U-559
Type | VIIC | |||||||||||||||||
| Ordered | 16 Oct 1939 | |||||||||||||||||
| Laid down | 1 Feb 1940 | Blohm & Voss, Hamburg (werk 535) | ||||||||||||||||
| Launched | 8 Jan 1941 | |||||||||||||||||
| Commissioned | 27 Feb 1941 | Oblt. Hans Heidtmann (Knights Cross) | ||||||||||||||||
| Commanders |
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| Career 10 patrols |
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| Successes | 4 ships sunk for a total of 11,811 GRT 1 warship sunk for a total of 1,060 tons 2 ships a total loss for a total of 6,117 GRT | |||||||||||||||||
| Fate | Sunk 30 Oct, 1942 in the Mediterranean north-east of Port Said, in position 32.30N, 33.00E, by depth charges from the British destroyers HMS Pakenham, HMS Petard and HMS Hero and the British escort destroyers HMS Dulverton and HMS Hurworth, and a British Short Sunderland aircraft from RAF 47 Sqn. 7 dead and 38 survivors. | |||||||||||||||||
Wolfpack operations
U-559 operated with the following Wolfpacks during its career:
Goeben (20 Sep 1941 - 5 Oct 1941)
General notes on this boat
30 Oct 1942. The boat was boarded by 3 men who had swum over to the sinking wreck. They went into the boat and captured several vital secret documents which greatly helped (some say, enabled) to break the German Enigma code machine. 2 of the 3 drowned inside the boat while still handing out files.
Men lost from U-boats
Unlike many other U-boats, which during their service lost men due to accidents and various other causes, U-559 did not suffer any casualties (we know of) until the time of her loss.
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