1944

U-boats that made it into the Mediterranean

During 1944 13 U-boats were sent towards the Straits of Gibraltar in an attempt to enter the Mediterranean. 10 of those managed to complete their passage while 3 were sunk at Gibraltar.

At the end of 1944 Germany had managed to get 62 U-boats into the Mediterranean. The last boats were destroyed in late Sept.


U-boatEntry dateNotesDate of loss
U-3434 Jan 194410 Mar 1944
U-9524 Jan 19445 Jul 1944
U-45522 Jan 19445 Apr 1944
U-9693 Feb 19446 Aug 1944
U-58612 Feb 19445 Jul 1944
U-96714 Feb 194419 Aug 1944
U-76124 Feb 1944Sunk while attempting passage.
U-39218 Mar 1944Sunk while attempting passage
U-42122 Mar 194429 Apr 1944
U-46622 Mar 194419 Aug 1944
U-4711 Apr 19446 Aug 1944
U-73114 May 1944Sunk while attempting passage.
U-96016 May 194419 May 1944

U-boats lost in the Mediterranean in 1944

U-81. Type VIIC. Launched on 22 Feb 1941 and commissioned on 26 Apr 1941.
Sunk at 1130hrs on 9 January 1944 in the Mediterranean Sea at Pola, in position 44.52N, 13.51E, by bombs during a US air raid (15th AF).
-Arrival in Mediterrananean: 12 Nov 1941. Days in the Mediterranean: 788.

U-223. Type VIIC. Launched on 16 Apr 1942 and commissioned on 6 Jun 1942.
Sunk on 30 March 1944 in the Mediterranean Sea north-east of Palermo, in position 38.48N, 14.10E, by depth charges from the British destroyers HMS Laforey and HMS Tumult and the British escort destroyers HMS Hambledon and HMS Blencathra.
-Arrival in Mediterrananean: 26 Sep 1943. Days in the Mediterranean: 186.

U-230. Type VIIC. Launched on 10 Sep 1942 and commissioned on 24 Oct 1942.
Ran aground on 21 August 1944 in the Mediterranean Sea on the Saint-Mandrier peninsula off Toulon in position 43.04N, 05.54E and was blown up to prevent capture.
-Arrival in Mediterrananean: 5 Dec 1943. Days in the Mediterranean: 260.

U-343. Type VIIC. Launched on 21 Dec 1942 and commissioned on 18 Feb 1943.
Sunk on 10 March 1944 in the Mediterranean Sea south of Sardinia, in position 38.07N, 09.41E, by depth charges from the British minesweeping trawler HMS Mull.
-Arrival in Mediterrananean: 4 Jan 1944. Days in the Mediterranean: 66.

U-371. Type VIIC. Launched on 27 Jan 1941 and commissioned on 15 Mar 1941.
Sunk at 0409hrs on 4 May 1944 in the Mediterranean Sea north-east of Bougie, in position 37.49N, 05.39E, by depth charges from the US destroyer escorts USS Pride and USS Joseph E. Campbell, the French destroyer escort Sénégalais and the British escort destroyer HMS Blankney.
-Arrival in Mediterrananean: 21 Sep 1941. Days in the Mediterranean: 956.

U-380. Type VIIC. Launched on 5 Nov 1941 and commissioned on 22 Dec 1941.
Sunk on 11 March 1944 at the Missiessy Docks in Toulon, France, in position 43.07N, 05.55E, by bombs during US air raid (15th AF).
-Arrival in Mediterrananean: 11 Nov 1942. Days in the Mediterranean: 486.

U-407. Type VIIC. Launched on 16 Aug 1941 and commissioned on 18 Dec 1941.
Sunk on 19 September 1944 in the Mediterranean Sea south of Milos, in position 36.27N, 24.33E, by depth charges from the British destroyers HMS Troubridge and HMS Terpsichore and the Polish destroyer Garland.
-Arrival in Mediterrananean: 10 Nov 1942. Days in the Mediterranean: 679.

U-410. Type VIIC. Launched on 14 Oct 1941 and commissioned on 23 Feb 1942.
Sunk on 11 March 1944 at the Missiessy Docks in Toulon, France, in position 43.07N, 05.55E, by bombs during US air raid (15th AF).

Wreck captured by Free French forces in August 1944 at Quay Noel in Toulon and broken up in 1946.


-Arrival in Mediterrananean: 6 May 1943. Days in the Mediterranean: 310.

U-421. Type VIIC. Launched on 24 Sep 1942 and commissioned on 13 Jan 1943.
Sunk at 1130hrs on 29 April 1944 at the Missiessy Quay in Toulon, France, in position 43.07N, 05.55E, by bombs during US air raid (15th AF).

The wreck was raised, taken to Missiessy Dock No. 2 and broken up in 1946.


-Arrival in Mediterrananean: 22 Mar 1944. Days in the Mediterranean: 38.

U-450. Type VIIC. Launched on 4 Jul 1942 and commissioned on 12 Sep 1942.
Sunk on 10 March 1944 in the Mediterranean Sea south of Ostia, in position 41.11N, 12.27E, by depth charges from the British escort destroyers HMS Blankney, HMS Blencathra, HMS Brecon and HMS Exmoor and the US destroyer USS Madison.
-Arrival in Mediterrananean: 31 Oct 1943. Days in the Mediterranean: 131.

