U-626

Type

VIIC

Ordered

15 Aug, 1940

Laid down

28 Jul, 1941

Blohm & Voss, Hamburg (werk 602)

Launched

15 Apr, 1942

Commissioned

11 Jun, 1942

Ltnt. Hans-Botho Bade

Commanders

11 Jun, 1942 - 15 Dec, 1942

Ltn. Hans-Botho Bade

Career

1 patrol

11 Jun, 1942 - 31 Oct, 1942 5. Flottille (training)
1 Nov, 1942 - 15 Dec, 1942 6. Flottille (front boat)

Successes

No ships sunk or damaged

Fate

Sunk 15 Dec, 1942 in the North Atlantic, in position 56.46N, 27.12W, by depth charges from the US coastguard cutter USS Ingham. 47 dead (all hands lost).

View the 1 war patrol

The claim for this sinking appears to be based only on the fact that the cutter reported sinking a U-boat in the approximate area in which U-626 disappeared after its last signal on 14 Dec. The attack of USS Ingham is not supported by any conclusive evidence that it was even against a U-boat.

General notes on this boat

The coast guard cutter Ingham still exists and is on display at the Patriots Point Naval Museum in Charleston, USA.

U-626 left her base at Bergen, Norway, on 8 Dec, 1942 for her maiden patrol.

She was one of two operational U-boats to have a Commander who was only Leutnant zur See (the other was U-155 in 1944).

Men lost from U-boats

Unlike many other U-boats, which during their service lost men due to accidents and various other causes, U-626 did not suffer any casualties (we know of) until the time of her loss.