U-758

Type

VIIC

Ordered

9 Oct 1939

Laid down

18 May 1940

Kriegsmarinewerft (KMW), Wilhelmshaven (werk 141)

Launched

1 Mar 1942

Commissioned

5 May 1942

Kptlt. Helmut Manseck

Commanders

5 May 1942	-	3 Apr 1944		Kptlt. Helmut Manseck
4 Apr 1944	-	16 Mar 1945		Oblt. Hans-Arend Feindt

Career
7 patrols

5 May 1942	-	1 Nov 1942	6. Flottille (training)
1 Nov 1942	-	14 Oct 1944	6. Flottille (active service)
15 Oct 1944	-	1 Mar 1945	33. Flottille (training)

Successes

2 ships sunk, total tonnage 13,989 GRT

Fate

Stricken at Kiel, Germany on 16 March, 1945 after being badly damaged by British bombs. Broken up in 1946-1947.

See the 2 ships hit by U-758 - View the 7 war patrols

Wolfpack operations

U-758 operated with the following Wolfpacks during its career:
   Panzer (23 Nov 1942 - 11 Dec 1942)
   Sturmbock (21 Feb 1943 - 24 Feb 1943)
   Burggraf (24 Feb 1943 - 26 Feb 1943)
   Wildfang (26 Feb 1943 - 5 Mar 1943)
   Raubgraf (7 Mar 1943 - 20 Mar 1943)
   Leuthen (15 Sep 1943 - 24 Sep 1943)
   Rossbach (24 Sep 1943 - 9 Oct 1943)
   Borkum (24 Dec 1943 - 3 Jan 1944)
   Borkum 2 (3 Jan 1944 - 13 Jan 1944)

Attacks on this boat and other events

8 Jun 1943
19.18 hrs, south of the Azores: U-758 was attacked by carrier aircraft (VC-9 USN) from USS Bogue escorting convoy GUS-9. U-758 had just sighted the convoy and reported its position when it was attacked by an Avenger, piloted by Lt (jg) L.S. Bailliett. Its four depth charges exploded astern, but the boat remained on the surface and put up heavy flak. After 30 minutes a second Avenger, piloted by Lt (jg) W.S. Fowler, dropped three depth charges despite sustaining heavy flak damage during the approach. AA hits wounded one of the crew and damaged the engine, the starboard wing and the bomb bay, forcing the plane to return to the carrier. A third Avenger, piloted by Lt (jg) F.D. Fodge, then attacked, assisted by a strafing run from a Wildcat piloted by Lt (jg) P. Perabo. The boat dived before depth charges were dropped and then successfully evaded the USS Clemson.

The Germans reported beating off an attack by eight carrier aircraft (identified as Martlet, Lysander (!) and Mustang) with their powerful new quadruple AA gun and claimed one shot down and four damaged. U-758 suffered only minor damage, but 7 men were wounded, so the boat had to abort its patrol.

(Sources: Franks/Zimmerman)

23 Sep 1943
Depth charged by convoy escorts and forced to withdraw for repairs. (Sources: Blair, vol 2, page 424)

11 Jan 1944
Attacked by 2 Avenger aircraft from the hunter-killer group Block Island in the Atlantic west of Vigo. Damage from the aircrafts rockets (8 each) and depth charges (2 each) forced the boat to return to base at St. Nazaire, arriving 20 Jan. (Sources: Blair, vol 2, p 491.)

3 recorded attacks on this boat.

Schnorchel-fitted U-boat
This boat was fitted with a Schnorchel underwater-breathing apparatus in July 1944. Read more about the Schnorchel and see list of fitted boats.

Men lost from U-boats

Unlike many other U-boats, which during their service lost men due to accidents and various other causes, U-758 did not suffer any casualties (we know of) until the time of her loss.