U-105 was ordered by Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine on 24 May 1938; her keel was laid down on 16 November 1938 by DeSchiMAG AG Weser in Bremen as yard number 968.

The submarine was powered by two MAN M 9 V 40/46 supercharged four-stroke, nine-cylinder diesel engines producing a total of 4,400 metric horsepower (3,240 kW; 4,340 shp) for use while surfaced, two Siemens-Schuckert 2 GU 345/34 double-acting electric motors producing a total of 1,000 metric horsepower (740 kW; 990 shp) for use while submerged.

U-105 went on to score Nazi Germany's first kill off the coast of South America when she sank Ena de Larrinaga[16] on 5 April 1941.

This was the second most successful U-boat patrol of the entire Second World War, with 12 ships sunk for a total of 71,450 GRT.

[25] She was then assigned to wolfpack 'Margrave',[26] and sank the Panamanian merchant ship Montana, [27] part of Convoy SC 42, on 11 September.

[30] Georg Schewe left the boat shortly after this patrol, and was replaced as commander by Heinrich Schuch.

On 31 January she sank the British warship HMS Culver, part of Convoy SL 98,[31] south-west of Ireland,[32] and, on 5 February 1942, she rescued seven men from a crashed German Dornier Do 24 350 miles off the coast of France.

U-105 returned to Lorient on 15 April after spending 50 days in the North Atlantic,[34] and left on another patrol on 7 June.

[38] While patrolling the North Atlantic she succeeded in sinking three British merchant ships; Orfor [39] on 14 December 1942, C.S.

[41] On 15 May 1943 U-105 sank the Greek merchant ship Maroussio Logothetis [42] 250 miles southwest of Freetown.

[43] On 2 June 1943, while passing close to Dakar, U-105 was attacked and sunk by the one and only Potez-CAMS 141 flying boat "Antarés" from Free French Squadron 141.