German submarine U-208
German submarine "U-208" was a Type VIIC U-boat of the "Kriegsmarine" during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 5 August 1940 by the Friedrich Krupp Germaniawerft yard at Kiel as yard number 637, launched on 21 May 1941 and commissioned on 5 July under the command of "Oberleutnant zur See" Alfred Schlieper. She was sunk on 7 December 1941 by ships of the British Royal Navy. Design. German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. "U-208" had a displacement of when at the surface and while submerged. She had  a total length of , a pressure hull length of , a beam of , a height of , and a draught of . The submarine was powered by two Germaniawerft F46 four-stroke, six-cylinder supercharged diesel engines producing a total of for use while surfaced, two AEG GU 460/8–27 double-acting electric motors producing a total of for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to . The submarine had a maximum surface speed of and a maximum submerged speed of . When submerged, the boat could operate for at ; when surfaced , she could travel at . "U-208" was fitted with five torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and one at the stern), fourteen torpedoes, one SK C/35 naval gun, 220 rounds, and a C/30 anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty. Service history. Part of the 1st U-boat Flotilla, "U-208" carried out two patrols in the North Atlantic. First patrol. "U-208"s first patrol began when she left Kiel on 29 September 1941. She travelled to the Barents Sea before turning about and headed for the gap between Iceland and the Faroe Islands. She  then crossed the Atlantic Ocean to Labrador and followed the coast south to Newfoundland. She sank the "Larpool" about east southeast of Cape Race (Newfoundland). Turning east, she sailed for the Bay of Biscay, arriving at Brest in occupied France, on 12 November. Second patrol and loss. The boat's second patrol took her south of Spain. She was attacked and sunk by depth charges dropped by the British destroyers and west of Gibraltar on 7 December 1941. Forty-five men died; there were no survivors. Afternote. "U-208" was previously thought to have been sunk by the corvette on 11  December 1941, west of Gibraltar. Wolfpacks. "U-208" took part in one wolfpack, namely: