U-616

Type

VIIC

Ordered

15 Aug 1940

Laid down

20 May 1941

Blohm & Voss, Hamburg (werk 592)

Launched

8 Feb 1942

Commissioned

2 Apr 1942

Oblt. Johann Spindlegger

Commanders

2 Apr 1942	-	7 Oct 1942		Oblt. Johann Spindlegger
8 Oct 1942	-	17 May 1944		Oblt. Siegfried Koitschka (Knights Cross)

Career
9 patrols

2 Apr 1942	-	31 Dec 1942	8. Flottille (training)
1 Jan 1943	-	31 May 1943	6. Flottille (front boat)
1 Jun 1943	-	17 May 1944	29. Flottille (front boat)

Successes

2 warships sunk, total tonnage 2,181 tons
2 ships damaged, total tonnage 17,754 GRT

Fate

Scuttled on 17 May, 1944 in the Mediterranean east of Cartagena, in position 36.46N, 00.52E, after sustaining fatal damage from depth charges from the US destroyers USS Nields, USS Gleaves, USS Ellyson, USS Macomb, USS Hambleton, USS Rodman and USS Emmons, and by depth charges from a British Wellington aircraft (Sqdn. 36/K), in a 3 day-long action. 53 survivors (no casualties).

See the 4 ships hit by U-616 - View the 9 war patrols

Wolfpack operations

U-616 operated with the following Wolfpacks during its career:
   Burggraf (24 Feb 1943 - 5 Mar 1943)
   Westmark (6 Mar 1943 - 11 Mar 1943)
   Stürmer (11 Mar 1943 - 20 Mar 1943)

Attacks on this boat

13 May 1943
The boat was attacked by escorts in the Mediterranean with 64 depth charges. The boat suffered severe damage and had to return to base.

4 Oct 1943
An unidentified aircraft attacked the boat at 0730 on 4 Oct, just a day out on her patrol from Toulon. (Sources: http://www.uboatarchive.net/U-616INT.htm)

15 Oct 1943
The British submarine Untiring fired 3 torpedoes at U-616 as she was about to enter her port at Toulon, France. All torpedoes missed or malfunctioned. (Sources: http://www.uboatarchive.net/U-616INT.htm)

3 recorded attacks on this boat.

General notes on this boat

14 May 1944. On 14 May 1944 U-616 attacked convoy GUS-39, damaging two Allied merchants (G.S. Walden and Fort Fidler), and the Allies began to swamp the area immediately (see page on U-371 for details). Eight American destroyers and aircraft from five squadrons hunted the boat until it was sunk on 17 May.

5 hours later U-960 attacked the US destroyer USS Ellyson off Oran, which had survivors from U-616 on board. Luckily for them, U-960's attack was unsuccessful, and another Swamp operation began, which eventually located and sank U-960 on 19 May.

Men lost from U-boats

Unlike many other U-boats, which during their service lost men due to accidents and various other causes, U-616 did not suffer any casualties (we know of) until the time of her loss.

Hitler's U-boat War, Vol II
Blair, Clay