List of all U-boats

U-596

Type

VIIC

 
Ordered16 Jan 1940
Laid down4 Jan 1941 Blohm & Voss, Hamburg (werk 572)
Launched17 Sep 1941
Commissioned13 Nov 1941Kptlt. Gunter Jahn (Knights Cross)
Commanders
13 Nov 1941 - 27 Jul 1943  Kptlt. Gunter Jahn (Knights Cross)
28 Jul 1943 - Jul, 1944  Oblt. Victor-Wilhelm Nonn (German Cross in Gold)
Jul, 1944 - 8 Sep 1944  Oblt. Hans Kolbus
Career
12 patrols
13 Nov 1941-30 Jun 1942  8. Flottille (training)
1 Jul 1942-18 Nov 1942  3. Flottille (active service)
19 Nov 1942-24 Sep 1944  29. Flottille (active service)
Successes12 ships sunk, total tonnage 41,411 GRT
1 warship sunk, total tonnage 246 tons
2 ships damaged, total tonnage 14,180 GRT
Fate

Scuttled on 30 September 1944 in the Skaramanga Bay, in position 37.59N, 23.34E, after being badly damaged by bombs during a US air raid (15th AF) in Salamis on 24 September 1944. 1 dead, unknown number of survivors.

Loss position

See the 15 ships hit by U-596 - View the 12 war patrols

Wolfpack operations

U-596 operated with the following Wolfpacks during its career:
   Lohs (11 Aug 1942 - 22 Sep 1942)
   Delphin (4 Nov 1942 - 13 Nov 1942)

Attacks on this boat and other events

24 Aug 1942
U-596 was forced to dive at 21.08 hrs after reporting the position of convoy ONS 122 on being sighted ahead of the convoy to starboard by HNoMS Potentilla. HNoMS Potentilla approached in company with HMS Viscount, which obtained an Asdic contact and made a Hedgehog attack at 21.42 hrs, which failed because it was fired five seconds too late. The destroyer then returned to the convoy after dropping a single heavy depth charge after the contact was lost. U-596 was not damaged, but unintentionally dived to 190m (623 ft) when the linkage to a flooding valve jammed. (Sources: ADM reports, KTB U-596)

30 Sep 1942
U-596 was attacked by an aircraft in the North Atlantic and suffered severe damage. She managed to reach base at St. Nazaire on 3 October.

4 Oct 1943
14.17 hrs, approx. 75 miles west of Derna, Libya: the submerged boat was located by HMS Gloxinia following a successful attack on convoy XT 4. The corvette carried out four depth charge runs before losing contact. U-596 was damaged but managed to escape the A/S sweep of the area after she surfaced during the night without being detected. (Sources: ADM 199/773)

3 recorded attacks on this boat.

General notes on this boat

28 Jun 1942. On 28 June, 1942 a battery explosion on U-596 forced the boat to return to base.

Schnorchel-fitted U-boat

This boat was fitted with a Schnorchel underwater-breathing apparatus but the date of fitting or sailing date with the equipment is unknown.

Read more about the Schnorchel and see list of fitted boats.

Men lost from the boat

30 Aug 1942
U-596 lost a man overboard in the North Atlantic. [Fähnrich zur See Wolfgang Aldag]

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

U-boat Emblems

We have 3 emblem entries for this boat. See the emblem page for this boat or view emblems individually below.


Crew 37a

Water bearer

Flag and Water bearer

Media links


U-Boat Attack Logs

Daniel Morgan and Bruce Taylor


amazon.co.uk
(£ 38.25)


German U-Boat Losses During World War II

Niestle, Axel


Hitler's U-boat War, Vol II

Blair, Clay


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

Wynn, Kenneth


Hitler's U-boat War

Blair, Clay




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