Patrol info for U-473
| Departure | Arrival / Fate | Duration | ||
| 24 Apr 1944 | Lorient | 6 May 1944 | Lost | 13 days |
Commander | Officers * |
Kptlt. Heinz Sternberg |
Daily positions, sinkings and allied attacks during the patrol of U-473
Legend
means a ship hit (sunk or damaged).
indicates an Allied attack on the boat.
shows the loss of the U-boat.
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We have 6 daily positions for the 13 days U-473 was at sea.
Departure from Lorient on 24 Apr 1944.
25 Apr 1944 - 26 Apr 1944 - 27 Apr 1944 - 28 Apr 1944 - 29 Apr 1944 - 30 Apr 1944 - 1 May 1944 - 2 May 1944 - 3 May 1944 - 4 May 1944 - 5 May 1944 -
Sunk on 6 May 1944.
Ships hit by U-473 during this patrol
| Date | U-boat | Commander | Name of ship | Tons | Nat. | Convoy | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 May 1944 | U-473 | Heinz Sternberg |  | USS Donnell (DE 56) (t.) | 1,400 |  | am | CU-22 |
| 1,400 | ||||||||
1 ship sunk (1,400 tons). Legend | ||||||||
General Events during this patrol
We have no events listed for this patrol.
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Attacks on U-473 during this patrol
28 Apr 1944
At 03.27 hours, the outbound boat was attacked by the Leigh light equipped Halifax Mk.II aircraft HX152 (58 Sqdn RAF/M, pilot F/L W.D.C. Erskine-Crum) after being located by radar in the Bay of Biscay. After an exchange of gunfire, the aircraft dropped 7 depth charges but was itself hit by AA fire in the port wing. The pilot barely regained control and brought the Halifax safe to St. Eval where they discovered four cannon hits in the wing and one on the port mainplane. U-473 was straddled by the depth charges but not damaged. (Sources: Franks/Zimmerman)
29 Apr 1944
At 02.15 hours, the outbound boat was attacked by the Polish Wellington aircraft HF386 (304 Sqdn RAF/2W, pilot F&L Leslaw Miedzybrodzki) after being located by radar in the Bay of Biscay. U-473 was not damaged by the six depth charges dropped and defended herself by AA fire which then held the shadowing aircraft at distance for one hour. (Sources: Franks/Zimmerman)
3 May 1944
While attacking the convoy CU-22, the boat torpedoed the escorting USS Donnell and dived to 180 meters to escape the counter-attack of the other escorts. 34 depth charges were dropped that only slightly damaged the boat.
About this data
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* These are officers that later became commanders themselves.
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