German submarine U-118 (1941)
German submarine "U-118" was a Type XB minelaying U-boat of Nazi Germany's "Kriegsmarine" during World War II. She was ordered on 31 January 1939 and laid down on 1 March 1940 at the Friedrich Krupp Germaniawerft in Kiel, as yard number 617. She was launched on 23 September 1941 and commissioned on 6 December under the command of "Korvettenkapitän" Werner Czygan. After a period of training as part of the 4th U-boat Flotilla, "U-118" was assigned to the front-line as part of the 10th U-boat Flotilla on 1 October 1942. She  was reassigned to the 12th flotilla a month later on 1 November. She was a member of three wolfpacks. Operational career. "U-118" sank three merchant vessels and a warship; a total of and 925 tons of shipping in three patrols. She also damaged two others, for a total of . First patrol. "U-118"s first patrol began on 19 September 1942 with her departure from Kiel. Her route took her across the North Sea, through the 'gap' between Iceland and the Faroe Islands and into the Atlantic Ocean. The boat was attacked south of Iceland by an aircraft on 29 September which  caused only slight damage. She reached her destination, which was Lorient in occupied France, on 16 October. Second patrol. Her second sortie was to an area between the Azores and Madeira. It was uneventful. She carried out a short transit voyage from Lorient to Brest on 12 and 13 December 1942. Third patrol. The boat's third patrol was the longest, but most successful. Departing Brest on 25 January 1943, she sailed west of Gibraltar, where she sank "Baltonia", "Empire Mordred" and "Mary Slessor" on 7 February and damaged "Duero" with a mine on the tenth. She was also responsible  for the sinking of the corvette on 22 February. The Canadian ship struck a mine that "U-118" had laid on the first. Despite best efforts by the crew to remove depth charge primers, two exploded when the ship sank, killing men in the water and disabling a nearby destroyer. "U-118" returned to France, to Bordeaux, on 26 February. Fourth patrol and loss. "U-118" had been at sea less than a month when she was attacked by two aircraft west of the Canary Islands followed by a further eight planes from the carrier . Following a heavy expenditure of bombs, .50" and  .30" ammunition; the U-boat exploded into two parts, oil and debris were flung into the air. 16 men survived to be picked up by the escort vessel . She was sunk in position Wolfpacks. "U-118" took part in three wolfpacks, namely: