Type | IXC | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Ordered | 25 Sep 1939 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Laid down | 12 Jun 1940 | Deutsche Werft AG, Hamburg (werk 295) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Launched | 24 May 1941 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Commissioned | 26 Aug 1941 | Kptlt. Axel-Olaf Loewe | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Commanders |
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| Career 12 patrols |
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| Successes | 8 ships sunk, total tonnage 45,005 GRT | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Fate | Captured at sea west of Africa on 4 June, 1944 by ships and Wildcat aircraft of the US Navy task force 22.3, escort carrier USS Guadalcanal, destroyer escorts USS Pillsbury, USS Chatelain, USS Flaherty, USS Jenks and USS Pope. 1 dead and 59 survivors. | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wolfpack operations
U-505 operated with the following Wolfpacks during its career:
Hela (28 Dec 1943 - 1 Jan 1944)
Attacks on this boat
18 Apr 1942
The U-505 was attacked by an aircraft in the mid-Atlantic and suffered a small amount of damage.
10 Nov 1942
Aircraft attack, aircraft shot down:British Hudson V9253 (53 Sqdn RAF/L, pilot F/S R.R. Sillcock, RAAF)
The II WO and one lookout from the U-505 were seriously wounded in a surprising air attack out of low clouds by a Hudson aircraft southeast of Trinidad. The aircraft dropped four depth charges and scored a direct hit, but was lost with its five-man crew in the explosion. The boat was damaged heavily and broke off its patrol. 12 days later the wounded II WO was transferred to the Milk Cow U-462.
(Sources: Franks/Zimmerman)8 Jul 1943
On its 6th day out of Lorient 3 British destroyes from a hunter-killer group hunted the boat for 36 hours (assisted by a leak in an external fuel tank). Finally the boat managed to shake the hunters and return to Lorient, France on July 13 for repairs. (Sources: Blair, vol 2, page 383.)
24 Oct 1943
The commander of U-505, Kptlt. Peter Zschech, committed suicide while under a heavy depth charge attack on 24 Oct. This was the only such case in the war. The IWO, Meyer, saved the boat and brought it back to port.
4 recorded attacks on this boat.
General notes on this boat
Check out the U-505 Gallery page
The Museum of Science of Industry website also has great material on U-505.
29 Dec 1943. The boat saved the commander and 33 survivors from the German torpedo boat T-25 (KKpt von Gartzen), which had been sunk the day before by British cruisers in the Bay of Biscay.
Annoucements related to this boat
U-505 project in Chicago on schedule (3 Mar 2005)U-505 being moved (12 Apr 2004)
U-505 to have its original periscope back (14 Sep 2002)
U-505 needs repairs (11 Nov 1997)
Men lost from the boat
10 Nov 1942
The II WO and one lookout from U-505 were seriously wounded in an air attack by an Hudson aircraft from the 53th Squadron RAF, which was lost in that attack. The boat was damaged heavily and headed back. 12 days later the wounded II WO was transferred to the Milk Cow U-462.
The heavy damages suffered by U-505
24 Oct 1943
The commander of U-505, Kptlt. Peter Zschech, committed suicide while under a heavy depth charge attack on 24 Oct. This was the only such case in the war. The IWO, Meyer, saved the boat and brought it back to port.
Related: For more info on such losses see - Men lost from U-boats -
U-boat Emblems
We have 4 emblem entry for this boat! See the emblem page for this boat or view each one below.
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Books dealing with this subject include
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