Type: VII-C
Built by: Germania Werft (Kiel)
Launched: 7 December 1940
Commissioned: 25 January 1941
Feldpost Nr.: M33584
Sunk: 17 February 1943
Sunk by: HMS FAME (DD)
Location sunk: SE of Greenland
Position sunk: 50º 36’N x 41º 07’W (all hands lost – 49 men)

Adalbert Schnee in both formal – and informal – poses.

The first commander of U-201 was Korvettenkapitän Adalbert Schnee from 25 January 1941 until July 1942 and he also commanded U-6, U-60 and U-2511. Schnee was also I.W.O. aboard U-23 under OTTO KRETSCHMER (122-+-1985).

The second and final Skipper was Oberleutnant Günther Rosenberg who had previously commanded U-351. He took over from Schnee in July 1942 until the boat was lost in February 1943.

Both conning tower emblems that were used by U-201

U-201 was attached to the 1st U-Bootflottille based at Brest and during her time in the war under command of Schnee (the ‘Snowman’), this was a highly successful boat and Schnee was decorated with the Knights Cross with Oak Leaf.

In addition to the Snowman in honor of Schnee’s name (it means ‘Snow’ in German) the tower also bore the heraldic emblem of the city of Remscheid because that city adopted U-201, as was the custom in World War II.

SHIPS SUNK BY U-201 UNDER SCHNEE
05.02.41	CAPULET	Brit stmr	8,190 GRT
(This ship was initially torpedoed by U-552, TOPP, and was abandoned on fire. U-201 sank her with a coup d’ grace)
05.09.41	GREGALIA	Brit stmr	5,802 GRT
08.19.41	AGUILA	Brit stmr	3,255 GRT
( Schnee fired all four forward and observed hits on a tanker and on two ships behind her. There was no confirmation of these other ships.)
08.23.41	ALDERGROVE	Brit stmr	1,974 GRT
(Schnee fired all forward and observed one hit on a freighter & two hits on a tanker which sank in flames immediately and yet one more detonation was heard. There was no confirmation of these other ships.)
09.21.41	RUNA	Brit tnkr	1,575 GRT
09.21.41	LISSA	Brit tnkr	1,511 GRT
09.21.41	RHINELAND	Brit tnkr	1,381 GRT
09.27.41	SPRINGBANK	Brit stmr	5,155 GRT
09.27.41	SIREMALM	Norw tnkr	2,468 GRT
Schnee fired all five torpedoes and the first hit with a huge flash, and the ship was seen going down. The second detonated near an escort. Two more hit one ship but then U-201 had to dive and could not observe the fifth torpedo. No confirmation of the other ships.
09.27.41	MARGARETA	Brit stmr	3,103 GRT
After reloading, Schnee fired at two ships. The first was seen to break in two and sink rapidly while the second was seen sinking by the stern. There was confirmation only for one sunk.
04.21.42	BRIS	Norw stmr	2,027 GRT
04.22.42	SAN JACINTO	Amer stmr	6,069 GRT
The SAN JACINTO was an old steamer, built in 1903. She was owned by Agwilines Inc. and operated by New York and Puerto Rico SS Company. She was unarmed and under Master Robert W. Hart, she was making 13½ knots and drew 20’ 5” with her load of general cargo. She was en route from New York to San Juan PR when the Officer of the Deck sighted U-201 only 300 feet off the port beam and then a torpedo hit just aft of amidships at the #5 hold. The blast went upwards and demolished staterooms, recreation hall, the radio room and the boat deck while buckling the main deck. The engines just stopped from the damage, and power and lights went out with them. The 8 officers, 71 men and 104 passengers went to their abandon ship stations. As they prepared the boats for lowering, U-201 began to fire at the ship. Six lifeboats were launched and were filled with survivors. Nine passengers, one officer and four crewmen died in the attack. USS ROWAN (DD 782) rescued the survivors at noon the following day.
04.22.42	DERRYHEEN	Brit stmr	7,217 GRT
07.06.42	AVILA STAR	Brit stmr	14,443 GRT
07.12.42	CORTONA	Brit stmr	7,093 GRT
CORTONA was hit by U-201 and U-116 at the same time, and later finished off by U-201.
07.12.42	SIRIS	Brit stmr	5,242 GRT
07.13.42	SITHONIA	Brit stmr	6,723 GRT
07.15.42	BRITISH YEOMAN	Brit tnkr	6,990 GRT
07.25.42	LAERTES	Brit gunboat	545 GRT

SHIPS DAMAGED BY U-201 UNDER SCHNEE
05.09.41	KERVEGAN	Frnc stmr	2,018 GRT
(torpedo hit but failed to detonate)
05.09.41	EMPIRE CLOUD	Brit stmr	5,969 GRT
04.18.42	VICTORIA	Arge stmr	7,417 GRT
USS OWL towed VICTORIA into port at New York for repairs, escorted by USS NICHOLSON and SWANSON.

SHIPS SUNK BY U-201 UNDER ROSENBERG
10.02.42	ALCOA TRANSPORT	Amer stmr	2,084 GRT
This was an old steamer, built 1918 and in ballast when attacked. She carried one three-inch deck gun and two .30 caliber machine guns. Under Master Clement Hunter, she drew 12 feet and was making 9 knots when attacked; was owned and operated by the Alcoa SS Co. She departed Trinidad bound for Georgetown, British Guiana to load bauxite ore. Lookouts spotted a flashing red light at 0100 hours, and so the ship changed course but about ninety minutes later, a torpedo hit her starboard side at the engine room which tore away the bulkhead to the engine room destroyed the engine and broke steam lines. The concrete ballast blocks were hurled through the sides and made the ship sink faster. The lashings on the lifeboats were too tight and none could be released and the ship sank in about four minutes. About 100 feet of her bow did stay out of the water for some hours and finally, one lifeboat was released. Three crewmen on watch below were killed in the blast and the Chief Engineer later died in a shoreside hospital. The rest of the eight officers, twenty-three men and five Armed Guards survived.
10.08.42	JOHN CARTER ROSE	Amer stmr	7,191 GRT
This was a new ship, built 1942, owned by WSA and operated by Barber West African Lines. She drew 27 feet under her cargo of 7,979 tons of gasoline in drums and other general cargo, and was making 11 knots when attacked. She was armed with one five-inch and one three-inch deck gun, and four 20mm automatic guns. She was hit by a dud torpedo from U-201, so Master Magnus Leknes turned her stern to the submarine so the Armed Guard could bring the stern gun to bear. They fired four rounds before the submarine dived and the ship began to zigzag but just 24 hours later, two torpedoes from U-202 under GÜNTHER POSER (322-1989) hit her and she began to burn fiercely so in just twenty minutes, the Master ordered abandon ship. The eight officers, thirty-three men and twenty Armed Guards had problems getting the boats launched but finally, they got three into the water and pulled away from the burning wreck. Then another dud torpedo from U-201 hit, and the ship was finally sunk by seven rounds of gunfire from U-201. The U-Boat officers questioned the crew in the lifeboats, gave them cigarettes and departed the area. The three lifeboats were separated in the night, and on 13 October the SS WEST HUMHAW picked up eighteen survivors and landed them at Freetown. Later the Argentine tanker SANTA CRUZ picked up the other boats and landed them at Recife, Brazil. Three of the Armed Guards and five seamen died in the attack.
10.09.42	FLENSBURG	Neth stmr	6,421 GRT