U-596

Type

VIIC

Ordered

16 Jan 1940

Laid down

4 Jan 1941

Blohm & Voss, Hamburg (werk 572)

Launched

17 Sep 1941

Commissioned

13 Nov 1941

Kptlt. Gunter Jahn (Knights Cross)

Commanders

13 Nov 1941	-	27 Jul 1943	Kptlt. Gunter Jahn (Knights Cross)
28 Jul 1943	-	Jul, 1944	Oblt. Victor-Wilhelm Nonn (German Cross in Gold)
Jul, 1944	-	8 Sep 1944	Oblt. Hans Kolbus

Career
12 patrols

13 Nov 1941	-	30 Jun 1942	8. Flottille (training)
1 Jul 1942	-	18 Nov 1942	3. Flottille (active service)
19 Nov 1942	-	24 Sep 1944	29. Flottille (active service)

Successes

12 ships sunk, total tonnage 41,411 GRT
1 warship sunk, total tonnage 246 tons
2 ships damaged, total tonnage 14,180 GRT

Fate

Scuttled on 30 September 1944 in the Skaramanga Bay, in position 37.59N, 23.34E, after being badly damaged by bombs during a US air raid (15th AF) in Salamis on 24 September 1944. 1 dead, unknown number of survivors.

Loss position

See the 15 ships hit by U-596 - View the 12 war patrols

Wolfpack operations

U-596 operated with the following Wolfpacks during its career:
Lohs (11 Aug 1942 - 22 Sep 1942)
Delphin (4 Nov 1942 - 13 Nov 1942)

Attacks on this boat and other events

24 Aug 1942
U-596 was forced to dive at 21.08 hrs after reporting the position of convoy ONS 122 on being sighted ahead of the convoy to starboard by HNoMS Potentilla. HNoMS Potentilla approached in company with HMS Viscount, which obtained an Asdic contact and made a Hedgehog attack at 21.42 hrs, which failed because it was fired five seconds too late. The destroyer then returned to the convoy after dropping a single heavy depth charge after the contact was lost. U-596 was not damaged, but unintentionally dived to 190m (623 ft) when the linkage to a flooding valve jammed. (Sources: ADM reports, KTB U-596)

30 Sep 1942
U-596 was attacked by an aircraft in the North Atlantic and suffered severe damage. She managed to reach base at St. Nazaire on 3 October.

4 Oct 1943
14.17 hrs, approx. 75 miles west of Derna, Libya: the submerged boat was located by HMS Gloxinia following a successful attack on convoy XT 4. The corvette carried out four depth charge runs before losing contact. U-596 was damaged but managed to escape the A/S sweep of the area after she surfaced during the night without being detected. (Sources: ADM 199/773)

3 recorded attacks on this boat.