German submarine U-40

German submarine U-40 was a Type IX submarine of the Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 15 March 1937 at the Deutsche Werft shipyard in Hamburg, launched on 14 February 1939, and commissioned on 23 May 1939 under the command of Korvettenkapitän Werner Winter.

Design

U-40 was a Type IX submarine, a long-range ocean-going submarine designed for sustained operations far from the home support facilities. Type IX boats were briefly used for patrols off the east coast of the United States in an attempt to disrupt the stream of troops and supplies bound for Europe.

Service History

During its service in World War II, U-40 completed three patrols. On its first patrol, it sank the British merchant ship SS Aviemore on 10 September 1939. On its third patrol, U-40 hit a mine and sank in the North Sea on 13 October 1939 with the loss of all hands.

Legacy

The wreck of U-40 was discovered in 1986 and is now a popular site for scuba diving.

See also

• List of German U-boats
• Battle of the Atlantic (1939–1945)

References

• Gudmundur Helgason, Rainer Kolbicz, www.uboat.net, 1995 - 2020, "The Type IX boat U-40".