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Wreck of U-39

Shipwreck site

Position
About 58.5° N, 11.8° W (within about 10 km)
Sank
—
Cause
—
Depth
—

Protection status

Location generalised to protect a war grave

The position shown is generalised to within about 10 km. The exact position is not published.

A military vessel lost in 1939, during a world war, by enemy action. Wrecks lost in war are treated as war graves.

This wreck may be the last resting place of those who died aboard. Please treat it with respect.

How this was decided: Voydar's protection rules, from the sources we hold, confidence 85%. When in doubt, Voydar generalises the position.

German submarine U-39 was a Type IXA U-boat of the Kriegsmarine that operated from 1938 to the first few days of World War II. She was ordered by the Kriegsmarine on 29 July 1936 as part of the re-armament program (Aufrüstung) in Germany, which was illegal under the terms of the Treaty of Versailles. The keel for U-39 was laid down on 2 June 1937, by DeSchiMAG AG Weser of Bremen. She was commissioned on 10 December 1938 with Kapitänleutnant Gerhard Glattes in command. On 14 September 1939, just 27 days after she began her first patrol, U-39 attempted to sink the British aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal by firing two torpedoes at her. Due to a technical defect the torpedoes exploded before reaching their target. The U-39 was immediately hunted down by three British destroyers, HMS Foxhound, HMS Faulknor and HMS Firedrake, and disabled with depth charges.

History from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA.

About this wreck

U-39 is a recorded shipwreck site. Voydar shows wreck locations alongside live ship traffic, free, from Wikidata and public hydrographic records.

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