U-758

Type

VIIC

Ordered

9 Oct 1939

Laid down

18 May 1940

Kriegsmarinewerft (KMW), Wilhelmshaven (werk 141)

Launched

1 Mar 1942

Commissioned

5 May 1942

Kptlt. Helmut Manseck

Commanders

5 May 1942	-	3 Apr 1944	Kptlt. Helmut Manseck
4 Apr 1944	-	16 Mar 1945	Oblt. Hans-Arend Feindt

Career
7 patrols

5 May 1942	-	1 Nov 1942	6. Flottille (training)
1 Nov 1942	-	14 Oct 1944	6. Flottille (front boat)
15 Oct 1944	-	1 Mar 1945	33. Flottille (training)

Successes

2 ships sunk for a total of 13,989 GRT

Fate

Stricken at Kiel, Germany on 16 March, 1945 after being badly damaged by British bombs. Broken up in 1946-1947.

See the 2 ships hit by U-758 - View the 7 war patrols

Wolfpack operations

U-758 operated with the following Wolfpacks during its career:
   Panzer (23 Nov 1942 - 11 Dec 1942)
   Sturmbock (21 Feb 1943 - 24 Feb 1943)
   Burggraf (24 Feb 1943 - 26 Feb 1943)
   Wildfang (26 Feb 1943 - 5 Mar 1943)
   Raubgraf (7 Mar 1943 - 20 Mar 1943)
   Leuthen (15 Sep 1943 - 24 Sep 1943)
   Rossbach (24 Sep 1943 - 9 Oct 1943)
   Borkum (24 Dec 1943 - 3 Jan 1944)
   Borkum 2 (3 Jan 1944 - 13 Jan 1944)

Attacks on this boat

8 Jun 1943
At 19.18 hours, the boat was attacked by carrier aircraft (VC-9 USN) from USS Bogue escorting the convoy GUS-9 south of the Azores. U-758 had just spotted and reported the convoy when they were attacked by an Avenger, piloted by Lt(jg) L.S. Bailliett. Its four depth charges exploded astern, but the boat stayed at the surface and put up a heavy AA barrage. After 30 minutes a second Avenger, piloted by Lt(jg) W.S. Fowler, attacked with three depth charges despite of being heavily damaged by AA fire during the approach. AA hits wounded a crewman and damaged the engine, the starboard wing and the bomb bay, forcing the pilot to return to the carrier. Then a third Avenger, piloted by Lt(jg) F.D. Fodge, attacked assisted by a strafing run from a Wildcat piloted by Lt(jg) P. Perabo. The boat crash-dived before the depth charges were dropped and evaded a hunt by USS Clemson.

The Germans reported beating off an attack by 8 carrier aircraft (identified as Martlet, Lysander and Mustang) with the new powerful quadruple AA gun and claimed one shot down and four damaged. U-758 sustained only minor damages, but 7 men were wounded in the attacks, so the boat had to abort its patrol.

(Sources: Franks/Zimmerman)

23 Sep 1943
Depth charges by convoy escorts and had to withdraw for repairs. (Sources: Blair, vol 2, page 424)

11 Jan 1944
Attacked by 2 Avenger aircraft from the hunter-killer group Block Island. They attacked the boat with rockets (8 each) and depth charges (2 each) and damaged the boat forcing him to return to port on Jan 20 at St. Nazaire. (Sources: Blair, vol 2, p 491.)

3 recorded attacks on this boat.

Schnorchel-fitted U-boat
This boat was fitted with a Schnorchel underwater-breathing apparatus in July 1944. Read more about the Schnorchel and see list of fitted boats.

Men lost from the boat

8 Jun 1943
The boat was attacked by no less than 8 Avenger aircraft from USS Bogue on 8 June, 1943. U-758 was the first boat to be fitted with a very powerful anti-aircraft system and managed to escape without fatal damage while shooting one of the attackers down. 7 men were wounded.

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