U-375

Type

VIIC

Ordered

16 Oct 1939

Laid down

14 Mar 1940

Howaldtswerke AG, Kiel (werk 6)

Launched

7 Jun 1941

Commissioned

19 Jul 1941

Kptlt. Jürgen Könenkamp

Commanders

19 Jul 1941

30 Jul 1943

Kptlt. Jürgen Könenkamp

Career
11 patrols

19 Jul 1941	-	31 Oct 1941	5. Flottille (training)
1 Nov 1941	-	31 Dec 1941	3. Flottille (front boat)
1 Jan 1942	-	30 Jul 1943	29. Flottille (front boat)

Successes

9 ships sunk, total tonnage 16,852 GRT
1 warship damaged, total tonnage 2,650 tons
1 ship a total loss, total tonnage 6,288 GRT

Fate

Sunk 30 July, 1943 in the western Mediterranean north-west of Malta, in position 36.40N, 12.28E, by depth charges from the US submarine chaser USS PC-624. 46 dead (all hands lost).

See the 11 ships hit by U-375 - View the 11 war patrols

Attacks on this boat

6 Dec 1941
The boat was trapped by British ASW forces while trying to pass the Straits of Gibraltar for the Mediterranean and was forced to retreat into the Atlantic and try again. U-375 then successfully made it through the Straits on 9 December.

16 Dec 1941
At 18.19 hours the boat was attacked by a flying boat in the Mediterranean. The aircraft dropped 7 depth charges on U-375 after the boat crash-dived. No damage. (Sources: Ritschel)

5 Feb 1942
The boat underwent a depth charge attack in the Mediterranean from a hunter-killer group, and sustained damage that forced her to return to base.

2 May 1942

At 14.12 hours, the boat was attacked by the Catalina AJ162 (202 Sqn RAF/C, pilot FltLt R.Y. Powell) from Gibraltar about 55 miles east of Cartagena, Spain. A salvo of seven 250lb depth charges was dropped close to the swirl about 10 seconds after the U-boat crash-dived. The flying boat reported the sighting and remained in the vicinity until HMS Wishart and HMS Wrestler arrived at the scene. U-375 was not damaged by the air attack, but the destroyers soon located and sank the nearby U-74. Both U-boats were in the area after an attempt to assist U-573 which had been crippled by an air attack the day before. At 22.30 hours, HMS Wishart then located the submerged U-375 and dropped 13 depth charges in two attacks, but the U-boat managed to escape undamaged during the night.

(Sources: ADM 199/1782, ADM 199/1783)

4 recorded attacks on this boat.

Men lost from U-boats

Unlike many other U-boats, which during their service lost men due to accidents and various other causes, U-375 did not suffer any casualties (we know of) until the time of her loss.