U-boat patrols


Patrol info for U-473


DepartureArrival / FateDays
24 Apr 1944Lorient6 May 1944Lost13 days

Commander

Officers *


Kptlt. Heinz Sternberg

U-473's daily positions during the patrol


We have 6 daily positions for the 13 days U-473 was at sea.

Ships hit by U-473 during this patrol

Date U-boat Commander Name of ship Tons Nat. Convoy
3 May 1944U-473Heinz Sternberg USS Donnell (DE 56) (t.)1,400amCU-22
 1,400

1 ship sunk (1,400 tons).

Legend
We have a picture of this vessel.
(t.) means the ship was a total loss (included in ships & tonnage lost).


Locations of ships hit during this patrol


We have position of the 1 ship attacked.

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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