U-404

Type

VIIC

Ordered

23 Sep 1939

Laid down

4 Jun 1940

Danziger Werft AG, Danzig (werk 105)

Launched

4 Jun 1941

Commissioned

6 Aug 1941

Kptlt. Otto von Bülow (Oak Leaves)

Commanders

6 Aug 1941	-	19 Jul 1943		KrvKpt. Otto von Bülow (Knights Cross)
20 Jul 1943	-	28 Jul 1943		Oblt. Adolf Schönberg

Career
7 patrols

6 Aug 1941	-	1 Jan 1942	6. Flottille (training)
1 Jan 1942	-	28 Jul 1943	6. Flottille (active service)

Successes

14 ships sunk, total tonnage 71,450 GRT
1 warship sunk, total tonnage 1,120 tons
2 ships damaged, total tonnage 16,689 GRT

Fate

Sunk on 28 July 1943 in the Bay of Biscay north-west of Cape Ortegal, Spain, in position 45.53N, 09.25W, by depth charges from two US Liberator aircraft (4th A/S Sqn USAAF/Y & N) and a British Liberator aircraft (224 Sqn RAF/W). 51 dead (all hands lost).

Loss position

See the 17 ships hit by U-404 - View the 7 war patrols

Wolfpack operations

U-404 operated with the following Wolfpacks during its career:
   Schlei (21 Jan 1942 - 24 Jan 1942)
   Hecht (8 May 1942 - 11 May 1942)
   Pfadfinder (23 May 1942 - 27 May 1942)
   Stier (29 Aug 1942 - 2 Sep 1942)
   Vorwärts (2 Sep 1942 - 26 Sep 1942)
   Luchs (27 Sep 1942 - 29 Sep 1942)
   Letzte Ritter (29 Sep 1942 - 1 Oct 1942)
   Falke (28 Dec 1942 - 19 Jan 1943)
   Landsknecht (19 Jan 1943 - 28 Jan 1943)
   Without name (27 Mar 1943 - 30 Mar 1943)
   Adler (7 Apr 1943 - 13 Apr 1943)
   Meise (13 Apr 1943 - 20 Apr 1943)
   Specht (21 Apr 1943 - 25 Apr 1943)

Attacks on this boat and other events

26 Jan 1942
The periscope was damaged in an air attack in the North Atlantic.

28 Jul 1943
The sinking of U-404 At 1107hrs the boat was located following radar contact by a US B-24 Liberator (4th A/S Sqn USAAF/Y, pilot Maj Stephen McElroy), but on attacking the depth charges failed to release. The aircraft waited for the boat to resurface and attacked again at 1517hrs. Despite a 20mm shell detonating inside the cockpit (without hurting anyone), the pilot dropped eight depth charges into the boats diving point. Flak damage to the radio and one engine then forced the aircraft to return to base. Another US Liberator (4th A/S Sqn USAAF/N, pilot 1Lt Arthur J. Hammer) then attacked U-404 twice after she surfaced again at 1745hrs. Flak damage also forced this aircraft to return to base, this time to one engine, the tail and the fuselage. The last attack was observed by a third Liberator, British BZ781 (224 Sqn RAF/W, pilot F/O R.V. Sweeny), which this time attacked and sank the boat. Yet again, one engine was hit by flak, and the plane barely made it back to base after jettisoning all guns and loose equipment. (Sources: Franks/Zimmerman)

2 recorded attacks on this boat.

Men lost from the boat

3 Sep 1941
A crew member was washed overboard off Cape Arkona during transfer from Kiel to Danzig and searched in vain by the U-boat for two hours until darkness set in. Matrosengefreiter Walter Skau drowned, his body was later washed ashore and buried at Copenhagen.

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