Type | VIIB | |||||||||
| Ordered | 16 Jul 1937 | |||||||||
| Laid down | 2 Nov 1938 | F. Krupp Germaniawerft AG, Kiel (werk 590) | ||||||||
| Launched | 19 Oct 1939 | |||||||||
| Commissioned | 21 Nov 1939 | Kptlt. Werner Heidel | ||||||||
| Commanders |
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| Career 1 patrol |
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| Successes | 6 ships sunk, total tonnage 15,853 GRT | |||||||||
| Fate | Sunk 30 Jan, 1940 south-west of the Isles of Scilly (English Channel), in position 48.37N, 07.48W, by depth charges from the British destroyer HMS Whitshed, the British sloop HMS Fowey the French destroyers Valmy and Guépard, and by depth charges from a British Sunderland aircraft (228 Sqdn.). 1 dead and 41 survivors. | |||||||||
| Loss position | ||||||||||
The boat lies about 90 miles south-west of Isles of Scilly.
Men lost from U-boats
Unlike many other U-boats, which during their service lost men due to accidents and various other causes, U-55 did not suffer any casualties (we know of) until the time of her loss.
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There was another U-55 in World War One
That boat was launched from its shipyard on 18 Mar 1916 and commissioned into the Imperial Navy on 8 Jun 1916. The Naval war in WWI was brought to an end with the Armistice signed on 11 Nov, 1918. Read about the U 55 during WWI.