U-417
Type | VIIC | |||
| Ordered | 20 Jan 1941 | |||
| Laid down | 16 Sep 1941 | Danziger Werft AG, Danzig (werk 118) | ||
| Launched | 6 Jun 1942 | |||
| Commissioned | 26 Sep 1942 | Oblt. Wolfgang Schreiner | ||
| Commanders |
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| Career | 1 patrol | 26 Sep 1942 - 31 May 1943 8. Flottille (training) 1 Jun 1943 - 11 Jun 1943 6. Flottille (front boat) | ||
| Successes | No ships sunk or damaged | |||
| Fate | Sunk 11 June, 1943 south-east of Iceland, in position 63.20N, 10.30W, by depth charges from a British B-17 Fortress aircraft (Sqdn. 206/R). 46 dead (all hands lost). | |||
Attacks on this boat
11 Jun 1943
Aircraft attack, aircraft shot down:British Fortress FA704 (206 Sqdn RAF/R, pilot W/C R.B. Thomson)
The sinking of U-417At 11.10 hours, the boat was attacked by the Fortress southeast of Iceland. Despite of AA hits in the nose, cockpit, mainplanes, bomb bays and the rear turret of the aircraft, the pilot dropped his depth charges on target. Several survivors from U-417 were seen in the water after she sank, but none were rescued.
Thomson (CO of 206 Squadron) had to ditch the Fortress shortly afterwards and all 8 crewmen managed to get into a dinghy although without supplies. On 14 June, an American Catalina aircraft (USN VP-84/P-3, pilot Lt Douglas S. Vieira, USNR) attempted to land nearby, but crashed and the 9 crew members had to rescue themselves in two rafts. While the crew of the Fortress was located and picked up the same day by a British Catalina aicraft (190 Sqdn RAF, pilot S/L J.A. Holmes, DFC), the Catalina crew was located only five days later, but just one survivor was still alive, the others had died of exposure.
(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-417 did not suffer any casualties (we know of) until the time of her loss.
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