Events on this day

28 March

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This is a run-down from several databases on our site. It's meant to give a clear picture of events on this date, all year round.

U-boat Shipyard report

Ordered (0)	Laid down (5)	Launched (1)	Commissioned (1)
No U-boat orders on this date	1940: U-77, U-78, U-203 1941: U-336 1942: U-715	1942: U-222	1942: U-261
These are commissioned boats. For more see our Shipyard pages.

Allied Ships hit on this date

	U-boat	Commander	Name of ship	Tons	Country	Convoy
1943
	U-159	Witte	Silverbeech	5,319	br	RS-3
	U-167	Sturm	Lagosian	5,449	br	RS-3
	U-81	Krieg	Rousdi	133	ag
1945
	U-532	Junker	Oklahoma	9,298	am
				20,199
* Unless otherwise noted the ships listed here were sunk. (d) = damaged See all Allied ships hit by U-boats during WWII.

Attacks on this day

1942

U-209. At 07.04 hrs, the boat was sighted by HMS Blackfly, escorting the Polish steam merchant Tobruk, a straggler from convoy PQ 13. The guns of the armed trawler were frozen and could not be used, but after U-209 dived, two depth charges were launched, of which only one exploded. At 07.42 hrs, U-209 missed the escort with a stern torpedo, who responded with two more depth charges, also with no success. Shortly afterwards they lost sight of each other in a flurry of snow. (KTB U-209/ADM 237-164)

1943

U-67. During an attack by Wolfpack Seeräuber (Pirate) on the small convoy RS 3 in which three ships were sunk, three U-boats (of eight) were seriously damaged, one of which was U-67, hit by air-launched torpedoes. (Blair, vol 2, page 204)

U-159. In an attack on convoy RS 3 by Wolfpack Seeräuber (Pirate) off the coast of Spanish (now Western) Sahara, three ships were sunk and three U-boats (of eight) severely damaged. U-159 was hit by depth charges from aircraft. (Blair, vol 2, page 204)

U-172. In an attack by Wolfpack Seeräuber (Pirate) on the small convoy RS 3, three ships were sunk and 3 U-boats (of 8) seriously damaged, one of which was U-172. (Blair, vol 2, page 204)

U-77. The sinking of U-77
The boat was attacked with depth charges by a Hudson (500 Sqn RAF/C, pilot P/O F.J. Clarke) on patrol east of Cartagena in position 37°42N/00°10E and dived immediately on being attacked. Water entered through a serious leak in the engine room, which forced U-77 to surface later, unable to dive. Hartmann reported his situation to the FdU while en route to Toulon, and was instructed to enter the neutral port of Alicante to make repairs under international maritime law. U-380 (Röther) was ordered to meet the boat to take off most of the crew to avoid internment in Spain, but before that could happen, Hudson Mk. IIIA T9430 (233 Sqn RAF/L, pilot F/O E.F. Castell) found U-77 at 17.45 hrs between Cabo San Antonio and Ibiza. Despite fierce flak, the aircraft made several attack runs, firing 3000 rounds of .303 ammunition and dropping four depth charges and a single A/S bomb, which detonated only 15 yards abaft the stern, for which F/O Castell was awarded the DFC.

The badly damaged boat managed to escape with the coming of dusk and continued to Alicante, but during the night both electric motors broke down, and as she lost way U-77 began to go down, sinking at 01.15 hrs on 29 March south of Cape Nao, Spain (the wreck has been located at a depth of 80m in position 38°33.334N/00°14.875E). The crew abandoned ship in one rubber dinghy and makeshift rafts made from deck planks, but the commander and 37 others died from exposure or drowning. Several hours later nine survivors were rescued by a Spanish fishing boat from Denia. They landed at Altea on 30 March, and were eventually repatriated. 36 bodies washed ashore in Spain, the commander and four men being buried at Altea, and 31 others at Calpe. In 1983 they were reinterred at the cemetery at Cuacos de Yuste, Provincia de Cáceres, Spain.

U-boats lost

No U-boats were lost on this date, 28 March.

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

U-boat Men Lost or Wounded

1943

U-564
A man was lost in the North Atlantic. [Fähnrich zur See Heinrich Feuerhake]

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

Personnel Information

The following men were born on this day:
Curt Barleben (1909), Klaus Ewerth (1907), Friedrich Schumann-Hindenberg (1913).

The following men died on this day:
Friedrich Weidner (1980).

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

U-boat departures and arrivals on 28 March

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 Bergen, Norway: U-76 (lost 9 days later)

1942

Sailed:
From Kirkenes: U-585 (lost 3 days later)
From La Pallice: U-752
From Salamis, Greece: U-77

U-boats entering base:
To Helgoland, Germany: U-252 (3 days)
To La Spezia, Italy: U-83 (5 days)
To St. Nazaire, France: U-593 (27 days)

1943

Sailed:
From Bergen, Norway: U-646
From Bordeaux, France: U-178

U-boats entering base:
To Brest, France: U-439 (35 days)
To La Pallice U-89 (64 days)
To Lorient, France: U-664 (43 days)
To St. Nazaire, France: U-221 (30 days)
To Toulon, France: U-561 (18 days)
To Trondheim, Norway: U-339 (7 days)

1944

Sailed:
From Kiel, Germany: U-1060
From Lorient, France: U-543 (lost 97 days later)

U-boats entering base:
To Kristiansand U-240 (2 days)

1945

Sailed:
From Bergen, Norway: U-326 (lost days later)
From Kiel, Germany: U-1206

U-boats entering base:
To Kristiansand U-1233 (95 days)
To Trondheim, Norway: U-995 (3 days)

U-boats at sea on 28 March

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

General Events on 28 March

1942

U-97 had to return from patrol in the Mediterranean due to technical problems.

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uboat.net

Commander file

U-boat of the Day

U-boat Finder

Events on this day

28 March

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U-boat Shipyard report

Allied Ships hit on this date

Attacks on this day

1942

1943

U-boats lost

U-boat Men Lost or Wounded

1943

Personnel Information

U-boat departures and arrivals on 28 March

1941

1942

1943

1944

1945

U-boats at sea on 28 March

1940

1941

1942

1943

1944

1945

General Events on 28 March

1942

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