U-boat losses in May 1943

May of 1943 was the turning point in the Battle of the Atlantic, during which the Third Reich lost 40 U-boats which constituted 25% of its operational strength at the time.

Germany never recovered from this disaster and Dönitz withdrew all but token number of U-boats from battle. This month has been called "Stalingrad of the U-boat arm" by some.

Date	U-boat		Commander	Crew	Dead	Surv.	Notes
2 May	U-465	+	Kptlt. Heinz Wolf	48	48	0
4 May	U-109	+	Oblt. Joachim Schramm	52	52	0
4 May	U-439		Oblt. Helmut von Tippelskirch	49	40	9
4 May	U-659		KrvKpt. Hans Stock	47	44	3
5 May	U-638	+	Kptlt. Oskar Staudinger	44	44	0
6 May	U-125	+	Kptlt. Ulrich Folkers	54	54	0
6 May	U-192	+	Oblt. Werner Happe	55	55	0
6 May	U-438	+	KrvKpt. Heinrich Heinsohn	48	48	0
6 May	U-531	+	Kptlt. Herbert Neckel	54	54	0
6 May	U-630	+	Oblt. Werner Winkler	47	47	0
7 May	U-209	+	Kptlt. Heinrich Brodda	46	46	0
7 May	U-447	+	Kptlt. Friedrich Bothe	48	48	0
8 May	U-663	+	KrvKpt. Heinrich Schmid	49	49	0
10 May	U-381	+	Kptlt. Wilhelm-Heinrich Graf von Pückler und Limpurg	47	47	0
11 May	U-528		Oblt. Georg von Rabenau	56	11	45
12 May	U-89	+	KrvKpt. Dietrich Lohmann	48	48	0
12 May	U-186	+	KrvKpt. Siegfried Hesemann	53	53	0
12 May	U-456	+	Kptlt. Max-Martin Teichert	49	49	0
13 May	U-753	+	FrgKpt. Alfred Manhardt von Mannstein	47	47	0
14 May	U-236		Oblt. Reimar Ziesmer	-	0	-
14 May	U-640	+	Oblt. Karl-Heinz Nagel	49	49	0
15 May	U-176	+	KrvKpt. Reiner Dierksen	53	53	0
15 May	U-266	+	Kptlt. Ralf von Jessen	47	47	0
16 May	U-182	+	Kptlt. Asmus Nicolai Clausen	61	61	0
16 May	U-463	+	KrvKpt. Leo Wolfbauer	57	57	0
17 May	U-128		Oblt. Hermann Steinert	54	7	47
17 May	U-646	+	Oblt. (R) Heinrich Wulff	46	46	0
17 May	U-657	+	KrvKpt. Heinrich Göllnitz	47	47	0
19 May	U-273	+	Oblt. Hermann Rossmann	46	46	0
19 May	U-954	+	Kptlt. Odo Loewe	47	47	0
20 May	U-258	+	Kptlt. Wilhelm von Mässenhausen	49	49	0
21 May	U-303		Kptlt. Karl-Franz Heine	48	20	28
22 May	U-569		Oblt. (R) Hans Johannsen	46	21	25	Scuttled
23 May	U-752		KrvKpt. Karl-Ernst Schroeter	46	29	17
25 May	U-414	+	Oblt. Walther Huth	47	47	0
25 May	U-467	+	Kptlt. Heinz Kummer	46	46	0
26 May	U-436	+	Kptlt. Günther Seibicke	47	47	0
28 May	U-304	+	Oblt. Heinz Koch	46	46	0
28 May	U-755		Kptlt. Walter Göing	49	40	9
30 May	U-418	+	Oblt. Gerhard Lange	48	48	0
31 May	U-440	+	Oblt. Werner Schwaff	46	46	0
31 May	U-563	+	Oblt. Gustav Borchardt	49	49	0

42 U-boats lost during May 1943 (1832 men died and 183 men survived those losses).
+ means that the boat was lost with all hands.

Map showing U-boat losses in May 1943

This map shows positions of U-boats bombed in harbours. The map is clickable and zoom-able (with the mouse-wheel).

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U-boat losses in May 1943

Map showing U-boat losses in May 1943