U-625

Type

VIIC

Ordered

15 Aug 1940

Laid down

28 Jul 1941

Blohm & Voss, Hamburg (werk 601)

Launched

15 Apr 1942

Commissioned

4 Jun 1942

Oblt. Hans Benker

Commanders

4 Jun 1942	-	2 Jan 1944	Kptlt. Hans Benker
2 Jan 1944	-	25 Jan 1944	Oblt. Kurt Sureth
26 Jan 1944	-	10 Mar 1944	Oblt. Siegfried Straub

Career
10 patrols

4 Jun 1942	-	30 Sep 1942	8. Flottille (training)
1 Oct 1942	-	31 Oct 1942	3. Flottille (active service)
1 Nov 1942	-	31 May 1943	11. Flottille (active service)
1 Jun 1943	-	31 Oct 1943	13. Flottille (active service)
1 Nov 1943	-	10 Mar 1944	1. Flottille (active service)

Successes

3 ships sunk, total tonnage 18,751 GRT
2 auxiliary warships sunk, total tonnage 1,129 GRT

Fate

Sunk 10 March, 1944 west of Ireland, in position 52.35N, 20.19W, by depth charges from a Canadian Sunderland aircraft (RCAF Sqdn. 422/U). 53 dead (all hands lost).

Loss position

See the 5 ships hit by U-625 - View the 10 war patrols

Photos taken by the crew of Sunderland Mk.III EK591 "U" of 422 Sqn RCAF which sank U-625 on 10 Mar, 1944:

A stick of six depth charges is straddling U-625 aft, while splashes from the machine gun fire of the rear gunner can be seen on the left.
Photo from Imperial War Museum, C-4287

The depth charges explode around the stern while machine gun fire hits the bows and conning tower of U-625, which crash dives shortly afterwards only to resurface three minutes later in a damaged condition. Photo from Imperial War Museum, C-4289

The Sunderland circles the disabled U-boat until it is abandoned by the crew after about 90 minutes and sinks by the stern.
Photo from Imperial War Museum, C-4292

Survivors from U-625 tie their dinghies together for support. Unfortunately none of them survived their ordeal as they were lost in a storm the following night. Photo from Imperial War Museum, C-4293

Wolfpack operations

U-625 operated with the following Wolfpacks during its career:
   Boreas (19 Nov 1942 - 28 Nov 1942)
   Nordwind (24 Jan 1943 - 4 Feb 1943)
   Eisbär (27 Mar 1943 - 15 Apr 1943)
   Coronel (4 Dec 1943 - 8 Dec 1943)
   Coronel 1 (8 Dec 1943 - 14 Dec 1943)
   Coronel 2 (14 Dec 1943 - 17 Dec 1943)
   Föhr (18 Dec 1943 - 23 Dec 1943)
   Rügen 6 (23 Dec 1943 - 28 Dec 1943)
   Preussen (7 Mar 1944 - 10 Mar 1944)

Attacks on this boat

2 Jan 1944
21.38 hrs, Bay of Biscay, inbound: the boat was attacked by a Leigh Light equipped British Liberator (224 Sqdn RAF/G, pilot P/O J.E. Edwards). U-625 initially opened fire with the AA guns and a hit was scored on the port side of the aircraft, wounding the radio operator with shrapnel, but the boat then began to dive. The commander, Kptlt. Hans Benker countermanded the order to dive so that he and one of the crew could recover the Naxos radar warning device, but the boat continued to dive, causing both men to drown. (Sources: Blair, Clay)

1 recorded attack on this boat.

Men lost from the boat

2 Jan 1944
During an attack by 2 Liberators (RAF Sqdn 224/C/G) the Commander, Kptlt. Hans Benker, and 1 man were lost overboard. The boat, on its return leg of the patrol, was damaged and returned to Brest on 6 Jan.

Related: For more info on such losses see - Men lost from U-boats -