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<!DOCTYPE html> <html lang="en"> <head> <meta charset="UTF-8"> <title>The Type VIIC U-boat U-396 - German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net</title> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/media/layout/2014_06/main2017-10.css" type="text/css" /> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/media/layout/2014_06/print.css" type="text/css" media="print" /> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /> <meta name="description" content="The U-boat War in World War Two (Kriegsmarine, 1939-1945) and World War One (Kaiserliche Marine, 1914-1918) and the Allied efforts to counter the threat. 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Werner</a><br>(<a href="/boats/u415.htm">U-415</a>, <a href="/boats/u953.htm">U-953</a>)</p><p>- <a href="/men/commanders/">More officers</a></p> </div> <div class="item_box center"> <h4>U-boat of the day</h4><a href="/boats/u373.htm">U-373</a> - 17 patrols<br>3 ships sunk (10,263 tons) </div> <div class="item_box"> <h4>U-boat Finder</h4> <form action="/boats/finder.php" method="post"> <input size="8" name="find_boat" class="search-field" />   <input type="submit" value="Search" class="input" /> </form> </div><p><br>Follow us on Twitter<br><a href="http://twitter.com/uboatnet" class="noborder"><img src="/media/layout/images/twitter_newbird_18.gif" alt="Twitter" /></a> <a href="http://twitter.com/uboatnet">@uboatnet</a></p> <br> </div>  <div id="content">  <div id="ga_contentTop728" align="center"> <script async src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>  <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:inline-block;width:728px;height:90px" data-ad-client="ca-pub-1101670507446460" data-ad-slot="9674187468"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script> </div> <div align="center"> <h3><a href="/boats/">List of all U-boats</a></h3><h1>U-396</h1> </div> <div align="center"> <table class="table_subtle width650"><tr> <td class="width100"><h3>Type</h3></td><td class="width95" align="center" class="seperator"><h3><a href="/types/viic.htm" class="header">VIIC</a></h3></td><td> </td></tr> <tr><td>Ordered</td><td class="seperator">20 Jan 1941</td><td><br/></td></tr> <tr><td>Laid down</td><td class="seperator">6 Jun 1942</td> <td class="seperator"><a href="/technical/shipyards/howald-k.htm">Howaldtswerke AG, Kiel</a> (werk 28)</td></tr> <tr><td>Launched</td><td class="seperator">27 Aug 1943</td><td><br/></td></tr> <tr><td>Commissioned</td><td class="seperator">16 Oct 1943</td><td class="seperator"> Oblt. Ernst-G眉nther Unterhorst</td></tr> <tr><td>Commanders</td> <td colspan="2" class="seperator"><table class="table-clean"><tr><td class="width85 right">16 Oct 1943</td><td> - </td><td class="width90 right">Mar, 1945</td><td>  </td><td>Kptlt. <a href="/men/commanders/1293.html"> Ernst-G眉nther Unterhorst</a></td></tr><tr><td class="width85 right">Mar, 1945</td><td> - </td><td class="width90 right">11 Apr 1945</td><td>  </td><td>Kptlt. <a href="/men/commanders/1195.html"> Hilmar Siemon</a></td></tr></table></td></tr> <tr><td>Career<br><a href="/boats/patrols/u396.html">5 patrols</a></td><td colspan="2" class="seperator"><table class="table-clean"><tr><td class="right">16 Oct 1943</td><td>-</td><td class="right">31 May 1944</td><td>  <a href="/flotillas/5flo2.htm">5. Flottille</a> (training)<br></td></tr><tr><td class="right">1 Jun 1944</td><td>-</td><td class="right">30 Sep 1944</td><td>  <a href="/flotillas/1flo.htm">1. Flottille</a> (active service)<br></td></tr><tr><td class="right">1 Oct 1944</td><td>-</td><td class="right">11 Apr 1945</td><td>  <a href="/flotillas/11flo.htm">11. Flottille</a> (active service)<br></td></tr></table></td></tr> <tr><td>Successes</td><td colspan="2" class="seperator">No ships sunk or damaged</td></tr> <tr><td class="width100">Fate</td> <td colspan="2" class="width400 seperator"> <p><a href="/fates/missing.htm">Missing</a> since 11 April 1945 in the North Atlantic south of Iceland. No explanation exists for its loss. 45 dead (all hands lost). <em>(Axel Niestl茅, June 1993).