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

5 Feb 1942	-	12 Jan 1944		Kptlt. Rolf Struckmeier
21 Jan 1944	-	10 Aug 1944		Oblt. Wolfgang Reisener

Career
9 patrols

5 Feb 1942	-	31 Aug 1942	5. Flottille (training)
1 Sep 1942	-	10 Aug 1944	6. Flottille (active service)

Successes

4 ships sunk, total tonnage 35,539 GRT
1 warship sunk, total tonnage 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).

Loss position

See the 5 ships hit by U-608 - View the 9 war patrols

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 break off its attack on the convoy. (Sources: Blair, vol 2, page 31.)

13 Oct 1943
18.58 hrs, approx. 600 miles north of the Azores: the boat was attacked by an American Avenger aircraft (VC-9 USN/T-9, pilot Lt(jg) H. Fryatt) from USS Card . As U-608 dived the aircraft passed overhead and dropped a Fido homing torpedo about 50 metres ahead, but without result. AA shrapnel cut the hydraulic line to the starboard landing gear, so the Avenger had to land as last aircraft of the evening. It collided with the island and hit a parked Avenger, but was later repaired. The aircrew were unhurt and a sailor who fell overboard during the mishap was 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 of 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 made on the outbound U-608, inflicting no damage. The boat scored hits on the aircraft with AA fire when it switched on the Leigh Light and escaped by diving. The Wellington did not drop any depth charges, and apparently crashed shortly afterwards, as witnessed by a Polish-crewed Wellington (304 Sqdn RAF/2B, F/S S. Czekaski), but the crash was misinterpreted at the time as exploding depth charges. The crew of six were all 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 damage. (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.