CINXE.COM

<!DOCTYPE html> <html lang="en"> <head> <meta charset="UTF-8"> <title>The Type IIB U-boat U-20 - 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. Over 40.000 pages on the officers, the boats, technology and the Allied efforts to counter the U-boat threat." /> <meta name="keywords" content="U-boat, submarine, boats, technology, XXI, VIIC, XIC, II, XIV, XXIII, Uboote, Unterseeboote, aircraft, escorts, Kriegsmarine, German navy, U-boote, destroyers, corvettes, frigates, battleships, aircraft carriers, trawlers." /> <link rel="shortcut icon" href="/favicon.ico" /> <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://unpkg.com/leaflet@1.3.4/dist/leaflet.css" integrity="sha512-puBpdR0798OZvTTbP4A8Ix/l+A4dHDD0DGqYW6RQ+9jxkRFclaxxQb/SJAWZfWAkuyeQUytO7+7N4QKrDh+drA==" crossorigin=""/> <script src="https://unpkg.com/leaflet@1.3.4/dist/leaflet.js" integrity="sha512-nMMmRyTVoLYqjP9hrbed9S+FzjZHW5gY1TWCHA5ckwXZBadntCNs8kEqAWdrb9O7rxbCaA4lKTIWjDXZxflOcA==" crossorigin=""></script></head> <body>  <script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-1LBQ8B7HLP"></script> <script> window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('config', 'G-1LBQ8B7HLP'); </script> <div id="container">  <div id="banner">  <h1 class="ph">uboat.net</h1>    <div id="navcontainer"> <ul id="navlist"> <li><a href="/" title="Front page">Home</a></li> <li class="inpath"><a href="/boats.htm" title="The U-boats">The U-boats</a></li> <li><a href="/men/" title="The Men">The Men</a></li> <li><a href="/allies/" title="Allied efforts to fight the U-boats">The Allies</a></li> <li><a href="/maps/" title="Maps">Maps</a></li> <li><a href="/forums/" title="Join our Forums">Forums</a></li> <li><a href="/articles/" title="Articles">Articles</a></li> <li><a href="/gallery/" title="Galleries">Gallery</a></li> <li><a href="/books/" title="Over 2200 books">Books</a></li> <li><a href="/special/movies/" title="Naval Warfare Movies">Movies</a></li> <li><a href="/wwi/" title="World War One">WWI</a></li> </ul> </div>  <span id="breadcrumbs"> <a href="/">Front page</a> - <a href="/boats.htm">The U-boats</a> - <a href="/boats/"><strong>Listing of all U-boats</strong></a> </span> </div>  <div id="sidebar-a"> <div id="submenu"> <h4><a href="/boats.htm">The U-boats</a></h4> <ul id="submenulist"> <li><a href="/boats/">List of all U-boats</a> <ul> <li><a href="/ops/successful_boats.htm">Most successful</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/boats/patrols/">U-boat Patrols</a></li> <li><a href="/types/">U-boat Types</a></li> <li><a href="/ops/">Operations</a> <ul> <li><a href="/ops/convoys/">Convoy battles</a></li> <li><a href="/ops/top_patrols.htm">Successful patrols</a></li> <li><a href="/ops/wolfpacks/">Wolfpacks</a></li> <li><a href="/maps/">Maps</a></li> <li><a href="/ops/combat_strength.html">Combat strength</a></li></ul> </li> <li><a href="/fates/">U-boat Fates</a><ul> <li><a href="/fates/losses/">Losses by year</a></li> <li><a href="/fates/scuttled.htm">Scuttled boats</a></li> <li><a href="/fates/surrendered.htm">Surrenders</a></li> <li><a href="/fates/discovered.html">Discovered boats</a></li> <li><a href="/fates/dive/">Dive sites</a></li> <li><a href="/fates/revised.html">Revised fates</a></li> </ul> </li> <li><a href="/flotillas/">Flotillas</a><ul> <li><a href="/flotillas/bases/">U-boat bases</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/technical/shipyards/">Shipyards</a></li> <li><a href="/technical/">Technologies</a></li> <li><a href="/special/emblems/">U-boat Emblems</a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="item_box center"> <h4>Events on this day</h4> <p><a href="/today.html">What happened on<br>30 April?