List of all U-boats

U-640

Type

VIIC

 
Ordered20 Jan 1941
Laid down30 Oct 1941 Blohm & Voss, Hamburg (werk 616)
Launched23 Jul 1942
Commissioned17 Sep 1942Oblt. Karl-Heinz Nagel
Commanders
17 Sep 1942 - 14 May 1943  Oblt. Karl-Heinz Nagel
Career
1 patrol
17 Sep 1942-30 Apr 1943  5. Flottille (training)
1 May 1943-14 May 1943  6. Flottille (active service)
SuccessesNo ships sunk or damaged
Fate

Sunk on 14 May 1943 in the North Atlantic east of Cape Farewell, Greenland in position 60.32N, 31.05W, by depth charges from a US Catalina aircraft (VP-84 USN/K). 49 dead (all hands lost). (FDS/NHB, June 1992).

Loss position

View the 1 war patrol

Previously recorded fate

  • Sunk 17 May, 1943 in the North Atlantic near Cape Farewell, Greenland, in position 58.54N, 42.33W, by depth charges from the British frigate HMS Swale. (Postwar assessment)
    Notes. This attack resulted in the sinking of U-657.

Wolfpack operations

U-640 operated with the following Wolfpacks during its career:
   Iller (12 May 1943 - 14 May 1943)

Attacks on this boat and other events

13 May 1943
Following an unsuccessful attack on convoy ON(S) 7, U-640 was bombed by an aircraft from Iceland, forcing the boat to dive and lose contact with the convoy. U-640 was sunk by aircraft the next day. (Sources: Blair, vol 2, page 331)

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-640 did not suffer any casualties (we know of) until the time of her loss.

U-boat Emblems

We have 1 emblem entry for this boat. See the emblem page for this boat or view emblems individually below.


Horseshoe and nail

Media links


German U-Boat Losses During World War II

Niestle, Axel


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

Wynn, Kenneth


Hitler's U-boat War, Vol II

Blair, Clay




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