Selected Book
Bismarck
A Minute by Minute Account of the Final Hours of Germany's Greatest Battleship
Zetterling, Niklas
Allied Warships
Check out our new extensive section on all the Allied Warships during WWII in all theatres of the war.Over 11,300 ships
1943
U-boats that made it into the Mediterranean
During 1943 13 U-boats were sent towards the Straits of Gibraltar in an attempt to enter the Mediterranean. 10 of those managed to complete their passage while 2 were sunk at Gibraltar and more 1 failed to complete its run and turned away.
At the end of 1943 Germany had successfully put 52 U-boats in the Mediterranean. 39 of them had been lost, with operation strength at only 13 boats at years end.
| U-boat | Date of entry | Notes | Date of loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| U-224 | 10 Jan 1943 | 13 Jan 1943 | |
| U-414 | 9 Apr 1943 | 25 May 1943 | |
| U-303 | 10 Apr 1943 | 21 May 1943 | |
| U-616 | 5 May 1943 | 17 May 1944 | |
| U-410 | 6 May 1943 | 11 Mar 1944 | |
| U-340 | 3 Jun 1943 | Sunk while attempting passage. | |
| U-732 | 3 Jun 1943 | Sunk while attempting passage. | |
| U-409 | 5 Jun 1943 | 12 Jul 1943 | |
| U-667 | 22 Sep 1943 | Damaged while in passage during Sept 1943, aborted | |
| U-223 | 26 Sep 1943 | 30 Mar 1944 | |
| U-450 | 31 Oct 1943 | 10 Mar 1944 | |
| U-642 | 3 Nov 1943 | 5 Jul 1944 | |
| U-230 | 5 Dec 1943 | 21 Aug 1944 |
U-boats lost in the Mediterranean in 1943
U-73. Type VIIB. Launched on 27 Jul 1940 and commissioned on 30 Sep 1940.
Sunk 16 Dec, 1943 in the Mediterranean near Oran, in position 36.07N, 00.50W, by depth charges and gunfire from the US destroyers USS Woolsey and USS Trippe.
-Arrival in Mediterrananean: 14 Jan 1942. Days in the Mediterranean: 701.U-77. Type VIIC. Launched on 23 Nov 1940 and commissioned on 18 Jan 1941.
Sank at 0115 hrs on 29 March, 1943 south of Cape Nao, Spain, after being badly damaged in position 37.42N, 00.10E by depth charges from 2 British Hudson aircraft (48 & 233 Sqn.) on 28 March.
-Arrival in Mediterrananean: 16 Dec 1941. Days in the Mediterranean: 467.U-83. Type VIIB. Launched on 9 Dec 1940 and commissioned on 8 Feb 1941.
Sunk 4 March, 1943 south-east of Cartagena, in position 37.10N, 00.05E, by 3 depth charges from a British Hudson aircraft.
-Arrival in Mediterrananean: 18 Dec 1941. Days in the Mediterranean: 441.U-97. Type VIIC. Launched on 15 Aug 1940 and commissioned on 28 Sep 1940.
Sunk on 16 June, 1943 in Mediterranean, west of Haifa in position 33.00N, 34.00E by depth charges from an Australian Hudson aircraft (Sqdn 459/T).
-Arrival in Mediterrananean: 26 Sep 1941. Days in the Mediterranean: 628.U-205. Type VIIC. Launched on 20 Mar 1941 and commissioned on 3 May 1941.
Sunk 17 Feb, 1943 in the Mediterranean near the northernmost point of Cyrene, in position 32.56N, 22.01E, by depth charges from the British destroyer HMS Paladin, assisted by a South African Bisley (Blenheim) aircraft.
-Arrival in Mediterrananean: 11 Nov 1941. Days in the Mediterranean: 463.U-224. Type VIIC. Launched on 7 May 1942 and commissioned on 20 Jun 1942.
Sunk 13 Jan, 1943 in the western Mediterranean west of Algiers, in position 36.28N, 00.49E, by ramming and depth charges from the Canadian corvette HMCS Ville de Quebec.
-Arrival in Mediterrananean: 10 Jan 1943. Days in the Mediterranean: 3.U-301. Type VIIC. Launched on 25 Mar 1942 and commissioned on 9 May 1942.
Sunk 21 Jan, 1943 in the Mediterranean west of Bonifacio, in position 41.27N, 07.04E by torpedoes from the British submarine HMS Sahib.
-Arrival in Mediterrananean: 9 Dec 1942. Days in the Mediterranean: 43.U-303. Type VIIC. Launched on 16 May 1942 and commissioned on 7 Jul 1942.
