U-318

Type

VIIC/41

Ordered

14 Oct 1941

Laid down

14 Oct 1942

Flender Werke AG, Lübeck (werk 318)

Launched

25 Sep 1943

Commissioned

13 Nov 1943

Oblt. Josef Will

Commanders

13 Nov 1943

10 May 1945

Oblt. (R) Josef Will

Career
6 patrols

13 Nov 1943	-	31 Jul 1944	4. Flottille (training)
1 Aug 1944	-	4 Nov 1944	11. Flottille (active service)
5 Nov 1944	-	28 Feb 1945	13. Flottille (active service)
1 Mar 1945	-	8 May 1945	14. Flottille (active service)

Successes

No ships sunk or damaged

Fate

Surrendered at Narvik, Norway on 9 May 1945.

Transferred to Loch Eriboll, Scotland, on 19 May and later to Loch Ryan via Lisahally.

Operation Deadlight (post-war Allied operation, info)
Sunk on 21 Dec, 1945 in position 55.47N, 08.30W.

Final location

View the 6 war patrols

The U-boats that were in the Narvik area at the end of the war were all moved to the Skjomenfjord upon Allied orders to avoid conflicts with the Norwegians on 12 May. On 15 May, a German convoy of five ships (the fleet tender Grille with the staff of FdU Norwegen aboard, the fleet oiler Kärnten, the repair ship Kamerun and the depot ships Huascaran and Stella Polaris) and 15 U-boats (U-278, U-294, U-295, U-312, U-313, U-318, U-363, U-427, U-481, U-668, U-716, U-968, U-992, U-997 and U-1165) left for transfer to Trondheim, but was intercepted after two days by the 9th Escort Group off the Norwegian coast and officially capitulated. While the ships were allowed to proceed to Trondheim, the U-boats were escorted to Loch Eriboll, Scotland, arriving on 19 May. All U-boats were later that month transferred to Lisahally or Loch Ryan for Operation Deadlight.

Wolfpack operations

U-318 operated with the following Wolfpacks during its career:
Stier (25 Nov 1944 - 16 Dec 1944)
Hagen (17 Mar 1945 - 21 Mar 1945)

Men lost from U-boats

Unlike many other U-boats, which during their service lost men due to accidents and various other causes, U-318 did not suffer any casualties (we know of) until the time of her loss.