</em></p> </td></tr> <tr><td>Loss position</td> <td colspan="3"> <style media="screen" type="text/css"> #mapFate {width:510px; height: 270px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px;} </style> <div id="mapFate" align="center"></div> <script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8"> var mymap = L.map('mapFate').setView([58.3, -26.00], 4) L.tileLayer('/map-tiles/{z}/{x}/{y}.png', { attribution: 'map 漏 OpenStreetMap contributors | ship info by uboat.net', maxZoom: 10, }).addTo(mymap); var iconFate = L.icon({ iconUrl: '/media/maps/googlemarkers/orange_Marker.png', iconSize: [20, 34], iconAnchor: [10, 34], }); var marker = L.marker([57.50, -26.00], {icon: iconFate}).addTo(mymap).bindPopup('<strong>U-396</strong>. <a href=\"/fates/missing.htm\">Missing</a> since 11 April 1945 in the North Atlantic south of Iceland. No explanation exists for its loss.'); </script> </td> </tr> </table>  <p class="np"><a href="/boats/patrols/u396.html">View the 5 war patrols</a><br></p> </div> <p><a href="/boats/u396.htm">U-396</a> was on weather reporting duty in the North Atlantic and sent its last radio message from approx. position 57.30N, 26.00W on 11 April 1945, stating that it started its return trip to Trondheim due to damage to its forward hydroplanes. The boat was posted as missing after it failed to return to port or signal its position after cessation of hostilities.</p><div class="content_box_fates"><p align="left"><strong>Previously recorded fate</strong></p><ul><li>Sunk 23 April, 1945, in the North Atlantic southwest of the Shetlands, in position 59.29N, 05.22W, by depth charges from a British Liberator aircraft (Sqdn. 86/U). <em>(Postwar assessment)</em><br><strong>Notes</strong>. This was probably against a nonsub target. </li></ul> </div> </p> <h3>Attacks on this boat and other events</h3> <div class="content_box"> <p><strong>28 Jun 1944</strong><br/>20.08 hrs, NNE of the Shetlands: a British <a href="/allies/aircraft/catalina.htm">Catalina</a> flying boat (RAF Sqdn 210/Q, pilot F/O J.C. Campbell) exchanged gunfire during a strafing run, then dropped depth charges after the boat dived. There were no hits to the aircraft, but U-396 was forced to return to Bergen by a carbon monoxide leak. <cite>(Sources: Franks)</cite></p> <p>1 recorded attack on this boat.</p> </div> <h3>Schnorchel-fitted U-boat</h3><p>This boat was fitted with a Schnorchel underwater-breathing apparatus in May 1944. </p><p>Read more about the <a href="/technical/schnorchel.htm">Schnorchel</a> and see list of <a href="/technical/schnorchel_fitted.htm">fitted boats</a>.</p> <h3>Men lost from U-boats</h3> <p>Unlike <a href="/men/men_lost.htm">many other U-boats</a>, which during their service lost men due to accidents and various other causes, U-396 did not suffer any casualties (we know of) until the time of her loss.</p> <h3>U-boat Emblems</h3> <p>We have 1 <strong>emblem</strong> entry for this boat. See the emblem page <a href="/special/emblems/u396.html">for this boat</a> or view emblems individually below.</p> <table><tr> <td class="width95"><a href="/special/emblems/emblem541.html"><img src="/media/boats/emblems/emblem_missing.gif" class="width80" alt="" /><br>Corkscrew on Shield</a></td> </tr></table><br> <div align="center"> <h3>Media links</h3> <table> <tr> <td class="width140"><p><a href="/books/item/525"><img src="/media/books/covers/english/german_u-boat_losses.jpg" alt="" /> <br>German U-Boat Losses During World War II</a><br>Niestle, Axel</p></td> <td class="width140"><p><a href="/books/item/267"><img src="/media/books/covers/english/u-boat_operations2.jpg" alt="" /> <br>U-Boat Operations of the Second World War - Vol 1</a><br>Wynn, Kenneth</p></td> <td class="width140"><p><a href="/books/item/538"><img src="/media/books/covers/english/hitlers_uboat_war2.jpg" alt="" /> <br>Hitler's U-boat War, Vol II</a><br>Blair, Clay</p></td></tr> </table> </div> <br><br>  <p class='center'><br/>As an Amazon Associate uboat.net earns a commission from qualifying purchases.</p> <div class="adSeperator"></div> <div id="ga_contentFooter728" align="center"> <script async src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:inline-block;width:728px;height:90px" data-ad-client="ca-pub-1101670507446460" data-ad-slot="7580936821"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script> </div><br> </div>  <div id="footer"> <div id="footer_navcontainer"> <ul id="footer_navlist"> <li><a href="/" title="Front page">Front page</a></li> <li><a href="/about/" title="About uboat.net">About</a></li> <li><a href="/about/contact.htm" title="Contact us">Contact us</a></li> <li><a href="/special/faq.htm" title="Frequently Asked Questions">FAQ</a></li> <li><a href="/glossary.htm" title="Glossary pages">Glossary</a></li> <li><a href="/new.htm" title="What's new at uboat.net">What's new</a></li> </ul> </div> <div id="footer_copyright">  © 1995 - 2025 Guðmundur Helgason </div> </div>  </div>  </body></html>