</a></p> </div> <div class="item_box center"> <h4>Commander file</h4><p class="caption"><a href="/men/piening.htm"><img src="/media/men/commanders/piening.jpg" class="width80" alt="" /><br>Adolf Cornelius Piening</a><br>(<a href="/boats/u155.htm">U-155</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/u166.htm">U-166</a> - 2 patrols<br>4 ships sunk (7,593 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-20</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/iib.htm" class="header">IIB</a></h3></td><td> </td></tr> <tr><td>Ordered</td><td class="seperator">2 Feb 1935</td><td><br/></td></tr> <tr><td>Laid down</td><td class="seperator">1 Aug 1935</td> <td class="seperator"><a href="/technical/shipyards/germania.htm">F. Krupp Germaniawerft AG, Kiel</a> (werk 550)</td></tr> <tr><td>Launched</td><td class="seperator">14 Jan 1936</td><td><br/></td></tr> <tr><td>Commissioned</td><td class="seperator">1 Feb 1936</td><td class="seperator">Kptlt. Hans Eckermann</td></tr> <tr><td>Commanders</td> <td colspan="2" class="seperator"><table class="table-clean"><tr><td class="width85 right">1 Feb 1936</td><td> - </td><td class="width90 right">30 Sep 1937</td><td>  </td><td>Kptlt. <a href="/men/commanders/235.html"> Hans Eckermann</a></td></tr><tr><td class="width85 right">1 Oct 1937</td><td> - </td><td class="width90 right">17 Jan 1940</td><td>  </td><td>Kptlt. <a href="/men/moehle.htm"> Karl-Heinz Moehle</a> (<a href="/men/decorations/8.html">Knights Cross</a>) </td></tr><tr><td class="width85 right">17 Jan 1940</td><td> - </td><td class="width90 right">15 Apr 1940</td><td>  </td><td>Kptlt. <a href="/men/commanders/615.html"> Harro von Klot-Heydenfeldt</a></td></tr><tr><td class="width85 right">2 Apr 1940</td><td> - </td><td class="width90 right">15 Apr 1940</td><td>  </td><td>Oblt. <a href="/men/commanders/219.html"> Heinrich Driver</a> (<a href="/men/decorations/5.html">German Cross in Gold</a>) </td></tr><tr><td class="width85 right">16 Apr 1940</td><td> - </td><td class="width90 right">7 Jun 1940</td><td>  </td><td>Oblt. <a href="/men/commanders/1398.html"> Hans-J眉rgen Zetzsche</a> (<a href="/men/decorations/5.html">German Cross in Gold</a>) </td></tr><tr><td class="width85 right">8 Jun 1940</td><td> - </td><td class="width90 right">5 Jan 1941</td><td>  </td><td>Oblt. <a href="/men/commanders/912.html"> Ottokar Arnold Paulssen</a></td></tr><tr><td class="width85 right">6 Jan 1941</td><td> - </td><td class="width90 right">19 May 1941</td><td>  </td><td>Kptlt. <a href="/men/commanders/1067.html"> Herbert Schauenburg</a></td></tr><tr><td class="width85 right">20 May 1941</td><td> - </td><td class="width90 right">4 Dec 1941</td><td>  </td><td>Oblt. <a href="/men/commanders/1242.html"> Wolfgang Str盲ter</a></td></tr><tr><td class="width85 right">5 Dec 1941</td><td> - </td><td class="width90 right">27 Mar 1942</td><td>  </td><td>Oblt. <a href="/men/commanders/885.html"> Kurt N枚lke</a></td></tr><tr><td class="width85 right">7 May 1942</td><td> - </td><td class="width90 right">26 Aug 1942</td><td>  </td><td>Oblt. <a href="/men/commanders/1108.html"> Clemens Sch枚ler</a></td></tr><tr><td class="width85 right">27 May 1943</td><td> - </td><td class="width90 right">31 Oct 1943</td><td>  </td><td>Kptlt. <a href="/men/commanders/1108.html"> Clemens Sch枚ler</a></td></tr><tr><td class="width85 right">1 Nov 1943</td><td> - </td><td class="width90 right">10 Sep 1944</td><td>  </td><td>Oblt. <a href="/men/commanders/375.html"> Karl Grafen</a> (<a href="/men/decorations/5.html">German Cross in Gold</a>) </td></tr></table></td></tr> <tr><td>Career<br><a href="/boats/patrols/u20.html">16 patrols</a></td><td colspan="2" class="seperator"><table class="table-clean"><tr><td class="right">1 Feb 1936</td><td>-</td><td class="right">1 Aug 1939</td><td>  <a href="/flotillas/3flo.htm">3. Flottille</a> (active service)<br></td></tr><tr><td class="right">1 Sep 1939</td><td>-</td><td class="right">31 Dec 1939</td><td>  <a href="/flotillas/3flo.htm">3. Flottille</a> (active service)<br></td></tr><tr><td class="right">1 Jan 1940</td><td>-</td><td class="right">30 Apr 1940</td><td>  <a href="/flotillas/1flo.htm">1. Flottille</a> (active service)<br></td></tr><tr><td class="right">1 May 1940</td><td>-</td><td class="right">30 Jun 1940</td><td>  1. U-Ausbildungsflottille (school boat)<br></td></tr><tr><td class="right">1 Jul 1940</td><td>-</td><td class="right">26 Aug 1942</td><td>  <a href="/flotillas/21flo.htm">21. Flottille</a> (school boat)<br></td></tr><tr><td class="right">27 May 1943</td><td>-</td><td class="right">10 Sep 1944</td><td>  <a