U-608
Type | VIIC | |||||||||
| Ordered | 22 May 1940 | |||||||||
| Laid down | 27 Mar 1941 | Blohm & Voss, Hamburg (werk 584) | ||||||||
| Launched | 11 Dec 1941 | |||||||||
| Commissioned | 5 Feb 1942 | Oblt. Rolf Struckmeier | ||||||||
| Commanders |
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| Career 9 patrols |
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| Successes | 4 ships sunk for a total of 35,539 GRT 1 warship sunk for a total of 291 tons (lost aboard transport ships) | |||||||||
| Fate | Sunk 10 Aug, 1944 in the Bay of Biscay near La Rochelle, in position 46.30N, 03.08W, by depth charges from the British sloop HMS Wren and by depth charges from a British Liberator aircraft (Sqdn. 53/C). 52 survivors (no casualties). | |||||||||
Wolfpack operations
U-608 operated with the following Wolfpacks during its career:
Stier (29 Aug 1942 - 2 Sep 1942)
Vorwärts (2 Sep 1942 - 15 Sep 1942)
Pfeil (1 Feb 1943 - 9 Feb 1943)
Neptun (18 Feb 1943 - 3 Mar 1943)
Neuland (8 Mar 1943 - 13 Mar 1943)
Dränger (14 Mar 1943 - 20 Mar 1943)
Trutz (1 Jun 1943 - 16 Jun 1943)
Trutz 1 (16 Jun 1943 - 29 Jun 1943)
Geier 1 (30 Jun 1943 - 15 Jul 1943)
Schlieffen (14 Oct 1943 - 22 Oct 1943)
Siegfried (22 Oct 1943 - 27 Oct 1943)
Siegfried 1 (27 Oct 1943 - 30 Oct 1943)
Jahn (31 Oct 1943 - 2 Nov 1943)
Tirpitz 2 (2 Nov 1943 - 8 Nov 1943)
Eisenhart 7 (9 Nov 1943 - 11 Nov 1943)
Schill 2 (17 Nov 1943 - 22 Nov 1943)
Igel 2 (9 Feb 1944 - 17 Feb 1944)
Hai 1 (17 Feb 1944 - 22 Feb 1944)
Preussen (22 Feb 1944 - 14 Mar 1944)
Attacks on this boat
12 Sep 1942
An escort from ON 127 attacked the boat and forced it to abort its attack on the convoy. (Sources: Blair, vol 2, page 31.)
13 Oct 1943
At 18.58 hours, the boat was attacked by an American Avenger aircraft (VC-9 USN/T-9, pilot Lt(jg) H. Fryatt) from USS Card about 600 miles north of the Azores. U-608 crash-dived as the aircraft passed over the boat and dropped a Fido homing torpedo about 50 metres ahead, but without result. AA splinters had cut the hydraulic line for the starboard landing wheel, so the Avenger had to land as last aircraft in the evening. It collided with the island and hit a parked Avenger, but was later repaired. The crew was unhurt and a sailor who fell overboard during the mishap could be rescued. (Sources: Franks/Zimmerman)
31 Jan 1944
Aircraft attack, aircraft shot down:
British Wellington MP813 (172 Sqdn RAF/K, pilot F/S L.D. Richards)
An attack in the night on 30/31 Jan, 1944 in the Bay of Biscay west of Bordeaux, France, in position 45.25N, 05.15W, by depth charges from a British Wellington aircraft (Sqdn. 172/K) was formerly credited with sinking U-364.
This attack was in fact against the outbound U-608 inflicting no damages. The boat hit the aircraft with AA fire when it switched on the Leigh Light and escaped by crash-diving. The Wellington did not drop depth charges in the attack and apparently crashed shortly afterwards as witnessed by a Polish Wellington (304 Sqdn RAF/2B, F/S S. Czekaski), but the crash was misinterpreted as exploding depth charges. All six crewmen were lost.
(Sources: Axel Niestle, Franks/Zimmerman)10 Feb 1944
At 05.06 hours, the boat was attacked by a Leigh Light equipped British Liberator aircraft (53 Sqdn RAF/G, pilot S/L T. Spooner, DFC), covering the convoy HX-277. The aircraft made two attacks after locating U-608 by radar, dropping six and two depth charges and strafing her. The AA gunners claimed hits on the attacker but it was no damaged. The U-boat escaped with minor damages. (Sources: Franks/Zimmerman)
4 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-608 did not suffer any casualties (we know of) until the time of her loss.
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