In October 1939, illuminated by the northern lights, the German submarine U-47 threaded its way through sunken barriers and slipped into the British anchorage at Scapa Flow, a … This posed a real danger to British ships stationed in Scapa Flow. But from March on, the figures for merchant ships lost went massively up. A German submarine torpedoed the ship hours after Britain declared war on Hitler in 1939 - more than 100 people, including many Americans, were killed. It was discovered decades later. Yet, between 1939 and 1940, only 82 vessels were constructed. Date U-Boat Last Commander Cause of Sinking Position 1939 14 Sep U-39 Glattes HMS Faulknor, Foxhound & Firedrake 58-32 N, 11-49 W 20[22?] 5 SHIPS IN CONVOY SUNK BY U-BOATS; At Least 3 Submarines Raid Group of 27 Vessels After British Warships Leave 61 OFF FREIGHTER RESCUED Blow Is Believed Heaviest Ever Dealt to Bunched Craft-- … From January to March 1940, fewer boats were sunk than from September to December 1939. ... 1941 and US entry into World War II, ships were being sunk by German U-Boats almost as fast as they were being built. The potency of the U-boats in the early stages of this campaign can be seen in the following figures: On the first day of war, 3rd September, 1939, a ship of approximately 10,000 tons was torpedoed in the late hours of the evening by the U-30. The Second World War, New York: Penguin Books, 1989. The pocket battleship the Graf Spee alone sank nine ships in the last three months of 1939 before being heavily damaged and sunk off the coast of Uruguay. 3 of 23 4 of 23. The U-boat was sunk that evening by four warships, Coast Guard cutters, a destroyer, frigates and two blimps. The U-166, which sits nearly a mile below the Gulf of Mexico, just off the Texas coast, was sunk by Allied forces during WWII. After the ship was torpedoed and we surfaced again, approximately half an hour after the explosion, the Commandant called me to the tower in order to show me the torpedoed ship. British losses continued to mount. In 1940, the U-boats started to take a real toll against merchant shipping. The last U-boat was sunk in American waters during the Battle of Point Judith off the Rhode Island coast. U-853 sank a collier ship on May 5, days before Germany surrendered. Keegan, John. 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