U-453. Type VIIC. Launched on 30 Apr 1941 and commissioned on 26 Jun 1941.
Sunk on 21 May 1944 in the Ionian Sea north-east of Cape Spartivento, in position 38.13N, 16.36E, by depth charges from the British destroyers HMS Termagent and HMS Tenacious and the British escort destroyer HMS Liddesdale.
-Arrival in Mediterrananean: 9 Dec 1941. Days in the Mediterranean: 894.

U-455. Type VIIC. Launched on 21 Jun 1941 and commissioned on 21 Aug 1941.
Sunk on 5 April 1944 in the Mediterranean Sea south-east of Genoa, in position 44.18,6N, 09.02,9E, by a mine in the German barrage Fuss-Ball-Klub.
-Arrival in Mediterrananean: 22 Jan 1944. Days in the Mediterranean: 74.

U-466. Type VIIC. Launched on 30 Mar 1942 and commissioned on 17 Jun 1942.
Scuttled on 19 August 1944 off Saint-Mandrier peninsula at Toulon, in position 43.05N, 05.56E, to prevent capture because the boat was unseaworthy after being damaged by bombs during US air raid (15th AF) at Toulon on 5 July 1944. Wreck broken up in 1946.
-Arrival in Mediterrananean: 22 Mar 1944. Days in the Mediterranean: 150.

U-471. Type VIIC. Launched on 6 Mar 1943 and commissioned on 5 May 1943.
Sunk on 6 August 1944 in Missiessy Dock No. 1 at Toulon, France, in position 43.07N, 05.55E, by bombs during US air raid (15th AF). No casualties.
-Arrival in Mediterrananean: 1 Apr 1944. Days in the Mediterranean: 127.

U-565. Type VIIC. Launched on 20 Feb 1941 and commissioned on 10 Apr 1941.
Scuttled on 30 September 1944 with three depth charges in the Skaramanga Bay, in position 37.59N, 23.34E, after being badly damaged by bombs during US air raids (15th AF) in Salamis on 19 and 24 September 1944.
-Arrival in Mediterrananean: 16 Nov 1941. Days in the Mediterranean: 1043.

U-586. Type VIIC. Launched on 10 Jul 1941 and commissioned on 4 Sep 1941.
Sunk at 1230hrs on 5 July 1944 at the Missiessy East Quay in Toulon, in position 43.07N, 05.55E, by bombs during a US air raid (15th AF). Wreck broken up in 1947.
-Arrival in Mediterrananean: 12 Feb 1944. Days in the Mediterranean: 144.

U-596. Type VIIC. Launched on 17 Sep 1941 and commissioned on 13 Nov 1941.
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.
-Arrival in Mediterrananean: 9 Nov 1942. Days in the Mediterranean: 685.

U-616. Type VIIC. Launched on 8 Feb 1942 and commissioned on 2 Apr 1942.
Sunk on 17 May 1944 in the Mediterranean north-west of Ténès, Algeria, in position 36.46N, 00.52E, by depth charges from the US destroyers USS Nields, USS Gleaves, USS Ellyson, USS Macomb, USS Hambleton, USS Rodman, USS Emmons and USS Hilary P. Jones and by depth charges from a British Wellington aircraft (36 Sqn RAF/K) on 15 May 1944.
-Arrival in Mediterrananean: 5 May 1943. Days in the Mediterranean: 378.

U-642. Type VIIC. Launched on 6 Aug 1942 and commissioned on 1 Oct 1942.
Sunk on 5 July 1944 in Missiessy Dock No. 2 at Toulon, France, in position 43.07N, 05.55E, by bombs during a US air raid (15th AF). No casualties.

Wreck raised on 12 April 1945 and broken up in 1946.


-Arrival in Mediterrananean: 3 Nov 1943. Days in the Mediterranean: 245.

U-952. Type VIIC. Launched on 14 Oct 1942 and commissioned on 10 Dec 1942.
Badly damaged on 5 July 1944 in Missiessy Dock No. 3 at Toulon, France, by bombs during US air raid (15th AF).

Decommissioned on 12 July 1944. Wreck captured by French forces in August 1944 and broken up in 1946.


-Arrival in Mediterrananean: 4 Jan 1944. Days in the Mediterranean: 183.

U-960. Type VIIC. Launched on 3 Dec 1942 and commissioned on 28 Jan 1943.
Sunk on 19 May 1944 in the Mediterranean Sea north-west of Algiers, in position 37.20N, 01.35E, by depth charges from the American destroyers USS Niblack, USS Ludlow, two British Wellington (36 Sqn RAF/M & U) and a British Ventura aircraft (500 Sqn RAF/V).
-Arrival in Mediterrananean: 16 May 1944. Days in the Mediterranean: 3.

U-967. Type VIIC. Launched on 4 Feb 1943 and commissioned on 11 Mar 1943.
Scuttled on 19 August 1944 off Saint-Mandrier peninsula at Toulon, France, in position 43.05N, 05.56E, to prevent capture because the boat was unseaworthy after being badly damaged by bombs during US air raids (15th AF) at Toulon on 5 July, 11 July and 6 August 1944.
-Arrival in Mediterrananean: 14 Feb 1944. Days in the Mediterranean: 187.

U-969. Type VIIC. Launched on 11 Feb 1943 and commissioned on 24 Mar 1943.
Destroyed on 6 August 1944 in Castigneau Dock No. 2 at Toulon, France, by bombs during a US air raid (15th AF). No casualties. Wreck broken up in 1947.
-Arrival in Mediterrananean: 3 Feb 1944. Days in the Mediterranean: 185.

23 U-boats lost in the Mediterranean in 1941.


U-boats in the Mediterranean