U-359

Type

VIIC

Ordered

6 Aug, 1940

Laid down

9 Jun, 1941

Flensburger Schiffsbau, Flensburg (werk 478)

Launched

11 Jun, 1942

Commissioned

5 Oct, 1942

Ltnt. Heinz Förster

Commanders

5 Oct, 1942 - 26 Jul, 1943

Oblt. Heinz Förster

Career

3 patrols

5 Oct, 1942 - 28 Feb, 1943 8. Flottille (training)
1 Mar, 1943 - 26 Jul, 1943 7. Flottille (front boat)

Successes

No ships sunk or damaged

Fate

Sunk 26 July, 1943 in the Caribbean south of Santo Domingo, in position 18.06N, 75.00W, by depth charges from an American Mariner aircraft (VP Sqdn. 32, P-12). 47 dead (all hands lost).

View the 3 war patrols

Previously recorded fate (Last revised by Axel Niestlé during December 1997). More on revised fates

An attack on 28 July, 1943 by Mariner aircraft P-1 of USN Squadron VP-32 in fact sank the U-159.

Wolfpack operations

U-359 operated with the following Wolfpacks during its career:
   Neptun (18 Feb, 1943 - 3 Mar, 1943)
   Westmark (6 Mar, 1943 - 11 Mar, 1943)
   Rhein (8 May, 1943 - 11 May, 1943)

Attacks on this boat

3 Jul, 1943
Aircraft attack, aircraft shot down:American B-24 Liberator (1st A/S Sqdn USAAF, pilot 1Lt H.W. Fraser)

Around 18.15 hours, U-359 and U-466 were attacked by the Liberator west of Oporto, Portugal. The aircraft strafed them and dropped 3 bombs that fell between the boats, which both fired at the aircraft and crash-dived undamaged at 18.26 hours. The Germans had observed AA hits on the bomber and it apparently crashed shortly after the attack, killing its entire crew of 10.

(Sources: Franks/Zimmerman)

1 recorded attacks 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-359 did not suffer any casualties (we know of) until the time of her loss.