1943

U-126. The boat was bombed by an unidentified aircraft off Freetown and severely damaged. (Blair, vol 2, page 207)

1944

U-860. Aircraft attack, aircraft shot down:
American Avenger (VC-9 USN, pilot Ens G.E. Edwards, Jr.)

12.21 hrs, South Atlantic approx. 575 miles (925km) S of St. Helena: attack by a Grumman Avenger from USS Solomons. The aircraft made four attack runs and was shot down on the last, crashing into the sea and killing the crew of three. Its contact report resulted in more air attacks from the carrier, which sank U-860.

U-860. Aircraft attack, aircraft shot down:
American Avenger (VC-9 USN, pilot Lt (jg) W.F. Chamberlain)

The sinking of U-860
At 19.22 hrs the boat was located by an Avenger from USS Solomons, which immedately sent reinforcements. Three attacks commenced at 19.46 hrs and sank U-860 seven minutes later. The first was a co-ordinated strafing and rocket attack by two Avengers (Lt Cdr H.M. Avery and Ens M.J. Spear) and two Wildcats (Ens T.J. Wadsworth and Ens R.E. McMahon). Wadsworth had to return to the carrier due to flak damage to a drop tank. A similar attack by McMahon and another Avenger (Lt (jg) D.E. Weigle) then followed. Rocket hits were scored in both attacks, and another Avenger (Lt (jg) W.F. Chamberlain) then dropped two depth charges, covered by a strafing run from Lt Cdr Avery. Flak damage and the explosions of the depth charges directly forward of the conning tower set the Avenger on fire, and it ditched in the sea ahead of the boat. U-860 then sank, leaving 30-40 survivors in the water. USS Straub and USS Herzog arrived during the night and rescued 20 German survivors, including the commander, but no trace of the Avenger crew was found.

U-764. After torpedoing the British frigate HMS Blackwood (she sank the next day) the boat was attacked by nearby escorts causing, among other things, damage to the schnorkel. The boat was forced to return to Brest, arriving 21 June. (Blair, vol 2, page 586)

U-218. After leaving France on 13 June to lay mines off Falmouth, U-218 was hunted mercilessly for 60 hours, but eventually managed, with great difficulty, to elude her attackers. After laying mines on 1 July she returned to France, arriving at Brest 10 July. (Date of attack is approximate). (Blair, vol 2, page 589)

U-971. The boat repelled an attack by a British Sunderland flying boat (4 OTU RAF) while passing near the Faroe Islands by night. No damage. (Blair, vol 2, page 590)

95 men died when those 2 U-boats were lost on this date. 20 men survived.

Survivors from U-boats almost always landed in allied captivity.
U-boats marked with + were lost with all hands.

- For more information on U-boat losses check out our Fates section.

1944

U-515
Following his capture when U-515 was sunk on 9 April, Kptlt. Werner Henke, one of the top aces, committed suicide by pretending to attempt escape from his POW camp on 15 June after being put under psychological pressure by his US captors.

- For more information on Men lost from U-boats check out this page.

The following men were born on this day:
Hermann Eckhardt (1916), Rudolf Friedrich (1914), Hans-Johann Hansen (1918), Ernst Liesberg (1918), Heinrich Niemeyer (1910), Franz Venier (1893).

The following men died on this day:
Werner Henke (1944), Hilmar-Karl Schreyer (1944).

See the entire U-boat commander listing showing all U-boat commanders.
We might include more officers (Allied and Axis) at a later date.

This section shows the U-boat departures and arrivals from bases on this day of the year. Current country names shown with harbour names. Boats entering port display days at sea during that patrol.

1941

Sailed:
From Lorient, France: U-123

1942

Sailed:
From Kiel, Germany: U-173, U-255
From La Spezia, Italy: U-97, U-372
From Trondheim, Norway: U-334

U-boats entering base:
To La Spezia, Italy: U-331 (22 days)
To Lorient, France: U-506 (71 days)
To St. Nazaire, France: U-751 (62 days)

1943

Sailed:
From Bordeaux, France: U-487 (lost 29 days later)
From St. Nazaire, France: U-338

U-boats entering base:
To Trondheim, Norway: U-354 (3 days), U-639 (2 days)

1944

Sailed:
From Bergen, Norway: U-243 (lost 24 days later)
From Kiel, Germany: U-743
From Kristiansand: U-1061
From Lorient, France: U-546
From Ramsund, Norway: U-992

U-boats entering base:
To Kristiansand U-1061 (2 days)
To La Pallice U-262 (10 days), U-382 (10 days), U-445 (10 days), U-714 (10 days)
To Singapur U-843 (3 days)
To St. Nazaire, France: U-255 (10 days), U-281 (10 days), U-437 (10 days), U-758 (10 days), U-766 (10 days), U-985 (10 days)
To St. Peter Port U-269 (10 days)
To Toulon, France: U-471 (29 days)
To Tromsö, Norway: U-957 (2 days)

Boats entering port on this day are not counted, but boats departing for patrol are. (+) indicates the boat was lost during this patrol.

