List of all U-boats

U-359

Type

VIIC

 
Ordered6 Aug 1940
Laid down9 Jun 1941 Flensburger Schiffsbau-Ges, Flensburg (werk 478)
Launched11 Jun 1942
Commissioned5 Oct 1942Ltnt. Heinz Förster
Commanders
5 Oct 1942 - 26 Jul 1943  Oblt. (R) Heinz Förster
Career
3 patrols
5 Oct 1942-28 Feb 1943  8. Flottille (training)
1 Mar 1943-26 Jul 1943  7. Flottille (active service)
SuccessesNo ships sunk or damaged
Fate

Sunk on 26 July 1943 in the Caribbean Sea east of Jamaica, in position 18.06N, 75.00W, by depth charges from a US Mariner aircraft (VP-32 USN/P-12). 47 dead (all hands lost). (Axel Niestlé, December 1997).

Loss position

View the 3 war patrols

Previously recorded fate

  • Sunk on 28 July, 1943 by Mariner aircraft P-1 of USN Squadron VP-32. (Postwar assessment)
    Notes. This attack in fact sank the U-159.

Wolfpack operations

U-359 operated with the following Wolfpacks during its career:
   Neptun (18 Feb 1943 - 28 Feb 1943)
   Wildfang (28 Feb 1943 - 5 Mar 1943)
   Westmark (6 Mar 1943 - 11 Mar 1943)
   Amsel (26 Apr 1943 - 3 May 1943)
   Amsel 4 (3 May 1943 - 6 May 1943)
   Rhein (7 May 1943 - 10 May 1943)
   Elbe 2 (10 May 1943 - 12 May 1943)

Attacks on this boat and other events

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

Approx. 18.15 hrs, west of Oporto, Portugal: U-359 andU-466 both fired at the aircraft as it strafed them, and three bombs fell between the boats before they dived at 18.26 hrs. The Germans observed AA hits on the bomber, and it apparently crashed shortly after the attack, killing all ten aircrew. Both U-boats escaped unscathed

(Sources: Franks/Zimmerman)

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-359 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.


The Snorting Bull - U-47

Media links


U-Boats in the Bahamas

Eric Wiberg


amazon.com
($ 37.95)

amazon.co.uk
(£ 35.95)


U-Boat Operations of the Second World War - Vol 1

Wynn, Kenneth


Hitler's U-boat War, Vol II

Blair, Clay


German U-Boat Losses During World War II

Niestle, Axel




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