U-418

Type

VIIC

Ordered

20 Jan, 1941

Laid down

21 Oct, 1941

Danziger Werft, Danzig (werk 119)

Launched

11 Jul, 1942

Commissioned

21 Oct, 1942

Oblt. Gerhard Lange

Commanders

21 Oct, 1942 - 1 Jun, 1943

Oblt. Gerhard Lange

Career

1 patrol

21 Oct, 1942 - 30 Apr, 1943 8. Flottille (training)
1 May, 1943 - 1 Jun, 1943 1. Flottille (front boat)

Successes

No ships sunk or damaged

Fate

Sunk 1 June, 1943 in the Bay of Biscay north-west of Cape Ortegal, Spain, in position 47.05N, 08.55W, by rockets from a British Beaufighter aircraft (Sqdn. 236/B). 48 dead (all hands lost).

View the 1 war patrol

Attacks on this boat

30 May, 1943
Aircraft attack, aircraft shot down:British Catalina FP101 (210 Sqdn RAF/G, pilot F/L David William Eadie)

At 09.55 hours, an U-boat was attacked by the Catalina in the outer Bay of Biscay. The boat was most probably the inbound U-418, which was lost shortly afterwards without reporting the attack. AA fire hit the bow of the aircraft during the attack run and killed the front gunner and wounded two other crew members, but the pilot carried on and dropped the depth charges. The aircraft made it home but was so "holed" that it sank on landing at Pembroke Dock. Later salvaged.

(Sources: Franks/Zimmerman)

1 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-418 did not suffer any casualties (we know of) until the time of her loss.