U-421

Type

VIIC

Ordered

10 Apr 1941

Laid down

20 Jan 1942

Danziger Werft AG, Danzig (werk 122)

Launched

24 Sep 1942

Commissioned

13 Jan 1943

Ltnt. Hans Kolbus

Commanders

13 Jan 1943

29 Apr 1944

Oblt. Hans Kolbus

Career
2 patrols

13 Jan 1943	-	31 Oct 1943	8. Flottille (training)
1 Nov 1943	-	31 Mar 1944	9. Flottille (active service)
1 Apr 1944	-	29 Apr 1944	29. Flottille (active service)

Successes

No ships sunk or damaged

Fate

Sunk at 1200hrs on 29 April, 1944 in the Mediterranean near Toulon, France, in position 43.07N, 05.55E, by US bombs.

Loss position

View the 2 war patrols

Wolfpack operations

U-421 operated with the following Wolfpacks during its career:
   Coronel (4 Dec 1943 - 8 Dec 1943)
   Coronel 1 (8 Dec 1943 - 14 Dec 1943)
   Coronel 2 (14 Dec 1943 - 17 Dec 1943)
   Föhr (18 Dec 1943 - 23 Dec 1943)
   Rügen 6 (23 Dec 1943 - 26 Dec 1943)
   Hela (28 Dec 1943 - 1 Jan 1944)

Attacks on this boat

3 Jan 1944
00.16 hours, Bay of Biscay: the inbound boat was attacked with eight depth charges and gunfire from a Leigh Light-equipped British Liberator aircraft (224 Sqdn RAF/C, pilot F/O Ethan Allen). U-421 fought back with AA fire, then escaped by crash-diving, suffering only minor damage. (Sources: Franks/Zimmerman)

2 Mar 1944
03.09 hours, off Cape St. Vincent: U-421 was attacked by a British Wellington Mk XIV aircraft (179 Sqdn RAF, pilot S/L R.G. Knott). The aircraft had located U-421 by radar and then illuminated it by Leigh Light, but the nose turret guns jammed after firing only 40 rounds. AA fire then knocked out the starboard engine, causing the six depth charges to miss, and another AA hit in the bomb bay disabled the radar. The crew had to jettison all superfluous equipment, including the damaged radar, to keep flying on one engine, and reached base after three hours. (Sources: Franks/Zimmerman)

2 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-421 did not suffer any casualties (we know of) until the time of her loss.