U-603

Type

VIIC

Ordered

22 May 1940

Laid down

27 Feb 1941

Blohm & Voss, Hamburg (werk 579)

Launched

16 Nov 1941

Commissioned

2 Jan 1942

Kptlt. Kurt Kölzer

Commanders

2 Jan 1942	-	12 Sep 1942	Kptlt. Kurt Kölzer
13 Sep 1942	-	2 May 1943	Oblt. Hans-Joachim Bertelsmann
3 May 1943	-	28 Jan 1944	Oblt. Rudolf Baltz
29 Jan 1944	-	1 Mar 1944	Kptlt. Hans-Joachim Bertelsmann

Career
5 patrols

2 Jan 1942	-	30 Nov 1942	5. Flottille (training)
1 Dec 1942	-	1 Mar 1944	1. Flottille (front boat)

Successes

4 ships sunk for a total of 22,406 GRT

Fate

Sunk 1 March, 1944 in the North Atlantic, in position 48.55N, 26.10W, by depth charges from the US destroyer escort USS Bronstein. 51 dead (all hands lost).

See the 4 ships hit by U-603 - View the 5 war patrols

Wolfpack operations

U-603 operated with the following Wolfpacks during its career:
   Ritter (14 Feb 1943 - 26 Feb 1943)
   Burggraf (4 Mar 1943 - 5 Mar 1943)
   Raubgraf (7 Mar 1943 - 20 Mar 1943)
   Oder (17 May 1943 - 19 May 1943)
   Mosel (19 May 1943 - 24 May 1943)
   Trutz (1 Jun 1943 - 16 Jun 1943)
   Trutz 2 (16 Jun 1943 - 29 Jun 1943)
   Geier 1 (30 Jun 1943 - 14 Jul 1943)
   Leuthen (15 Sep 1943 - 24 Sep 1943)
   Rossbach (24 Sep 1943 - 9 Oct 1943)
   Igel 2 (15 Feb 1944 - 17 Feb 1944)
   Hai 1 (17 Feb 1944 - 22 Feb 1944)
   Preussen (22 Feb 1944 - 1 Mar 1944)

Attacks on this boat

4 Dec 1942
While inbound with its captain ill the boat found a convoy and reported its position and began shadowing operations. The convoy escorts forced her down and attacked her for 2 hours without damages but managed to drive her off. Her contact reports brought in other U-boats. (Sources: Blair, vol 2, page 123)

8 Jul 1943
A British Catalina aircraft (Sqdn 202, pilot G. Powell) attacked the boat causing some damage. (Sources: Blair, vol 2, page 345)

13 Oct 1943
An Avenger aircraft from the US carrier Card dropped a Fido on U-603, but the U-boat was not damaged.

3 recorded attacks on this boat.

Men lost from U-boats

Unlike many other U-boats, which during their service lost men due to accidents and various other causes, U-603 did not suffer any casualties (we know of) until the time of her loss.

U-Boat Operations of the Second World War - Vol 2
Wynn, Kenneth