U-591

Type

VIIC

Ordered

16 Jan 1940

Laid down

30 Oct 1940

Blohm & Voss, Hamburg (werk 567)

Launched

20 Aug 1941

Commissioned

9 Oct 1941

Oblt. Hans-Jürgen Zetsche

Commanders

9 Oct 1941	-	8 Sep 1942	Kptlt. Hans-Jürgen Zetzsche
9 Sep 1942	-	12 Nov 1942	Oblt. Peter Schrewe
12 Nov 1942	-	17 May 1943	Kptlt. Hans-Jürgen Zetzsche
15 May 1943	-	17 May 1943	Ltn. Joachim Sauerbier
1 Jun 1943	-	30 Jul 1943	Oblt. Reimar Ziesmer

Career
8 patrols

9 Oct 1941	-	1 Jan 1942	6. Flottille (training)
1 Jan 1942	-	30 Jun 1942	6. Flottille (active service)
1 Jul 1942	-	31 May 1943	11. Flottille (active service)
1 Jun 1943	-	30 Jul 1943	9. Flottille (active service)

Successes

4 ships sunk, total tonnage 19,932 GRT
1 ship damaged, total tonnage 5,701 GRT

Fate

Sunk 30 July, 1943 in the South Atlantic near Pernambuco, in position 08.36S, 34.34W, by depth charges from a US Ventura aircraft (VB-127/B-10). 19 dead and 28 survivors.

Loss position

See the 5 ships hit by U-591 - View the 8 war patrols

Wolfpack operations

U-591 operated with the following Wolfpacks during its career:
   Schlei (21 Jan 1942 - 12 Feb 1942)
   Bums (6 Apr 1942 - 10 Apr 1942)
   Greif (14 May 1942 - 29 May 1942)
   Nebelkönig (27 Jul 1942 - 13 Aug 1942)
   Ungestüm (11 Dec 1942 - 30 Dec 1942)
   Sturmbock (21 Feb 1943 - 26 Feb 1943)
   Wildfang (26 Feb 1943 - 5 Mar 1943)
   Westmark (6 Mar 1943 - 11 Mar 1943)
   Seewolf (21 Mar 1943 - 30 Mar 1943)

Attacks on this boat

15 May 1943
12.36 hrs, west of the Bay of Biscay: the boat was strafed and bombed by a British Whitley bomber (RAF Sqdn 10 OTU/M, pilot F/Sgt G.W. Brookes). The boat was not damaged, but the commander, Kptlt. Hans-Jürgen Zetzsche, and one of the crew were wounded by gunfire, forcing the boat to return to base. (Sources: Norman Franks)

23 Jul 1943
U-591 was twice attacked by an American B-24 Liberator bomber off Cape de Sao Roque, Brazil, but each time escaped by diving instead of fighting it out. (Sources: Blair, vol 2, page 370)

2 recorded attacks on this boat.

Men lost from the boat

15 May 1943
The boat was hit with machine gun fire from a Whitley aircraft (Sqdn 10 OTU/M) that wounded the Commander and one seaman on 15 May, 1943. The boat had to abort its 3 day-old patrol and returned to St. Nazaire 2 days later.

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