U-640

Type

VIIC

Ordered

20 Jan, 1941

Laid down

30 Oct, 1941

Blohm & Voss, Hamburg (werk 616)

Launched

23 Jul, 1942

Commissioned

17 Sep, 1942

Oblt. Karl-Heinz Nagel

Commanders

17 Sep, 1942 - 14 May, 1943

Oblt. Karl-Heinz Nagel

Career

1 patrol

17 Sep, 1942 - 30 Apr, 1943 5. Flottille (training)
1 May, 1943 - 14 May, 1943 6. Flottille (front boat)

Successes

No ships sunk or damaged

Fate

Left Kiel on 1 May, 1943.
Last radio message received on 14 May, 1943.

Sunk 14 May, 1943 in the North Atlantic east of Cape Farewell, Greenland in position 60.32N, 31.05W by depth charges from an American Catalina aircraft (Sqdn VP-84/K). 49 dead (all hands lost).

View the 1 war patrol

Previously recorded fate (Last revised by FDS/NHB during June 1992). More on revised fates

Sunk 17 May, 1943 in the North Atlantic near Cape Farewell, Greenland, in position 58.54N, 42.33W, by depth charges from the British frigate HMS Swale.

This attack resulted in the sinking of U-657.

Attacks on this boat

13 May, 1943
The boat, having just attacked convoy ON(S) 7 (without results) was bombed by an aircraft from Iceland forcing the boat to dive and lose the convoy. The boat was sunk by aircraft the next day. (Sources: Blair, vol 2, page 331)

1 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-640 did not suffer any casualties (we know of) until the time of her loss.