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German submarine ''U-197'' was a Type IXD2 U-boat of Nazi Germany's ''Kriegsmarine'' during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 5 July 1941 at the DeSchiMAG AG Weser yard in Bremen as yard number 1043. She was launched on 21 May 1942, and commissioned on 10 October under the command of ''Korvettenkapitän'' Robert Bartels. After training with the 4th U-boat Flotilla at Stettin, ''U-197'' was transferred to the 12th U-boat Flotilla for front-line service on 1 April 1943.〔 ==Service history== ''U-197'' sailed from Kiel on 3 April 1943 on her first and only combat patrol, sailing around the Cape of Good Hope to the waters south of Madagascar. On 20 May, while in the South Atlantic, north-east of Ascension Island, she torpedoed the 4,763 ton Dutch tanker ''Benakat''. After the crew of 44 men abandoned ship in three lifeboats a second torpedo broke the ship in two, and the bow section sank. The U-boat surfaced and sank the stern section with her deck gun. She torpedoed the unescorted 9,583 ton Swedish tanker ''Pegasus'' south-west of Madagascar on 24 July. The ship, loaded with 12,855 tons of gasoline, sank in flames. All 38 of her crew survived. On 30 July, the unescorted 7,181 ton American Liberty ship ''William Ellery'' was hit by a single torpedo about east southeast of Durban. A second torpedo narrowly missed, and despite a hole in the port side, the ship escaped and arrived at Durban on 1 August under her own power. The unescorted 6,921 ton British merchant ship ''Empire Stanley'' was torpedoed and sunk south southeast of Cap Sainte Marie, Madagascar on 17 August. From the 54 men aboard, 25 lost their lives, while the 29 survivors were later picked up in two lifeboats. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「German submarine U-197」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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