List of all U-boats

U-578

Type

VIIC

 
Ordered8 Jan 1940
Laid down1 Aug 1940 Blohm & Voss, Hamburg (werk 554)
Launched15 May 1941
Commissioned10 Jul 1941Korvkpt. Ernst-August Rehwinkel
Commanders
10 Jul 1941 - 6 Aug 1942  FrgKpt. Ernst-August Rehwinkel
Career
5 patrols
10 Jul 1941-31 Aug 1941  5. Flottille (training)
1 Sep 1941-1 Oct 1941  7. Flottille (training)
1 Oct 1941-6 Aug 1942  7. Flottille (active service)
Successes4 ships sunk, total tonnage 23,635 GRT
1 warship sunk, total tonnage 1,090 tons
Fate

Missing since 6 August 1942 in the Bay of Biscay. No explanation exists for its loss. 49 dead (all hands lost). (Axel Niestlé, November 1995).

Loss position

See the 5 ships hit by U-578 - View the 5 war patrols

U-578 left St. Nazaire for a patrol in the North Atlantic on 6 August 1942 and was posted missing on 11 August after failing to report its passage of the Bay of Biscay.

Previously recorded fate

  • Sunk 10 Aug, 1942 in the Bay of Biscay north of Cape Ortegal, Spain, in position 45.49N, 07.44W, by depth charges from a Czechoslovakian aircraft (Czech. Sqdn. 311/H). (Postwar assessment)
    Notes. This attack was directed against the U-135 inflicting minor damage.

Wolfpack operations

U-578 operated with the following Wolfpacks during its career:
   Schlei (16 Jan 1942 - 24 Jan 1942)
   Hecht (9 May 1942 - 11 May 1942)
   Pfadfinder (21 May 1942 - 27 May 1942)

Attacks on this boat and other events

25 Nov 1941
The boat was rammed by a Soviet escort in the Barents Sea, but suffered only slight damage.

1 recorded attack on this boat.

Men lost from U-boats

Unlike many other U-boats, which during their service lost men due to accidents and various other causes, U-578 did not suffer any casualties (we know of) until the time of her loss.

U-boat Emblems

We have 2 emblem entries for this boat. See the emblem page for this boat or view emblems individually below.


The Snorting Bull - U-47

Swayatoi-noss

Media links


U-Boat Attack Logs

Daniel Morgan and Bruce Taylor


amazon.co.uk
(£ 38.25)


U-Boat Operations of the Second World War - Vol 2

Wynn, Kenneth


German U-Boat Losses During World War II

Niestle, Axel


Hitler's U-boat War

Blair, Clay




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