U-594

Type

VIIC

Ordered

16 Jan 1940

Laid down

17 Dec 1940

Blohm & Voss, Hamburg (werk 570)

Launched

3 Sep 1941

Commissioned

30 Oct 1941

Kptlt. Dietrich Hoffmann

Commanders

30 Oct 1941	-	26 Jul 1942		Dietrich Hoffmann
25 Jul 1942	-	4 Jun 1943		Kptlt. Friedrich Mumm

Career
6 patrols

30 Oct 1941	-	28 Feb 1942	8. Flottille (training)
1 Mar 1942	-	4 Jun 1943	7. Flottille (front boat)

Successes

2 ships sunk, total tonnage 14,390 GRT

Fate

Sunk 4 June, 1943 west of Gibraltar, in position 35.55N, 09.25W, by rockets from a British Hudson aircraft (48 Sqdn.). 50 dead (all hands lost).

See the 2 ships hit by U-594 - View the 6 war patrols

Wolfpack operations

U-594 operated with the following Wolfpacks during its career:
   Blücher (14 Aug 1942 - 28 Aug 1942)
   Stier (29 Aug 1942 - 2 Sep 1942)
   Vorwärts (2 Sep 1942 - 17 Sep 1942)
   Jaguar (10 Jan 1943 - 31 Jan 1943)
   Pfeil (1 Feb 1943 - 9 Feb 1943)
   Löwenherz (1 Apr 1943 - 10 Apr 1943)

Attacks on this boat

6 Apr 1943
The U-boat was attacked by a British Liberator aircraft of 120. Squadron (F/O J.K. Moffat) southwest of Iceland. The damage forced U-594 to return to base. (Sources: Kenneth Wynn)

24 May 1943
Aircraft attack, aircraft shot down:British Sunderland (Sqdn 228/L)

The entire aircrew was lost

27 May 1943
At 21.50 hours, the boat was attacked by a British Liberator aircraft (224 Sqdn RAF/T, pilot F/S J.S. Edwards) near convoy SL-129. The aircraft (misidentified as Lancaster) had to abort a first attack as the depth charges failed to release. AA fire damaged the aircraft slightly at the inner port engine and the nose. U-594 then crash-dived after six depth charges overshot astern in a second attack. (Sources: Franks/Zimmerman)

28 May 1943
At 15.30 hours, the boat was attacked by a British Halifax aircraft (502 Sqdn RAF/H, pilot F/O A.J. Davey) in the North Atlantic. They first exchanged gunfire, both claiming hits but not hitting each other. U-594 then managed to crash-dive before the aircraft (misidentified as Lancaster) reached a position to attack, so only a 600lb A/S bomb was dropped in the swirl without result. (Sources: Franks/Zimmerman)

4 recorded attacks on this boat.