German submarine U-226

German submarine U-226 was a Type VIIC U-boat that served with the Kriegsmarine during World War II. Laid down on 1 August 1941 as yard number 656 at F. Krupp Germaniawerft in Kiel, she was launched on 18 June 1942 and commissioned on 1 August under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Albrecht Gänge.

She began her service career in training with the 5th U-boat Flotilla. She was transferred to the 6th flotilla on 1 January 1943.

The boat was a member of eleven wolfpacks. She carried out three patrols and sank one ship.

She was sunk by British warships on 6 November 1943.

Design
German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-226 had a displacement of 769 t when at the surface and 871 t while submerged. She had a total length of 67.10 m, a pressure hull length of 50.50 m, a beam of 6.20 m, a height of 9.60 m, and a draught of 4.74 m. The submarine was powered by two Germaniawerft F46 four-stroke, six-cylinder supercharged diesel engines producing a total of 2800 to 3200 PS for use while surfaced, two AEG GU 460/8–27 double-acting electric motors producing a total of 750 PS for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 1.23 m propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to 230 m.

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 17.7 kn and a maximum submerged speed of 7.6 kn. When submerged, the boat could operate for 80 nmi at 4 kn; when surfaced, she could travel 8500 nmi at 10 kn. U-226 was fitted with five 53.3 cm torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and one at the stern), fourteen torpedoes, one 8.8 cm SK C/35 naval gun, 220 rounds, and an anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.

First patrol
U-226 departed Kiel on 31 December 1942, heading for the Atlantic Ocean via the gap between Iceland and the Faroe Islands. She sailed toward Newfoundland, southeast of Greenland. She arrived at Lorient in occupied France, on 17 May.

Second patrol
Having left Lorient on 10 April 1943, the boat encountered the Fort Rampart west of the Bay of Biscay on the 18th. The ship had already been attacked by GS U-628. U-226 finished the merchantman off with a 'coup de grǎce' torpedo and gunfire and returned to France; this time to St. Nazaire.

Third patrol
Having left St. Nazaire for Brest, the boat departed the port in Brittany on 5 October. U-226 was attacked and sunk on 6 November by depth charges from the British sloops HMS Starling (U66), HMS Woodcock (U90) and HMS Kite (U87) east of Newfoundland. Fifty-one men died, there were no survivors.

Wolfpacks
U-226 took part in eleven wolfpacks, namely:
 * Falke (8 – 12 January 1943)
 * Habicht (10 – 19 January 1943)
 * Haudegen (19 January – 15 February 1943)
 * Sturmbock (24 – 26 February 1943)
 * Without name (15 – 18 April 1943)
 * Specht (19 April – 4 May 1943)
 * Fink (4 – 5 May 1943)
 * Siegfried (22 – 27 October 1943)
 * Siegfried 3 (27 – 30 October 1943)
 * Jahn (30 October – 2 November 1943)
 * Tirpitz 4 (2 – 6 November 1943)