U-boat patrols

Patrol info for U-558


DepartureArrival / FateDuration
8 May 1943Brest20 Jul 1943Lost74 days

Commander

Officers *


Kptlt. Günther Krech

Daily positions, sinkings and allied attacks during the patrol of U-558

Legend

indicates an Allied attack on the boat. shows the loss of the U-boat.

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We have 73 daily positions for the 74 days U-558 was at sea.

Wolfpack operations during this patrol

U-558 operated with the following Wolfpacks during this patrol
   Oder (17 May 1943 - 19 May 1943)
   Mosel (19 May 1943 - 24 May 1943)
   Trutz (1 Jun 1943 - 16 Jun 1943)
   Trutz 1 (16 Jun 1943 - 29 Jun 1943)

Ships hit by U-558 during this patrol

No entries found.

General Events during this patrol

We have no events listed for this patrol.

Add more events! If you know of an interesting event either missing from this date or an upcoming event that you'd like to share please contact us. We continuously update these databases.

Attacks on U-558 during this patrol

14 Jul 1943
The boat was attacked by a British Wellington aircraft (179 Sqdn RAF/M) off Lisbon. AA fire damaged the aircraft, which dropped depth charges without damaging U-558. (Sources: Franks/Zimmerman)

17 Jul 1943
The boat was attacked by a British Liberator aircraft (224 Sqdn RAF/P, pilot W/C A.E. Clouston, DFC, AFC) off Porto. The aircraft used radar to attack U-558 in bad weather and dropped 24 35lb A/S bombs from 300 feet that straddled the boat. The remaining bombs hung up in a second attack and the boat escaped with minor damage by crash-diving. AA fire and splinters from its own bombs had hit the Liberator 31 times in the wings, fuselages and the engines. (Sources: Franks/Zimmerman)

20 Jul 1943
Aircraft attack, aircraft shot down:
American B-24 Liberator (19 A/S Sqdn USAAF/B, pilot Lt H.E. Dyment)

The aircraft was apparently lost with its crew of 10 men after attacking the inbound U-558 with depth charges in the Bay of Biscay. The boat was sunk shortly afterwards in further air attacks. She had been attacked by 5 aircraft within one week, shooting down one and damaging three others. (Sources: Franks/Zimmerman)

20 Jul 1943
The sinking of U-558
Around midday, the inbound boat was attacked by an American B-24 Liberator (19 A/S Sqdn USAAF/F, pilot Lt C.F. Gallimeir) in the Bay of Biscay. AA fire stopped the port inner engine, but the pilot had dropped seven depth charges that badly damaged the boat and left her unable to dive. While the damaged Liberator was heading home, the British Halifax aircraft DT642 (58 Sqdn RAF/H, pilot F/L G.A. Sawtell) attacked the boat and sank U-558 with depth charges. The commander, the II.WO and three ratings were the only survivors. On 24 July, they were spotted and reported by a Liberator aircraft, piloted by S/L T.M. Bulloch and were picked up the next day by HMCS Athabaskan. (Sources: Franks/Zimmerman)

About this data
If you believe we have missed an attack on a German U-boat in this listing please let us know.


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* These are officers that later became commanders themselves.

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