Type | VIIC | |||||||||
| Ordered | 23 Sep 1939 | |||||||||
| Laid down | 22 Apr 1940 | Danziger Werft AG, Danzig (werk 103) | ||||||||
| Launched | 28 Dec 1940 | |||||||||
| Commissioned | 21 May 1941 | Kptlt. Freiherr Siegfried von Forstner (Knights Cross) | ||||||||
| Commanders |
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| Career 8 patrols |
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| Successes | 14 ships sunk, total tonnage 70,434 GRT 1 auxiliary warship sunk, total tonnage 602 GRT 3 ships damaged, total tonnage 28,682 GRT | |||||||||
| Fate | Sunk 13 Oct, 1943 in the middle of the North Atlantic, in position 48.56N, 29.41W, by an acoustic torpedo (Fido) from Avenger and Wildcat aircraft (VC-9) of the American escort carrier USS Card. 50 dead (all hands lost). | |||||||||
Wolfpack operations
U-402 operated with the following Wolfpacks during its career:
Störtebecker (17 Nov 1941 - 19 Nov 1941)
Benecke (19 Nov 1941 - 25 Nov 1941)
Letzte Ritter (25 Nov 1941 - 4 Dec 1941)
Panther (10 Oct 1942 - 20 Oct 1942)
Veilchen (20 Oct 1942 - 5 Nov 1942)
Landsknecht (19 Jan 1943 - 28 Jan 1943)
Pfeil (1 Feb 1943 - 8 Feb 1943)
Amsel 1 (3 May 1943 - 6 May 1943)
Elbe (7 May 1943 - 10 May 1943)
Elbe 2 (10 May 1943 - 12 May 1943)
Leuthen (15 Sep 1943 - 24 Sep 1943)
Rossbach (24 Sep 1943 - 6 Oct 1943)
Attacks on this boat
29 Apr 1942
The U-boat was attacked at night with four depth charges by an US Navy PBY Catalina aircraft (VP-84), piloted by Lt(jg) Robert A. Proctor, after being located by radar about 20 miles south of Cape Lookout. (Sources: Ragnar J. Ragnarsson)
11 May 1943
von Forstner had just slipped through the convoy screen of SC-129 and sunk 2 ships when one of its escorts, corvette HMS Gentian found the submerged boat and seriously damaged her. The boat aborted the patrol and reached France on 26 May. (Sources: Blair, vol 2, page 329)
7 Sep 1943
Aircraft attack, aircraft shot down:British Wellington MP509 (172 Sqdn RAF/D, pilot F/O C.J. Payne)
At 23.03 hours, the outbound boat was located by radar by the Wellington aircraft MP791 (172 Sqdn RAF/Q, pilot F/O T. Armstrong) in the Bay of Biscay. The aircraft dropped six depth charges in a Leigh Light attack and then circled the boat after making a strafing run. At 23.13 hours, they observed another Wellington (172 Sqdn RAF/D) making a Leigh Light attack but it was hit by AA fire, caught fire and crashed into the sea. Their Wellington was damaged when the port tyre burst on landing at Chivenor, unknown to the crew the undercarriage had been hit twice by AA fire. U-402 had hit both attackers and escaped undamaged.
(Sources: Franks/Zimmerman)8 Sep 1943
At 06.18 hours, the outbound boat was attacked by the Wellington aircraft HF126 (612 Sqdn RAF/M, pilot F/O J.M. Bezer) in the Bay of Biscay. Investigating a radar contact the aircraft flew over the boat and turned for a Leigh Light attack. But the front guns jammed and the aircraft recieved several AA hits just before the six depth charges were released which did not damage U-402. The Wellington had been hit in the nose, fuselage, tail, in the port engine and the starboard wing and the crew had to jettison all loose equipment to reach Portreath on one engine after 90 minutes. (Sources: Franks/Zimmerman)
1 Oct 1943
The boat was attacked by an American Ventura aircraft (VB-128, US Navy) but suffered no damage.
5 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-402 did not suffer any casualties (we know of) until the time of her loss.
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