Type: VII-C
Built by: Germania Werft (Kiel)
Launched: 20 March 1941
Commissioned: 3 May 1941
Feldpost Nr.: M38350
Sunk: 17 February 1943
Sunk by: HMS PALADIN (DD) and A/C from 15 Squadron, South African Air Force
Location sunk: off Benghazi
Position sunk: 32º 54’N x 22º 01’E (9 men lost)

The 1st Skipper of U-205 was Korvettenkapitän Franz-Georg Reschke, from commissioning until October 1942. He was replaced by Oberleutnant zur See (later Kapitänleutnant) Friederich Bürgel who had also commanded U-97. Bürgel commanded U-205 from October 1942 until her loss.

U-205 was initially attached to the 3rd U-Bootflottille based at LaRochelle until November 1941. She then broke through Gibraltar and operated with the 29th U-Bootflottille which was based at Toulon, France on the Mediterranean.

The emblem on the conning tower of U-205 was the heraldic emblem of the city of Salzburg which had adopted the boat.

On her first war patrol, U-205 met with the German raider ORION (Schiff 36) near the Azores and provided escort for her from 17 until 22 August 1941. On 11 November 1941, she broke through the “Gates of Hell” (Gibraltar) and operated in the Mediterranean.

An officer was killed in an unexplained non-combat accident on 30 September 1941.

U-205 operated against the Allied invasion fleet off Algiers in November 1942.

SHIPS SUNK BY U-204 UNDER RESCHKE
02.12.41	unknown	Brit DD	unknown
U-205 fired at a British destroyer and heard one detonation after nearly 10 minutes. Probably was an end-of-run detonation; no confirmation.
16.06.42	HMS HERMIONE	Brit Cruiser	5,450 GRT

SHIPS SUNK BY U-204 UNDER BÜRGEL
07.02.43	unknown	unknown	5,000 GRT
No confirmation.

SHIPS SUNK BY U-204 UNDER RESCHKE
13.10.41	unknown	Brit DD	unknown
13.10.41	unknown	Brit carrier	22,600 GRT
U-205 fired three torpedoes at HMS ARK ROYAL and assumed a hit on the carrier and also on a nearby destroyer. No confirmation of either.
15.01.42	unknown	Brit stmr	8,000 GRT
U-205 fired two torpedoes at an unidentified steamer and heard one detonation after 4 minutes 51 seconds and the other at 4 minutes 53 seconds. No confirmation.
26.03.42	SLAVOL	Brit tnkr	2,623 GRT
U-205 heard one detonation after a run time of nearly five and a half minutes. No confirmation.
14.06.42	unknown	Brit tnkr	unknown
U-205 heard one detonation after a run time of nearly nine minutes. No confirmation.
04.09.42	unknown	Brit tnkr	unknown
U-205 heard one detonation after a run time of 5 minutes 48 seconds. No confirmation.

SHIPS SUNK BY U-204 UNDER BÜRGEL
07.11.42	unknown	unknown	unknown
U-205 fired at a ship they claimed to be 18,000 tons. It is possible that her torpedo struck the American steamer THOMAS STONE which was hit by one torpedo and towed into Algiers where she became a hulk with the French Navy.
07.02.43	unknown	unknown	4,000 GRT
No confirmation
07.02.43	unknown	unknown	5,000 GRT
No confirmation