She was possibly sunk in November 1941 by a British-laid minefield.
German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-206 had a displacement of 769t when at the surface and 871t while submerged. She had a total length of 67.1m (220.1feet), a pressure hull length of 50.5m (165.7feet), a beam of 6.2m (20.3feet), a height of 9.6m (31.5feet), and a draught of 4.74m (15.55feet). The submarine was powered by two Germaniawerft F46 four-stroke, six-cylinder supercharged diesel engines producing a total of NaNPS for use while surfaced, two AEG GU 460/8–27 double-acting electric motors producing a total of 750PS for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 1.23abbr=onNaNabbr=on propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to .
The submarine had a maximum surface speed of and a maximum submerged speed of . When submerged, the boat could operate for at ; when surfaced, she could travel at . U-206 was fitted with five 53.30NaN0 torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and one at the stern), fourteen torpedoes, one 8.82NaN2 SK C/35 naval gun, 220 rounds, and a 2sp=usNaNsp=us C/30 anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.
The partner city (Patenstadt) that sponsored the construction of the submarine was Reichenberg, and she bore the city's coat of arms.[1] [2]
Part of the 3rd U-boat Flotilla, U-206 carried out three patrols in the North Atlantic:[3]
U-206s first patrol began when she left Trondheim in Norway on 5 August 1941; she travelled through the gap between Iceland and the Faroe Islands and headed south, towards the west of Ireland. She sank the Ocean Victor on 9 August south of Iceland.
On 26 August, U-206 rescued (against the regulations[4]) from two rubber dinghies six British No. 612 Squadron RAF crew of the Armstrong Whitworth Whitley Mk. V, after its engine had failed during an anti-submarine patrol.[5] They were brought to St. Nazaire, and later to POW camps; soon after the rescue, the British were able to smuggle intelligence back to Britain, describing the submarine and the St. Nazaire port. She was the first submarine that brought British POWs to France.[4]
She arrived at St. Nazaire in occupied France on 10 September.
On her second foray, she sank on 14 October 1941 55nmi west of Gibraltar and the Baron Kelvin, close to the Rock on the 19th.
U-206 was posted missing from 29 November 1941. She is believed to have been the victim of a minefield laid by the RAF, (code-named 'Beech'), west of St. Nazaire. Forty-six men died; there were no survivors. The men were pronounced dead in March 1942.[6]
U-206 took part in four wolfpacks, namely:
| Date | Ship Name | Nationality | Tonnage[7] | Fate[8] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 August 1941 | Ocean Victor |  United Kingdom | 202 | Sunk | |
| 14 October 1941 | 925 | Sunk | |||
| 19 October 1941 | Baron Kelvin | United Kingdom | 3,081 | Sunk |
Since 2018, research to locate the submarine has been ongoing;[9] some twenty possible wrecks have been identified, and dives are planned for 2020.[10]