List of all U-boats

U-455

Type

VIIC

 
Ordered16 Jan 1940
Laid down3 Sep 1940 Deutsche Werke AG, Kiel (werk 286)
Launched21 Jun 1941
Commissioned21 Aug 1941Kptlt. Hans-Henrich Giessler
Commanders
21 Aug 1941 - 22 Nov 1942  Kptlt. Hans-Heinrich Giessler
22 Nov 1942 - 5 Apr 1944  Kptlt. Hans-Martin Scheibe
Career
10 patrols
21 Aug 1941-31 Dec 1941  5. Flottille (training)
1 Jan 1942-29 Feb 1944  7. Flottille (active service)
1 Mar 1944-5 Apr 1944  29. Flottille (active service)
Successes3 ships sunk, total tonnage 17,685 GRT
Fate

Sunk on 5 April 1944 in the Mediterranean Sea south-east of Genoa, in position 44.18,6N, 09.02,9E, by a mine in the German barrage Fuss-Ball-Klub. 51 dead (all hands lost). (Axel Niestlé, September 2005).

Loss position

See the 3 ships hit by U-455 - View the 10 war patrols

U-455 reported for the last time on 2 April 1944 while returning from its patrol area off Algiers. Its wreck was discovered in 2005 at a depth of 120m off Portofino, Italy.

Previously recorded fate

  • Sunk 6 April, 1944 near La Spezia, in position 44.04N, 09.51E, by a mine, possibly German.

Wolfpack operations

U-455 operated with the following Wolfpacks during its career:
   Hecht (27 Jan 1942 - 4 Feb 1942)
   Pfadfinder (21 May 1942 - 27 May 1942)
   Draufgänger (29 Nov 1942 - 11 Dec 1942)
   Ungestüm (11 Dec 1942 - 30 Dec 1942)
   Without name (11 Jul 1943 - 23 Jul 1943)
   Schlieffen (14 Oct 1943 - 14 Oct 1943)

Attacks on this boat and other events

4 Oct 1943
While being refuelled by U-460 (with U-264 and U-422) in the mid Atlantic west of Spain, the boats were attacked by Avenger aircraft from the escort carrier USS Card. After putting up heavy flak the smaller VIIC boats dived, leaving U-460 on the surface. She was destroyed when she also attempted to dive. (Sources: Blair, vol 2, page 429)

18 Feb 1944
U-455 was possibly attacked twice with a total of five torpedoes (4+1) by the British submarine HMS Upstart (Lt. P.C. Chapman, DSC and Bar, RN). No hits were optained. (Sources: ADM 199/1814)

2 recorded attacks on this boat.

Annoucements related to this boat

U-455 located off Genoa, Italy (23 Oct 2005)

Men lost from the boat

24 Mar 1943
A crewman was injured in an accident with the anti-aircraft machine gun.

  Related: For more info on such losses see - Men lost from U-boats -

U-boat Emblems

We have 1 emblem entry for this boat. See the emblem page for this boat or view emblems individually below.


Red Antlers

Media links


U-Boat Operations of the Second World War - Vol 1

Wynn, Kenneth


German U-Boat Losses During World War II

Niestle, Axel


Hitler's U-boat War, Vol II

Blair, Clay


Hitler's U-boat War

Blair, Clay




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