Type: VII-C
Built by: Germania Werft (Kiel)
Launched: 28 August 1941
Commissioned: 11 October 1941
Feldpost Nr.: M30549
Sunk: 19 May 1943
Sunk by: HMS JED & HMS SENNEN (FR)
Location sunk: North Atlantic
Position sunk: 54º 54’N x 34º 19’W (all hands - 46 men lost)

The only Skipper of U-209 was Kapitänleutnant Heinrich Brodda, who was killed in action.

Photo: Officers of U-209

U-209 was initially attached to the 6th U-Bootflottille based at St. Nazaire then transferred to the 11th in Bergen and finally to the 1st which was based at Brest. The emblems on the conning tower of U-209 showed her crushing the British lion and the other showed that she was an Eismeerboot (an Arctic Sea U-Boat).

U-209 patrolled the Arctic Sea March through December of 1942, operating against Allied & Soviet units. Two crewmen were accidentally killed in Bergen, Norway on 9 July 1942.

On 28 August 1942, she fired upon a Soviet radio installation on Novaya Zemlya. Transferred to the 1st U-Bootflottille, she was lost on her first North Atlantic patrol.

In March 1942, U-209 operated against the Arctic Convoy QP.9 and then QP.13 but in spite of several attacks, she was unsuccessful. On 13 April she attempted to attack Convoy PQ.10 but again, had no success.

Crewmen posing by 88mm deck gun.

In August she was west of Novaya Zemlya where she sank two Russian tugs and their tows, then on the 28th she shelled the radio station at Khodovarkha.

Photo: USSR Ships Ablaze

In mid-April 1943, she operated in the North Atlantic and then on the 28th she helped form the STAR Group south of Iceland. On 11 May she reformed into the LECH Group southwest of Cape Farewell then on the 15th she became part of the DONAU 2 Group and on the 19th encountered Convoy SC.130 but was sunk by the escorts with hedgehogs before she could attack any ships.

SHIPS SUNK by U-209 under BRODDA
08.17.42	KOMPLEKE	Sov tnkr	200 GRT
08.17.42	B-III	Sov tug	1,000 GRT
08.17.42	KOMSOMOLEC	Sov tnkr	1,250 GRT
08.17.42	P-IV	Sov tug	800 GRT

This diagram shows the approach and angles for the attack on the Soviet convoy in which U-209 sank these four ships and below are photos of these ships ablaze.

On 28 July 1942, U-209 had found eight American sailors from the SS HONOMU which had been sunk on 5 July by U-456. These eight sailors had been at sea for 22 days and the six days prior to being picked up by U-209, they had no water. They were landed at Kirkenes, Norway and their lives were saved by U-209.

We have a great deal of photos of U-209, thanks to WERNER K. HOFFMANN (327-1987) whose father was aboard U-209. He was transferred off U-209 before she was destroyed, but the boat on which he later served was also lost and he perished on that boat.

Photos: U-209 Captain and Crew