List of all U-boats

U-550

Type

IXC/40

 
Ordered5 Jun 1941
Laid down2 Oct 1942 Deutsche Werft AG, Hamburg (werk 371)
Launched12 May 1943
Commissioned28 Jul 1943Klaus Hänert
Commanders
28 Jul 1943 - 16 Apr 1944  Kptlt. Klaus Hänert
Career
1 patrol
28 Jul 1943-31 Jan 1944  4. Flottille (training)
1 Feb 1944-16 Apr 1944  10. Flottille (active service)
Successes1 ship sunk, total tonnage 11,017 GRT
Fate

Sunk on 16 April 1944 in the North Atlantic east of New York, in position 40.09N, 69.44W, by depth charges and gunfire from the US destroyer escorts USS Gandy, USS Joyce and USS Peterson. 44 dead and 12 survivors.

Loss position

See the 1 ships hit by U-550 - View the 1 war patrol

This boat is a dive site

Announced discovery on 23 July 2012.

Discovery dive team site: http://www.bradsheard.com/u550.html

Depth: 330 feet (101 meters)
Position (lat, long): 40.09, -69.44

See more U-boat dive sites.

Attacks on this boat and other events

22 Feb 1944
A Catalina aircraft (RCAF Sqdn 162/S, pilot Flying Officer C. C. Cunningham) dropped four depth charges and strafed the boat south of Iceland, killing two men. The boat was lost on the same patrol on 16 April. (Sources: Blair, vol 2, page 560, )

1 recorded attack on this boat.

Annoucements related to this boat

Wreck of U-550 discovered off Nantucket, USA (28 Jul 2012)

Men lost from the boat

22 Feb 1944
A Catalina aircraft (RCAF Sqdn 162/S, pilot Flying Officer C. C. Cunningham) dropped four depth charges and strafed the boat south of Iceland, killing two men. The boat was lost on the same patrol on 16 April.

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

U-boat Emblems

We have 1 emblem entry for this boat. See the emblem page for this boat or view emblems individually below.


Lantern

Media links


Where Divers Dare

Randall Peffer


amazon.com
($ 10.99)

amazon.co.uk
(£ 23.99)


U-Boat Operations of the Second World War - Vol 2

Wynn, Kenneth


Hitler's U-boat War, Vol II

Blair, Clay


German U-Boat Losses During World War II

Niestle, Axel




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