather ship situated about north of the Azores . 4th , 5th and 6th patrols . Patrol number four saw the boat covering the ' gap ' between South America and Africa . She departed Lorient on 19 August 1941 and returned on 21 October . She sank the " Cassequel " , a neutral vessel , on 14 December 1941 , southwest of Cape St . Vincent , Portugal and the " Ruckinge " on the 19th , west of Lisbon as part of her fifth sortie . The boat ' s sixth patrol , as part of Operation " Drumbeat " ( " Paukenschlag " ) , took her to the east coast of North America where she was again successful , sinking the " Ocean Venture " on 8 February 1942 , the " Tolosa " on the 9th and the " Blink " on the 12th . The U - boat had chased the " Blink " , which had been hit by a non - detonating torpedo , the two vessels almost collided ; which was only avoided by " U - 108 " diving underneath the merchant ship . < br > She also sank the " Ramapo " northwest of Bermuda on 16 February and the " Somme " on the 18th . 7th , 8th and 9th patrols . The boat ' s seventh patrol was almost as successful as her sixth , sinking the " Modesta " on 25 April 1942 , the " Mobiloil " on the 29th ( which required a total of six torpedoes and many rounds from the 20mm and 37mm guns ) , the " Afoundria " on 5 May , and the " Abgara " a day later . On the return leg she encountered the " Norland " on the 25th . More success pennants were flown after her eighth patrol , which took her almost to the northern South American coast . She sank the " Tricula " on 3 August 1942 , the " Breňas " on the 7th and the " Louisiana " on the 17th . The boat ' s ninth patrol was carried out in opposition to Operation " Torch " , ( the Allied landings in North Africa ) . The submarine had not been off Morocco long before being attacked by a destroyer . The damage incurred was serious enough that the boat was obliged to return to France where effective repairs might be carried out . 10th and 11th patrols . The U - boat was attacked by a Catalina flying boat of 202 Squadron RAF on 10 February 1943 west of Morocco . The damage to the forward torpedo tubes forced her to return to Lorient . In her last operational patrol , she departed Lorient on 1 April 1943 . She was attacked by a destroyer on the 22nd but continued to shadow Convoy ON ( S ) 4 southeast of Greenland . She arrived at Stettin in modern - day Poland on 16 May . Bombed and sunk there 11 April , raised and decommissioned 17 July 1944 . Scuttled there 24 April 1945 .