View source for 9th U-boat Flotilla

{{Infobox Military Unit
|unit_name=9. Unterseebootsflottille
|image=[[Image:Laughing swordfish.png]]
|caption=''Der lachende Schwertfisch'' - The laughing Swordfish
|country=[[Nazi Germany]]
|type=[[U-boat]] flottilla
|branch=[[Kriegsmarine]]
|dates=Raised 1941, Dissolved 1945
|command_structure=
|garrison=[[Brest, France|Brest]]
|nickname=
|battles=
|notable_commanders=[[Korvettenkapitän]] [[Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock]] 
|associated units=
}}'''9. Unterseebootsflottille''' was formed in October [[1941]] in [[Brest, France|Brest]]. It became operational in April [[1942]], after the first combat ready u-boat, [[Unterseeboot 213|U-213]], reached the Brest base on [[20 March]] [[1942]]. The flotilla operated mostly various marks of the [[Type VII U-boat]] and it concentrated its efforts mainly in the [[North Atlantic]], against convoys to and from [[Great Britain]]. The flotilla served from Brest until the base was threatened with being captured by [[United States|American]] forces. The last of the flotillas u-boats, the [[Unterseeboot 256|U-256]] left Brest on [[4 September]] [[1944]] for [[Bergen, Norway|Bergen, Norway]], and this marked the end of the 9th Flotilla. All its surviving boats were reassigned to the [[11. Unterseebootsflottille]] in Bergen.

The symbol of the 9th Flotilla, ''Der lachende Schwertfisch'' or the laughing Swordfish became the unit symbol after Lehmann-Willenbrock assumed command. It has previously been the [[conning tower]] emblem on his previous command, [[Unterseeboot 96 (1940)|U-96]] of [[Das Boot]] fame. 

== Flotilla commanders ==
{|class="wikitable"
!align="left"|Duration
!align="center"|Commander
|-
|align="left"| October 1941 &ndash; February 1942
|align="center"| [[Kapitänleutnant]] [[Jürgen Oesten]]
|-
|align="left"| May 1942 &ndash; September 1944
|align="center"| [[Korvettenkapitän]] [[Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock]] 
|-
|}

== References ==
<div class="references-small">
*{{cite web | title= Uboat.net| work= The Flotillas &ndash; 9th Flotilla| url=http://uboat.net/flotillas/9flo.htm| accessdate=8 February| accessyear=2007}}
*{{cite web | title= Uboatnet.de| work= Die Flottillen &ndash; 7. Unterseebootsflottille| url=http://www.uboatnet.de/Archiv/Flottillen/9.U_Flottille.htm| accessdate=8 February| accessyear=2007}} 
</div>

{{Uboat}}
[[Category:U-boat flotillas|09]]