German submarine U-67 (1940)

German submarine U-67 was a Type IXC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine that operated in World War II. She was laid down in the AG Weser yard in Bremen as yard number 986 on 5 April 1940. She was launched on 30 October and was commissioned on 22 January 1941 under Korvettenkapitän Heinrich Bleichrodt.

Her service life began with training with the 2nd U-boat Flotilla on her commissioning date; the boat was declared operational with the same flotilla on 1 September 1941.

Design
German Type IXC submarines were slightly larger than the original Type IXBs. U-67 had a displacement of 1120 t when at the surface and 1232 t while submerged. The U-boat had a total length of 76.76 m, a pressure hull length of 58.75 m, a beam of 6.76 m, a height of 9.60 m, and a draught of 4.70 m. The submarine was powered by two MAN M 9 V 40/46 supercharged four-stroke, nine-cylinder diesel engines producing a total of 4400 PS for use while surfaced, two Siemens-Schuckert 2 GU 345/34 double-acting electric motors producing a total of 1000 PS for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 1.92 m propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to 230 m.

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 18.3 kn and a maximum submerged speed of 7.3 kn. When submerged, the boat could operate for 63 nmi at 4 kn; when surfaced, she could travel 13450 nmi at 10 kn. U-67 was fitted with six 53.3 cm torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and two at the stern), 22 torpedoes, one 10.5 cm SK C/32 naval gun, 180 rounds, and a 3.7 cm SK C/30 as well as a 2 cm C/30 anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of forty-eight.

Service history
The boat carried out seven patrols in which she sank 13 ships for a total of 72,138 GRT and damaged another five for a total of 29,726 GRT. She was a member of three wolfpacks.

She was sunk on 16 July 1943 by an Avenger bomber from the US aircraft carrier USS Core. 48 men died, there were three survivors.

Her operational service commenced with a trip from Bergen in Norway to Lorient in France. The submarine was to spend the rest of her career being based in the French port.

First, second and third patrols
She sank St. Clair II west northwest of the Canary Islands on 24 September 1941 on her first foray. On 28 September she was damaged in an action in Tarrafal Bay, Cape Verde islands, colliding with HMS Clyde, which forced her to return to base.

On her second patrol she was attacked by the British corvette HMS Bluebell (K80) on 11 December 1941 west of Gibraltar; slight damage was incurred. GS U-208 was originally thought to have been sunk.

Her third effort, which began with the U-boat's departure from Lorient on 19 January 1942, took her to the Caribbean, where she sank Penelope, about 150 nmi west of Dominica on 14 March.

Fourth, fifth and sixth patrols and loss
Her fourth patrol, as part of Operation Drumbeat, saw the submarine enter the Gulf of Mexico. There she sank eight ships, most of them just off the mouth of the Mississippi River.

Her fifth sortie turned out to be her longest - 97 days. Moving to the area off the north coast of South America, she sank a further six ships, but her success was marred by an explosion while handling torpedoes. One man was killed.

Patrol number six included being part of wolfpack Seeräuber ("Pirate") which was unfortunate as the boat was badly damaged in an attack on the convoy RS 3. Three U-boats (from a total of eight) were hit in the battle, which took place south of the Canary Islands.

The submarine began her seventh and final patrol on 10 May 1943. On 16 July, U-67 was spotted by a Grumman TBF Avenger, piloted by Lt. Robert Pershing Williams of VC-13 embarked in USS Core, who attacked with four Mk.7 depth charges, sinking the boat. An escort, USS McCormick, was dispatched to the scene and picked up three survivors out of a crew of 51 in position 30.08333°N, -44.28333°W.

Wolfpacks
U-67 took part in three wolfpacks, namely:
 * Seeräuber (14 – 23 December 1941)
 * Wohlgemut (12 – 22 March 1943)
 * Seeräuber (25 – 30 March 1943)