Sunk 21 May, 1943 in the western Mediterranean south of Toulon, in position 42.50N, 06.00E by torpedoes from the British submarine HMS Sickle.
-Arrival in Mediterrananean: 10 Apr 1943. Days in the Mediterranean: 41.U-375. Type VIIC. Launched on 7 Jun 1941 and commissioned on 19 Jul 1941.
Sunk 30 July, 1943 in the western Mediterranean north-west of Malta, in position 36.40N, 12.28E, by depth charges from the US submarine chaser USS PC-624.
-Arrival in Mediterrananean: 9 Dec 1941. Days in the Mediterranean: 598.U-409. Type VIIC. Launched on 23 Sep 1941 and commissioned on 21 Jan 1942.
Sunk 12 July 1943 in the Mediterranean north-east of Algiers, in position 37.12N, 04.00E, by depth charges from the British destroyer HMS Inconstant.
-Arrival in Mediterrananean: 5 Jun 1943. Days in the Mediterranean: 37.U-414. Type VIIC. Launched on 25 Mar 1942 and commissioned on 1 Jul 1942.
Sunk 25 May, 1943 in the western Mediterranean north-west of Tenés, in position 36.31N, 00.40E, by depth charges from the British corvette HMS Vetch.
-Arrival in Mediterrananean: 9 Apr 1943. Days in the Mediterranean: 46.U-431. Type VIIC. Launched on 2 Feb 1941 and commissioned on 5 Apr 1941.
Sunk on 21 Oct, 1943 in the Mediterranean out of Algiers in position 37.23N, 00.35E, by depth charges from a British Wellington aircraft (Sqdn. 179/Z).
-Arrival in Mediterrananean: 24 Nov 1941. Days in the Mediterranean: 696.U-443. Type VIIC. Launched on 31 Jan 1942 and commissioned on 18 Apr 1942.
Sunk 23 Feb, 1943 in the Mediterranean near Algiers, in position 36.55N, 02.25E, by depth charges from the British escort destroyers HMS Bicester, HMS Lamerton and HMS Wheatland.
-Arrival in Mediterrananean: 5 Dec 1942. Days in the Mediterranean: 80.U-458. Type VIIC. Launched on 4 Oct 1941 and commissioned on 12 Dec 1941.
Sunk 22 Aug, 1943 in the Mediterranean south-east of Pantelleria, Italy, in position 36.25N, 12.39E, by depth charges from the British escort destroyer HMS Easton and the Greek escort destroyer Pindos.
-Arrival in Mediterrananean: 9 Oct 1942. Days in the Mediterranean: 317.U-561. Type VIIC. Launched on 23 Jan 1941 and commissioned on 13 Mar 1941.
Sunk 12 July, 1943 in the Straits of Messina, in position 38.16N, 15.39E, by torpedoes from the British MTB 81.
-Arrival in Mediterrananean: 15 Jan 1942. Days in the Mediterranean: 543.U-562. Type VIIC. Launched on 24 Jan 1941 and commissioned on 20 Mar 1941.
Sunk 19 Feb, 1943 in the Mediterranean north-east of Bengazi, in position 32.57N, 20.54E, by depth charges from the British destroyer HMS Isis, the British escort destroyer HMS Hursley and a British Wellington aircraft (Sqdn 38/S).
-Arrival in Mediterrananean: 27 Nov 1941. Days in the Mediterranean: 449.U-593. Type VIIC. Launched on 3 Sep 1941 and commissioned on 23 Oct 1941.
Sunk 13 Dec, 1943 after a 32 hour-chase in the western Mediterranean in Bougie Bay, in position 37.38N, 05.58E, by depth charges from the US destroyer USS Wainwright and the British escort destroyer HMS Calpe.
-Arrival in Mediterrananean: 11 Oct 1942. Days in the Mediterranean: 428.U-602. Type VIIC. Launched on 30 Oct 1941 and commissioned on 29 Dec 1941.
Left Toulon on 11 April, 1943.
Last radio message sent on 19 April from 36.50N, 00W.Missing since 19 April, 1943, in the Mediterranean, north of Oran.
-Arrival in Mediterrananean: 8 Dec 1942. Days in the Mediterranean: 132.U-617. Type VIIC. Launched on 14 Feb 1942 and commissioned on 9 Apr 1942.
Ran aground under British aerial attack by Hudons (Sqdn 48 and 233) and 2 Swordfish aircraft (FAA Sqdn 833 and 886) on 12 Sept, 1943 in the Mediterranean near Melilla, in position 35.38N, 03.27W. