U-552
Type | VIIC | |||||||||||||
| Ordered | 25 Sep 1939 | |||||||||||||
| Laid down | 1 Dec 1939 | Blohm & Voss, Hamburg (werk 528) | ||||||||||||
| Launched | 14 Sep 1940 | |||||||||||||
| Commissioned | 4 Dec 1940 | Oblt. Erich Topp (Oak Leaves with Swords) | ||||||||||||
| Commanders |
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| Career 15 patrols |
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| Successes | 30 ships sunk for a total of 163,756 GRT 1 auxiliary warship sunk for a total of 520 GRT 1 warship sunk for a total of 1,190 tons 3 ships damaged for a total of 26,910 GRT | |||||||||||||
| Fate | Scuttled on 2 May, 1945 at Wilhelmshaven, in position 53.51N, 08.10E. | |||||||||||||
Wolfpack operations
U-552 operated with the following Wolfpacks during its career:
Brandenburg (15 Sep 1941 - 26 Sep 1941)
Stosstrupp (30 Oct 1941 - 4 Nov 1941)
Störtebecker (15 Nov 1941 - 19 Nov 1941)
Benecke (19 Nov 1941 - 22 Nov 1941)
Seydlitz (27 Dec 1941 - 6 Jan 1942)
Ziethen (6 Jan 1942 - 19 Jan 1942)
Endrass (12 Jun 1942 - 17 Jun 1942)
Wolf (13 Jul 1942 - 30 Jul 1942)
Pirat (30 Jul 1942 - 3 Aug 1942)
Steinbrinck (3 Aug 1942 - 4 Aug 1942)
Meise (11 Apr 1943 - 27 Apr 1943)
Star (27 Apr 1943 - 4 May 1943)
Fink (4 May 1943 - 6 May 1943)
Naab (12 May 1943 - 15 May 1943)
Donau 2 (15 May 1943 - 19 May 1943)
Mosel (19 May 1943 - 24 May 1943)
Siegfried (22 Oct 1943 - 27 Oct 1943)
Siegfried 2 (27 Oct 1943 - 30 Oct 1943)
Jahn (30 Oct 1943 - 2 Nov 1943)
Tirpitz 3 (2 Nov 1943 - 8 Nov 1943)
Eisenhart 5 (9 Nov 1943 - 15 Nov 1943)
Attacks on this boat
21 Feb 1941
The boat was attacked by an aircraft in the North Atlantic, suffering some damage.
28 Apr 1941
After torpedoing a ship from convoy HX 121 the boat was depth charged in 5 attacks by 2 of its escorting destroyers, the HMS Maori and HMS Inglefield. This attack held the boat down for hours and kept her from the convoy. (Sources: Blair, vol 1, page 272)
18 Jun 1941
After spotting an inbound convoy Topp attempted to attack and bring in other boats but he was driven off by its escorts. (Sources: Blair, vol 1, page 307)
1 Oct 1941
The boat was attacked by a Hudson aircraft which dropped one bomb and damaged the U-boat slightly.
17 Jan 1942
The boat was attacked by a "destroyer" after firing torpedoes against a freighter escorted by 2 "destroyers". The boat escaped undamaged. (Sources: Blair, vol 1, page 471)
20 Nov 1942
While enroute to the USA to be refitted at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, the Dutch submarine HrMs K XIV (Lt.Cdr. J.H. Geijs) attacks the German submarine U-552 south of the Cape Verde Islands in position 13º05'N, 25º50'W. At a distance of around 900 meters K XIV launched four torpedo’s. The old torpedo’s from the Netherlands East Indies ran close to the surface and were detected by the Germans an missed their target as the U-boat turned away.
27 May 1943
A British B-24 Liberator aircraft (Sqdn 59, pilot H.A.L. Moran) attacked the boat in two runs dropping a total of 8 depth charges causing severe damages. The boat survived and managed to reach port on June 13. (Sources: Blair, vol 2, page 340)
7 recorded attacks on this boat.
General notes on this boat
31 Oct 1941.
The first US Navy ship lost in the Atlantic
On 31. October, 1941 U-552 was attacking the eastbound convoy HX-156 and at roughly 0525 hours torpedoed one of its escorts. The ship's magazine exploded and the ship sank quickly and 100 out of its crew of 144 perished. The ship was the destroyer USS Reuben James and it was the first US Navy ship lost in hostile action in WWII.This took place roughly 6 weeks before war was declared between Germany and the United States although US Navy ships had been escorting convoys and attacking U-boats for months before that.
Men lost from U-boats
Unlike many other U-boats, which during their service lost men due to accidents and various other causes, U-552 did not suffer any casualties (we know of) until the time of her loss.
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