U-755

Type

VIIC

Ordered

9 Oct 1939

Laid down

11 Jan 1940

Kriegsmarinewerft (KMW), Wilhelmshaven (werk 138)

Launched

23 Aug 1941

Commissioned

3 Nov 1941

Oblt. Walter Göing

Commanders

3 Nov 1941

28 May 1943

Kptlt. Walter Göing

Career
5 patrols

3 Nov 1941	-	31 Jul 1942	5. Flottille (training)
1 Aug 1942	-	30 Nov 1942	9. Flottille (active service)
1 Dec 1942	-	28 May 1943	29. Flottille (active service)

Successes

1 ship sunk, total tonnage 928 GRT
2 auxiliary warships sunk, total tonnage 2,974 GRT

Fate

Sunk on 28 May 1943 in the Mediterranean Sea north-west of Mallorca, in position 39.58N, 01.41E, by rockets from a British Hudson aircraft (608 Sqn RAF/M). 40 dead and 9 survivors.

Loss position

See the 3 ships hit by U-755 - View the 5 war patrols

Photo taken by the crew of Hudson Mk.V AM725 "M" of 608 Sqn RAF which sank U-755 on 28 May 1943:

U-755, already damaged from another air attack two days previously, suffers a direct hit from a rocket projectile and sinks
within nine minutes. It was the first U-boat that was destroyed by rockets. Photo from Imperial War Museum, CNA-4134

The nine survivors from U-755 were saved by the Spanish destroyer Velasco.

Wolfpack operations

U-755 operated with the following Wolfpacks during its career:
   Lohs (11 Aug 1942 - 22 Sep 1942)
   Blitz (22 Sep 1942 - 26 Sep 1942)
   Tiger (26 Sep 1942 - 30 Sep 1942)
   Luchs (1 Oct 1942 - 2 Oct 1942)
   Delphin (4 Nov 1942 - 14 Nov 1942)

Attacks on this boat and other events

24 Aug 1942
At 21.55 hrs, HNoMS Potentilla sighted two U-boats on the surface near convoy ONS 122 and began to chase them northwards. They were U-174 and U-755, and the latter was fired on from the 4in gun at a range of about 12 miles, but the shots fell short. Both U-boats managed to escape under cover of darkness within two hours, proceeding at full speed while surfaced. (Sources: ADM reports, KTB U-755)

24 Sep 1942
This was a difficult day for U-755. At 05.49 hrs she was fired on by a convoy escort; two hours later she missed convoy SC 100 with a spread four torpedoes. She was attacked from the air at 16.15, and again by an escort at 17.00, and that time damaged so heavily she was forced to return to base.

21 May 1943
The British submarine HMS Sickle fired five torpedoes at U-755, but they all missed.

26 May 1943
06.26 hrs, 13 miles north of Alboran Island in the Mediterranean: the boat was attacked by a British Hudson bomber (500 Sqdn RAF, pilot S/L H.G. Holmes, DFC). Three depth charges were dropped by the aircraft during the first attack run, despite being hit in the port engine by flak, and followed up with two dive-bombing attacks, dropping first two and then one A/S bomb, one of which exploded only five yards (4.6m) off the port beam. The engine damage then forced the aircraft to return to base. One of U-755s crew was killed and two wounded by strafing, and the boat was forced to return to base due to heavy damage. She was sunk in another air attack two days later. (Sources: Franks/Zimmerman)

4 recorded attacks on this boat.