U-621

Type

VIIC

Ordered

15 Aug 1940

Laid down

1 Jul 1941

Blohm & Voss, Hamburg (werk 597)

Launched

19 Mar 1942

Commissioned

7 May 1942

Kptlt. Horst Schünemann

Commanders

7 May 1942	-	4 Dec 1942	Kptlt. Horst Schünemann
4 Dec 1942	-	7 May 1944	Oblt. Max Kruschka (German Cross in Gold)
15 May 1944	-	18 Aug 1944	Oblt. Hermann Stuckmann (Knights Cross)

Career
10 patrols

7 May 1942	-	30 Sep 1942	8. Flottille (training)
1 Oct 1942	-	18 Aug 1944	9. Flottille (active service)

Successes

4 ships sunk, total tonnage 20,159 GRT
1 auxiliary warship sunk, total tonnage 2,938 GRT
1 ship damaged, total tonnage 10,048 GRT
1 warship damaged, total tonnage 1,625 tons

Fate

Sunk on 18 August 1944 in the Bay of Biscay west of La Rochelle, in position 45.52N, 02.36W, by depth charges from the Canadian destroyers HMCS Ottawa, HMCS Kootenay and HMCS Chaudiere. 56 dead (all hands lost).

Loss position

See the 7 ships hit by U-621 - View the 10 war patrols

Refitted as U-Flak 3 on 7 July 1943. Converted back to conventional U-boat.

Wolfpack operations

U-621 operated with the following Wolfpacks during its career:
   Panther (10 Oct 1942 - 16 Oct 1942)
   Puma (16 Oct 1942 - 29 Oct 1942)
   Raufbold (11 Dec 1942 - 18 Dec 1942)
   Hartherz (3 Feb 1943 - 7 Feb 1943)
   Ritter (11 Feb 1943 - 26 Feb 1943)
   Burggraf (4 Mar 1943 - 5 Mar 1943)
   Raubgraf (7 Mar 1943 - 15 Mar 1943)
   Amsel 1 (3 May 1943 - 6 May 1943)
   Elbe (7 May 1943 - 10 May 1943)
   Elbe 2 (10 May 1943 - 14 May 1943)
   Mosel (19 May 1943 - 24 May 1943)

Attacks on this boat and other events

31 May 1943
18.42 hrs, mid Atlantic: While searching for survivors from U-563 sunk nearby, the inbound U-621 was herself attacked by a British B-24 Liberator (224 Sqn RAF/Q, pilot Robert V. Sweeny). The aircraft dropped 12 depth charges over two runs, causing severe damage to the boat. (Sources: Norman Franks)

13 Jan 1944
While serving as a flak boat U-621 was attacked by a British B-24 Liberator (59 Sqn RAF/A) off the Bay of Biscay. Matrosengefreiter Heinz Thomas was mortally wounded and later buried at sea, and six others were wounded. The commander decided to return to base. U-621 took ten days to limp back to Brest.

11 Apr 1944
Returning from patrol in the Atlantic U-621 ran into an Allied hunter-killer group 900 miles (1,448 km) from her base and fired a torpedo at a "destroyer", but missed. The boat then evaded the hunters and docked at Brest. (Sources: Blair, vol 2, page 496)

9 Jun 1944
The boat returned to base at Brest with bomb damage caused by an unidentified aircraft. Date of attack may have been one day earlier. (Sources: Blair, vol 2, page 585)

4 recorded attacks on this boat.