Type: VII-D
Built by: Germania Werft (Kiel)
Launched: 5 December 1941
Commissioned: 31 January 1942
Feldpost Nr: M23260
Sunk: 1945/1946
Sunk by: Operation DEADLIGHT
Location sunk: North Atlantic
Position sunk: unknown (No men lost)

The first Skipper of U-218 was Kapitanleutnant Richard Becker until September 1944 when he took command of the Type XXI boat U-2503. The second Skipper of U-218 was Kapitanleutnant Rupprecht Stock (former C.O. U-214) until the surrender. U-218 was another of the six rare minelaying adaptations of the Type VIIC but with an additional section added to the hull for the mines. This was the only one of the six built to live through the war.

U-218 was attached to the 9th U-Bootflottille based in Brest, then the 8th based in Danzig and finally to the 11th U-Bootflottille based in Bergen. She had one North Atlantic patrol then mine laying operations off the North Channel on 4 May 1943; off Trinidad 27 October 1943; off Puerto Rico both 23 March and 1 April 1944; in the western English Channel both on 2 July and 18 August 1944.

Six crewmen were wounded in an air attack on 2 August 1943 and in June 1944, there were several cases of carbon monoxide poisoning among the crew due to a defective snorkel.

U-218 was surrendered at the end of the war and was taken out and scuttled in Operation DEADLIGHT.

SHIPS SUNK BY U-218 UNDER BECKER

04.11.43 unknown sailing ship unknown
04.07.45 KNED Brit trwir 352 GRT
Ran onto a mine laid by U-218 on 18 August 1944.

SHIPS SUNK BY U-218 UNDER STOCK
19.04.45 ETHYL Brit trwlr 200 GRT CRAWFORD
Ran onto a mine in a field laid by U-218 on 18 April.

SHIPS SUNK BY U-218 UNDER BECKER
04.11.43 unknown sailing ship unknown
04.07.45 KNED Brit trwlr 352 GRT
Ran onto a mine laid by U-218 on 18 August 1944.

SHIPS DAMAGED BY U-218 UNDER BECKER
11.09.42 FJORDAAS Norw tnkr 7,361 GRT
U-218 claimed one ship of 4,000 tons and one of 6,000 tons sunk but in fact, only this one was damaged and there was no other ship.
06.07.44 EMPIRE HALYARD Brit stmr 7,177 GRT
Ran onto a mine in a field laid by U-218 on 1 July.