U-642
Type | VIIC | |||||||||||||
| Ordered | 20 Jan 1941 | |||||||||||||
| Laid down | 19 Nov 1941 | Blohm & Voss, Hamburg (werk 618) | ||||||||||||
| Launched | 6 Aug 1942 | |||||||||||||
| Commissioned | 1 Oct 1942 | Kptlt. Herbert Brünning | ||||||||||||
| Commanders |
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| Career 4 patrols |
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| Successes | 1 ship sunk for a total of 2,125 GRT | |||||||||||||
| Fate | Sunk 5 July, 1944 near Toulon, France, in position 43.07N, 05.55E, by US bombs. | |||||||||||||
Wolfpack operations
U-642 operated with the following Wolfpacks during its career:
Neuland (4 Mar 1943 - 6 Mar 1943)
Ostmark (6 Mar 1943 - 11 Mar 1943)
Stürmer (11 Mar 1943 - 20 Mar 1943)
Seewolf (21 Mar 1943 - 30 Mar 1943)
Oder (17 May 1943 - 19 May 1943)
Mosel (19 May 1943 - 24 May 1943)
Trutz (1 Jun 1943 - 16 Jun 1943)
Trutz 1 (16 Jun 1943 - 29 Jun 1943)
Geier 3 (30 Jun 1943 - 15 Jul 1943)
Attacks on this boat
9 Jul 1943
Aircraft attack, aircraft shot down:British Catalina FP155 (210 Sqdn RAF/F, pilot F/L D.M. Ryan)
At 13.40 hours, the boat was attacked by the Catalina about 250 miles west of Lisbon. AA fire hit the port side of the aircraft during the attack run, damaging the wing, the engine and a fuel tank and wounding the nose gunner. Due to the damages, only the three depth charges on the starboard side were dropped but did not damage U-642, which crash-dived after the attack and did not observe how the burning Catalina ditched shortly afterwards. Two crewmen were lost in the crash and another died the next day from a heart attack. 7 survivors were picked up after 4 days by HMS Swale and taken to Casablanca.
(Sources: Franks/Zimmerman)1 recorded attack 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-642 did not suffer any casualties (we know of) until the time of her loss.
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