href="/flotillas/30flo.htm">30. Flottille</a> (active service)<br></td></tr></table></td></tr> <tr><td>Successes</td><td colspan="2" class="seperator">13 ships sunk, total tonnage 30,067 GRT<br/>1 ship damaged, total tonnage 1,846 GRT<br/>2 ships a total loss, total tonnage 8,446 GRT</td></tr> <tr><td class="width100">Fate</td> <td colspan="2" class="width400 seperator"> <p>Scuttled at 2130hrs on 10 September 1944 in the <a href="/maps/black_sea.htm">Black Sea</a> north of Karasu, Turkey, in position 41.10N, 30.47E. </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([42.1, 30.47], 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([41.17, 30.78], {icon: iconFate}).addTo(mymap).bindPopup('<strong>U-20</strong>. Scuttled at 2130hrs on 10 September 1944 in the <a href=\"/maps/black_sea.htm\">Black Sea</a> north of Karasu, Turkey, in position 41.10N, 30.47E.'); </script> </td> </tr> </table>  <p class="np"><a href="/boats/successes/u20.html">See the 16 ships hit by U-20</a> - <a href="/boats/patrols/u20.html">View the 16 war patrols</a><br></p> </div><h3>This boat is a dive site</h3><p><strong>7 Feb 2008</strong>. The 3 boats, <a href="/boats/u19.htm">U-19</a>, <a href="/boats/u20.htm">U-20</a> and <a href="/boats/u23.htm">U-23</a>, scuttled in September 1944 off the Turkish coast have been located. They are reported to be in excellent condition.</p> <p><strong>27 Dec 2009</strong>. The U-20 was dived on and photographed by Mr. Taner Aksoy. See our <a href="http://www.uboat.net/gallery/index.html?gallery=DivingI&img=1">U 20 in the Black Sea</a> gallery.</p> </p>Position (lat, long): 41.10, 30.47</p><p>See more <a href="/fates/dive/"> U-boat dive sites</a>.</p> </p> <h3>Attacks on this boat and other events</h3> <div class="content_box"> <p><strong>26 Jun 1943</strong><br/>U-20 attempted to torpedo a Soviet submarine chaser in the Black Sea off Tuapse, but the target went on the offensive, dropping eight depth charges. The boat was then kept submerged by aircraft for four hours and subsequently forced to return to base by mechanical failures. <cite>(Sources: Ritschel)</cite></p> <p>1 recorded attack on this boat.</p> </div> <h3>General notes on this boat</h3><p><strong>27 Dec 2009</strong>. The boat was dived on and photographed by Mr. Taner Aksoy. See our <a href="http://www.uboat.net/gallery/index.html?gallery=DivingI&img=1">U 20 in the Black Sea</a> gallery.</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-20 did not suffer any casualties (we know of) until the time of her loss.</p> <h3>U-boat Emblems</h3> <p>We have 4 <strong>emblem</strong> entries for this boat. See the emblem page <a href="/special/emblems/u20.html">for this boat</a> or view emblems individually below.</p> <table><tr> <td class="width95"><a href="/special/emblems/emblem15.html"><img src="/media/boats/emblems/crew_36.gif" class="width80" alt="" /><br>The Olympic Rings - Crew 36</a></td> <td class="width95"><a href="/special/emblems/emblem174.html"><img src="/media/boats/emblems/emblem_missing.gif" class="width80" alt="" /><br>Alligator/crocodile and Umbrella</a></td> <td class="width95"><a href="/special/emblems/emblem175.html"><img src="/media/boats/emblems/emblem_missing.gif" class="width80" alt="" /><br>Boot</a></td> <td class="width95"><a href="/special/emblems/emblem176.html"><img src="/media/boats/emblems/emblem_missing.gif" class="width80" alt="" /><br>Boy with Staff and Goose</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/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> <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/537"><img src="/media/books/covers/english/hitlers_uboat_war.jpg" alt="" /> <br>Hitler's U-boat War</a><br>Blair, Clay</p></td></tr> </table> </div> <p><strong>There was another U-20 in World War One</strong><br>That boat was launched from its shipyard on 18 Dec 1912 and commissioned into the Imperial Navy on 5 Aug 1913. The <a href="/history/wwi/">Naval war in WWI</a> was brought to an end with the Armistice signed on 11 Nov, 1918. Read about SM <a href="/wwi/boats/?boat=20">U 20 during WWI</a>.</p> <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>