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Shipmates
A Personal Journal Aboard a World War II Destroyer
Seeley, Lewis E. & Lorraine Seeley Buell
Allied Warships
Check out our new extensive section on all the Allied Warships during WWII in all theatres of the war.Over 21,000 ships
1943
U-boats that made it into the Mediterranean
During 1943 13 U-boats were sent towards the Straits of Gibraltar in an attempt to enter the Mediterranean. 10 of those managed to complete their passage while 2 were sunk at Gibraltar and more 1 failed to complete its run and turned away.
At the end of 1943 Germany had successfully put 52 U-boats in the Mediterranean. 39 of them had been lost, with operation strength at only 13 boats at years end.
| U-boat | Entry date | Notes | Date of loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| U-224 | 10 Jan 1943 | 13 Jan 1943 | |
| U-414 | 9 Apr 1943 | 25 May 1943 | |
| U-303 | 10 Apr 1943 | 21 May 1943 | |
| U-616 | 5 May 1943 | 17 May 1944 | |
| U-410 | 6 May 1943 | 11 Mar 1944 | |
| U-732 | 3 Jun 1943 | Sunk while attempting passage. | |
| U-340 | 3 Jun 1943 | Sunk while attempting passage. | |
| U-409 | 5 Jun 1943 | 12 Jul 1943 | |
| U-667 | 22 Sep 1943 | Damaged while in passage during Sept 1943, aborted | |
| U-223 | 26 Sep 1943 | 30 Mar 1944 | |
| U-450 | 31 Oct 1943 | 10 Mar 1944 | |
| U-642 | 3 Nov 1943 | 5 Jul 1944 | |
| U-230 | 5 Dec 1943 | 21 Aug 1944 |
U-boats lost in the Mediterranean in 1943
U-73. Type VIIB. Launched on 27 Jul 1940 and commissioned on 30 Sep 1940.
Sunk on 16 December 1943 in the Mediterranean north of Oran, in position 36.07N, 00.50W, by depth charges and gunfire from the US destroyers USS Woolsey and USS Trippe.
-Arrival in Mediterrananean: 14 Jan 1942. Days in the Mediterranean: 701.U-77. Type VIIC. Launched on 23 Nov 1940 and commissioned on 18 Jan 1941.
Sank at 0115 hrs on 29 March 1943 in the Mediterranean Sea east of Cartagena, in position 38.33N, 00.14E, after being badly damaged by depth charges from two British Hudson aircraft (500 Sqn RAF/C & 233 Sqn RAF/L) in position 37.42N, 00.10E on 28 March.
-Arrival in Mediterrananean: 16 Dec 1941. Days in the Mediterranean: 468.U-83. Type VIIB. Launched on 9 Dec 1940 and commissioned on 8 Feb 1941.
Sunk on 4 March 1943 in the Mediterranean south-east of Cartagena, in position 37.10N, 00.05E, by depth charges from a British Hudson aircraft (500 Sqn RAF/V).
-Arrival in Mediterrananean: 18 Dec 1941. Days in the Mediterranean: 441.U-97. Type VIIC. Launched on 15 Aug 1940 and commissioned on 28 Sep 1940.
Sunk on 16 June 1943 in the Mediterranean Sea west of Haifa, in position 33.00N, 34.00E, by depth charges from an Australian Hudson aircraft (459 Sqn RAAF/T).
-Arrival in Mediterrananean: 26 Sep 1941. Days in the Mediterranean: 628.U-205. Type VIIC. Launched on 20 Mar 1941 and commissioned on 3 May 1941.
Badly damaged on 17 February 1943 in the Mediterranean Sea north-west of Derna, in position 33.08N, 22.18E, by depth charges from the British destroyer HMS Paladin, assisted by a South African Bisley aircraft (15 Sqn SAAF/W).Captured by a boarding party of the destroyer that seized several confidential books and documents. U-205 foundered a few hours later while under tow by the British corvette HMS Gloxinia off Ras al Hilal in position 32.54,8N, 22.11,4E.
-Arrival in Mediterrananean: 11 Nov 1941. Days in the Mediterranean: 463.U-224. Type VIIC. Launched on 7 May 1942 and commissioned on 20 Jun 1942.
Sunk on 13 January 1943 in the Mediterranean Sea west of Algiers, in position 36.28N, 00.49E, by depth charges and ramming from the Canadian corvette HMCS Ville de Quebec.
-Arrival in Mediterrananean: 10 Jan 1943. Days in the Mediterranean: 3.U-301. Type VIIC. Launched on 25 Mar 1942 and commissioned on 9 May 1942.
Sunk on 21 January 1943 in the Mediterranean Sea west of Bonifacio, Corsica, in position 41.27N, 07.04E by torpedoes from the British submarine HMS Sahib.
-Arrival in Mediterrananean: 9 Dec 1942. Days in the Mediterranean: 43.U-303. Type VIIC. Launched on 16 May 1942 and commissioned on 7 Jul 1942.
Sunk on 21 May 1943 in the Mediterranean Sea south of Toulon, in position 42.50N, 06.00E, by a torpedo from the British submarine HMS Sickle.
