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SHARKHUNTERS International
History of the German submarine U-16

Much of this information, the data, the photos etc. comes directly from the veterans, the veterans' organizations and is the most accurate available anywhere..............much of this information is not even known elsewhere.
 

                    All hands lost - 28 men
                     See below for names

Commanders of U-16 include:

On 5 September 1939, U-16 conducted a mine-laying patrol off Tees Bay, England and a combat patrol off the Norwegian coast in September 1939.  She was on another mine-laying mission off Dover when she was lost.
 

                                                                          photos above.................HMS PUFFIN

According to one report, U-16 was attacked on 23 October 1939 by HMS PUFFIN and HMS CAYTON WYKE while she was on her mine-laying patrol but was not sunk.  It appears that one of her own mines detonated while being deployed on 24 October.

The wreck was discovered stranded on Goodwins Sands on 25 October by the Royal Army.  An attempt was made to board the boat at low tide but weather prevented this so a diving team came out the next day.  The boat appeared to have been slightly damaged down the portside and more extensively in the bows.  The casing abaft the conning tower was undamaged.  Two officers boarded the boat and found the conning tower hatch to be closed but not secured. Lieutenant Commander Furze climbed down until the water reached his shoulders, and he was able to bring up a variety of odds and ends but nothing of importance.  The tide began rising and no further progress could be made.  Weather prevented further access and it was 2 November 1939 before the boat could be approached again and by this time, the angle of list was rapidly increasing and the boat was silting up badly.  Nothing more was attempted and the boat was swallowed up in the sands.

According to official British reports we read:  "Following detection of a submarine by the Loop indicator Station at St. Margaret's Bay at about 1225Z on 24 October HMS PUFFIN and HMS CAYTON WYKE carried out a number of attacks between 1341Z and 1657Z with a limited number of depth charges set to fifty feet.  After the last attack, a small amount of oil was seen.  This was in approximate position 51º 10'N x 01º 29'E.  The ships remained in the area until dark but nothing further was seen.  On the morning of 25 October 1939, U-16 was found stranded nearby on the Goodwins Sands.  An officer who led a party out to inspect the submarine found the conning tower hatch open but owing to bad weather they did not enter the boat.  On the 26th, U-16 was sucked into the Sands where I suspect she remains today.  There is no evidence as to the fate of the crew and no bodies were found."

Additional reports state:  "U-16 entered Kiel on 5 October 1939 and was taken over by the entire crew of U-14 which had to go into dock for major refit.  U-16 sailed on 16 October to lay mines off Dover.  The last report came from the boat at 0450 hours German time on 25 October saying 'Seriously damaged; must scuttle'.  British records suggest there had been a contact at about noon of the 24th with HMS PUFFIN (LtCdr W. F. Hollins) and a few hours later with the trawler HMS CAYTON WYKE (Cdr. R. H. B. Hammond-Chambers) of the 1st Anti-Submarine Flotilla.  It is not certain whether the damage to U-16 resulted from depth charge attacks or from a mine.  However, during the morning of 25 October, five hours after sending her last message, U-16 was observed from a coastal station to be stranded on the Goodwins Sands.  An attempt to get aboard that evening proved too difficult and a diving boat was towed out early the next day.  A number of bodies in life jackets were washed up in Britain and France and one as far away as the island of Ameland."

The wreck was located in April 1960 by four amateur divers.  Two of them, Ronald McCaig and Thomas Hatton entered the wreck through the open conning tower hatch.  They got as far as the engine area but could not go onward due to a blockage.  On returning for another attempt the following day, the diving team was unable to find the wreck again.

EDITOR NOTE - All this makes one wonder if there was any loss of life at all aboard U-16 during the attack and sinking.  Apparently all (or most) got off the boat safely only to perish later in the sea.

                  SHIPS SUNK BY U-16 (Weingärtner commanding)

                  SHIPS SUNK BY U-16 (Wellner commanding)

NOTE - Ste. CLAIR ran onto a mine in the field planted by U-16.
 

          Men lost on U-16

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Many thanks to our friend and Sharkhunters Member since 1987 GEORG HÖGEL for all the conning tower emblems used in our monthly KTB Magazine and also here on the pages of our website.  GEORG was radioman aboard U-30, the first boat into combat, the first to sink a ship (the liner ATHENIA) and the first into an occupied French port.  When that Skipper (Lemp) took command of U-110, GEORG was one of the former crew to transfer to the new boat under Lemp.  After the war, he was Professor of Art at a major German university.