21 May 1941
The boat was forced to dive by gunfire from HMS Verbena behind convoy HX-126 and in the next four hours subjected to a barrage of some 125 depth charges from HMS Verbena and HMS Burnham until the corvette ran out of depth charges and the sonar contact was lost. Severe damage forced U-74 to return to base.

30 May 1941
Bay of Biscay, approx. 45 miles SW of Belle-Ile, inbound: U-74 was returning to base on the surface due to chlorine gas from severe damage from depth charging with three survivors from the Bismarck on board when she was attacked by British submarine HMS Sealion. Quick reactions by the deck watch allowed the boat to evade the spread of six torpedoes and make port without further damage.

1 May 1942
14.05 hrs, approx. 30 miles ESE of Almeria, Spain: Hudson T9387 (RAF Sqn 233/B, pilot PO Vivian E. Camacho, RCAF) on patrol from Gibraltar dropped four 250lb depth charges on U-74. Two were seen to explode ahead of the swirl about 13 seconds after U-74 dived. No damage. (Sources: ADM 199/1782)

1 May 1942
22.22 hrs, approx. 30 miles SE of Almeria, Spain: HMS Unbroken launched her last two torpedoes at a U-boat, without success. HMS Georgetown, HMS Vidette and HMS Westcott on A/S patrol east of Gibraltar were subsequently sent to this position but found nothing. This must have been U-74, which was en route to assist the crippled U-573, and continued unaware of the torpedo attack. (Sources: ADM 199/662)

2 May 1942

The sinking of U-74: At 07.40 hrs on 2 May, U-74 was seen the last time by the Italian submarine Mocenigo (C.C. Paolo Monechi) which exchanged recognition signals with her in position 37°03N/00°15E. The U-boat sent a last radio message at 10.52 hrs and was not heard of again. At this time, U-74 and U-375 were searching for U-573 which had been seriously damaged in an air attack the day before, but managed to reach the Spanish port of Cartagena under own power around noon. At 14.12 hrs, U-375 was bombed by Catalina AJ162 (RAF Sqn 202/C, pilot Flt Lt R.Y. Powell) about 55 miles east of Cartagena, and its sighting report brought HMS Wishart (D 67) (Cdr H.G. Scott, RN) and HMS Wrestler (D 35) (Lt R.W.B. Lacon, DSC, RN) to the scene. At 16.52 hrs, HMS Wishart obtained a firm sonar contact in position 37°16N/00°01E and both destroyers carried out eight attacks until losing contact at 18.49 hrs. HMS Wishart dropped 39 depth charges in four attacks, while HMS Wrestler used her Hedgehog mortar twice and carried out two attacks with a full pattern of 14 depth charges each. Explosions were heard after both Hedgehog attacks and air bubbles were seen for about two minutes after the sixth attack. The destroyers continued to search the area until HMS Wishart had carried out two depth charge attacks at 22.30 hrs on a firm contact located about seven miles from the original attacks. Shortly afterwards a large patch of thin oil was spotted to windward of the attacks. The last two attacks were carried out on U-375 which escaped undamaged, but the heavy depth charge attacks of the destroyers during the afternoon must have fatally damaged U-74, which sank with all hands about 50 miles ESE of Cartagena, Spain.

5 recorded attacks on this boat.