-Arrival in Mediterrananean: 10 Apr 1943. Days in the Mediterranean: 41.U-375. Type VIIC. Launched on 7 Jun 1941 and commissioned on 19 Jul 1941.
Missing since 25 July 1943 in the Mediterranean Sea south of Sicily. There is no explanation for its loss.
-Arrival in Mediterrananean: 9 Dec 1941. Days in the Mediterranean: 593.U-409. Type VIIC. Launched on 23 Sep 1941 and commissioned on 21 Jan 1942.
Sunk on 12 July 1943 in the Mediterranean Sea north-east of Algiers, in position 37.12N, 04.00E, by depth charges from the British destroyer HMS Inconstant.
-Arrival in Mediterrananean: 5 Jun 1943. Days in the Mediterranean: 37.U-414. Type VIIC. Launched on 25 Mar 1942 and commissioned on 1 Jul 1942.
Sunk on 25 May 1943 in the Mediterranean Sea north-west of Ténès, in position 36.31N, 00.40E, by depth charges from the British corvette HMS Vetch.
-Arrival in Mediterrananean: 9 Apr 1943. Days in the Mediterranean: 46.U-431. Type VIIC. Launched on 2 Feb 1941 and commissioned on 5 Apr 1941.
Sunk on 21 October 1943 in the Mediterranean Sea east of Cartagena, Spain, in position 37.23N, 00.35E, by depth charges from a British Wellington aircraft (179 Sqn RAF/Z).
-Arrival in Mediterrananean: 24 Nov 1941. Days in the Mediterranean: 696.U-443. Type VIIC. Launched on 31 Jan 1942 and commissioned on 18 Apr 1942.
Sunk on 23 February 1943 in the Mediterranean Sea north-west of Algiers, in position 36.55N, 02.25E, by depth charges from the British escort destroyers HMS Bicester, HMS Lamerton and HMS Wheatland.
-Arrival in Mediterrananean: 5 Dec 1942. Days in the Mediterranean: 80.U-458. Type VIIC. Launched on 4 Oct 1941 and commissioned on 12 Dec 1941.
Sunk on 22 August 1943 in the Mediterranean Sea south-east of Pantelleria, Italy, in position 36.25N, 12.39E, by depth charges from the British escort destroyer HMS Easton and the Greek escort destroyer Pindos. HMS Easton also rammed the submarine.
-Arrival in Mediterrananean: 9 Oct 1942. Days in the Mediterranean: 317.U-561. Type VIIC. Launched on 23 Jan 1941 and commissioned on 13 Mar 1941.
Sunk on 12 July 1943 in the Strait of Messina, in position 38.16N, 15.39E, by a torpedo from the British motor torpedo boat HMS MTB-81.
-Arrival in Mediterrananean: 15 Jan 1942. Days in the Mediterranean: 543.U-562. Type VIIC. Launched on 24 Jan 1941 and commissioned on 20 Mar 1941.
Sunk on 19 February 1943 in the Mediterranean Sea north-east of Bengazi, in position 32.57N, 20.54E, by depth charges from the British destroyer HMS Isis and the British escort destroyer HMS Hursley, after being located by a British Wellington aircraft (38 Sqn RAF/S).
-Arrival in Mediterrananean: 27 Nov 1941. Days in the Mediterranean: 449.U-593. Type VIIC. Launched on 3 Sep 1941 and commissioned on 23 Oct 1941.
Sunk on 13 December 1943 in the Mediterranean Sea north-east of Bougie, in position 37.38N, 05.58E, by depth charges from the US destroyer USS Wainwright and the British escort destroyer HMS Calpe.
-Arrival in Mediterrananean: 11 Oct 1942. Days in the Mediterranean: 428.U-602. Type VIIC. Launched on 30 Oct 1941 and commissioned on 29 Dec 1941.
Missing since 19 April 1943 in the Mediterranean Sea north of Oran. There is no explanation for its loss.
-Arrival in Mediterrananean: 8 Dec 1942. Days in the Mediterranean: 132.U-617. Type VIIC. Launched on 14 Feb 1942 and commissioned on 9 Apr 1942.
Badly damaged on 12 September 1943 in the Mediterranean Sea north-west of Melilla, in position 35.38N, 03.27W, by depth charges from two British Wellington aircraft (179 Sqn RAF/P & J).Beached west of Cape Tres Forcas, in position 35.13N, 03.21W. The wreck was subsequently attacked by British Hudson aircraft (48 and 233 Sqn RAF) and two British Swordfish aircraft (833 and 886 Sqn FAA) and finally destroyed by gunfire from the British corvette HMS Hyacinth and the Australian minesweeper HMAS Wollongong.
-Arrival in Mediterrananean: 8 Nov 1942. Days in the Mediterranean: 308.U-755. Type VIIC. Launched on 23 Aug 1941 and commissioned on 3 Nov 1941.
Sunk on 28 May 1943 in the Mediterranean Sea north-west of Mallorca, in position 39.58N, 01.41E, by rockets from a British Hudson aircraft (608 Sqn RAF/M).
-Arrival in Mediterrananean: 8 Nov 1942. Days in the Mediterranean: 201.20 U-boats lost in the Mediterranean in 1941.