1940

U-25, U-28, U-29, U-30, U-32, U-38, U-43, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-51, U-52, U-58, U-61, U-62, U-65, U-101, U-122 (+), UA.
19 boats at sea.

1941

U-38, U-43, U-48, U-69, U-71, U-73, U-75, U-77, U-79, U-101, U-103, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-111, U-123, U-138 (+), U-141, U-143, U-201, U-203, U-204, U-371, U-552, U-553, U-557, U-558, U-559, U-561, U-651 (+), U-751, UA.
32 boats at sea.

1942

U-67, U-68, U-69, U-71, U-77, U-81, U-83, U-84, U-87, U-89, U-94, U-96, U-97, U-103, U-106, U-107, U-124, U-126, U-128, U-129, U-132, U-134, U-135, U-153 (+), U-154, U-156, U-158 (+), U-159, U-161, U-172, U-173, U-202, U-203, U-205, U-213, U-214, U-215 (+), U-251, U-332, U-334, U-372, U-373, U-376, U-404, U-406, U-408, U-431, U-432, U-437, U-455, U-459, U-460, U-502 (+), U-504, U-505, U-552, U-553, U-558, U-559, U-561, U-566, U-569, U-571, U-575, U-578, U-584, U-590, U-593, U-594, U-653, U-701 (+), U-753.
72 boats at sea.

1943

U-24, U-66, U-67 (+), U-68, U-73, U-81, U-84 (+), U-92, U-97 (+), U-119 (+), U-126 (+), U-134 (+), U-135 (+), U-154, U-155, U-159 (+), U-170, U-172, U-177, U-178, U-180, U-181, U-185 (+), U-190, U-193, U-194 (+), U-195, U-196, U-197 (+), U-198, U-199 (+), U-200 (+), U-211, U-212, U-214, U-221, U-228, U-232 (+), U-251, U-257, U-271, U-302, U-306, U-333, U-336, U-338, U-341, U-358, U-380, U-388 (+), U-415, U-420, U-431, U-435 (+), U-449 (+), U-450, U-455, U-460, U-487 (+), U-488, U-508, U-510, U-511, U-513 (+), U-515, U-527 (+), U-530, U-535 (+), U-536, U-558 (+), U-571, U-572 (+), U-586, U-590 (+), U-592, U-593, U-600, U-603, U-608, U-615 (+), U-618, U-622, U-634 (+), U-641, U-642, U-645, U-650, U-653, U-666, U-667, U-669, U-711, U-732, U-758, U-759 (+), U-951 (+), U-953.
97 boats at sea.

1944

U-19, U-20, U-107, U-129, U-155, U-181, U-183, U-188, U-190, U-196, U-198 (+), U-212, U-218, U-228, U-233 (+), U-242, U-243 (+), U-247, U-260, U-270, U-275, U-276, U-290, U-294, U-307, U-313, U-315, U-344, U-363, U-394, U-397, U-423 (+), U-441 (+), U-480, U-516, U-530, U-534, U-537, U-539, U-541, U-543 (+), U-546, U-547, U-548, U-586, U-621, U-650, U-668, U-671, U-673, U-677, U-678 (+), U-711, U-719 (+), U-745, U-763, U-764, U-767 (+), U-853, U-857, U-858, U-859 (+), U-861, U-862, U-952, U-953, U-958, U-971 (+), U-975, U-981, U-982, U-984, U-988 (+), U-997, U-998, U-999, U-1000, U-1001, U-1007, U-1061, U-1165, U-1191 (+), U-1222 (+).
83 boats at sea.

1945

U-530, U-977.
2 boats at sea.

1942

U-83 rescued all six crewmen of the drifting Dornier Do24T2 WNr 49 (7. Seenotstaffel, CM+IO) and a fighter pilot in the Mediterranean Sea about 60 miles north of Tobruk at 2300hrs. Earlier that day the flying boat had rescued Lt Heinrich Hesse, pilot of the Messerschmitt Bf109F-4/Trop WNr 10163 (7./JG 53, White 6) which had been shot down in aerial combat on 14 February, but crashed on take-off and was scuttled by the U-boat after all men were taken off.

U-431 rescued all six crewmen of the Dornier Do24T-2 WNr 31 (7. Seenotstaffel, CH+EW) and three airmen of a Junkers Ju88 from their rubber dinghies in the Mediterranean Sea about 50 miles south of Crete at 2250hrs. The flying boat had crashed earlier that day when it tried to land at sea to pick up the survivors of the Ju88A-4 WNr 140216 (3./KG 54, B3+TL), which had been forced to ditch while operating against the Malta convoy Vigorous on 14 February, its pilot being lost.

1950

The breaking up of the former U-953 in England began, following extensive testing.

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