U-380

Type

VIIC

Ordered

16 Oct, 1939

Laid down

1 Oct, 1940

Howaldtswerke, Kiel (werk 11)

Launched

5 Nov, 1941

Commissioned

22 Dec, 1941

Kptlt. Josef Röther

Commanders

22 Dec, 1941 - Nov, 1943	Kptlt. Josef Röther
Dec, 1943 - 11 Mar, 1944	Kptlt. Albrecht Brandi (Knights Cross)

Career

12 patrols

22 Dec, 1941 - 31 Aug, 1942  5. Flottille (training)
1 Sep, 1942 - 30 Nov, 1942  6. Flottille (front boat)
1 Dec, 1942 - 11 Mar, 1944  29. Flottille (front boat)

Successes

2 ships sunk for a total of 14.063 GRT
1 ship damaged for a total of 7.191 GRT
1 ship a total loss for a total of 7.178 GRT

Fate

Sunk at 1200hrs on 11 March, 1944 near Toulon, France, in position 43.07N, 05.55E, by US bombs. 1 dead, unknown number of survivors.

See the 4 ships hit by U-380 - View the 12 war patrols

Wolfpack operations

U-380 operated with the following Wolfpacks during its career:
Stier (2 Sep, 1942 - 14 Sep, 1942)
Delphin (10 Nov, 1942 - 17 Nov, 1942)

Attacks on this boat

12 Sep, 1942
Escorts from convoy ON 127 damaged the boat - causing a diesel engine to fail - forcing the boat to abort its attack. (Sources: Blair, vol 2, page 31.)

11 Mar, 1944
The boat was destroyed during an air raid on Toulon, France on 11 March and one man from its crew was killed. [Maschinenmaat Jonny Christoph]

2 recorded attacks on this boat.

General notes on this boat

On 10 May, 1943 in the Mediterranean, U-380 rescued five German soldiers escaping from Tunisia in a small boat. She brought them to port in La Spezia, Italy on May 16.

Men lost from the boat

11 Mar, 1944
The boat was destroyed during an air raid on Toulon, France on 11 March and one man from its crew was killed. [Maschinenmaat Jonny Christoph]

Related: For more info on such losses see - Men lost from U-boats -