U-596

Type

VIIC

Ordered

16 Jan 1940

Laid down

4 Jan 1941

Blohm & Voss, Hamburg (werk 572)

Launched

17 Sep 1941

Commissioned

13 Nov 1941

Kptlt. Gunter Jahn (Knights Cross)

Commanders

13 Nov 1941	-	27 Jul 1943	Kptlt. Gunter Jahn (Knights Cross)
28 Jul 1943	-	Jul, 1944	Oblt. Victor-Wilhelm Nonn
Jul, 1944	-	8 Sep 1944	Oblt. Hans Kolbus

Career
12 patrols

13 Nov 1941	-	30 Jun 1942	8. Flottille (training)
1 Jul 1942	-	18 Nov 1942	3. Flottille (front boat)
19 Nov 1942	-	24 Sep 1944	29. Flottille (front boat)

Successes

12 ships sunk for a total of 41,411 GRT
1 warship sunk for a total of 246 tons
2 ships damaged for a total of 14,180 GRT

Fate

Scuttled on 24 Sept, 1944 in the Mediterranean in Skaramanga Bay, near Salamis in position 37.59N, 23.34E, after being damaged by US bombs. 1 dead, unknown number of survivors.

See the 15 ships hit by U-596 - View the 12 war patrols

Wreck blown up 30 Sept, 1944 (?).

Wolfpack operations

U-596 operated with the following Wolfpacks during its career:
Lohs (11 Aug 1942 - 22 Sep 1942)
Delphin (4 Nov 1942 - 13 Nov 1942)

Attacks on this boat

24 Aug 1942
At 21.08 hours, the boat had to dive after reporting the convoy ONS-122 because HNoMS Potentilla had seen her on the starboard bow of the convoy and approached together with HMS Viscount, which obtained an Asdic contact and made a Hedgehog attack at 21.42 hours that failed because it was fired 5 seconds too late. The contact was lost afterwards and the destroyer returned to the convoy after dropping a single heavy depth charge. U-596 was not damaged but unintentionally dived to 190 meters when the linkage to a flood valve jammed. (Sources: ADM reports, KTB U-596)

30 Sep 1942
On 30 September, 1942 U-596 was attacked by an aircraft in the North Atlantic and suffered severe damages. She managed to reach base at St. Nazaire on 3 October.

2 recorded attacks on this boat.

General notes on this boat

28 Jun 1942. On 28 June, 1942 a battery explosion on U-596 forced the boat to return to base.

Schnorchel-fitted U-boat
This boat was fitted with a Schnorchel underwater-breathing apparatus but the date of fitting or sailing date with the equipment is unknown. Read more about the Schnorchel and see list of fitted boats.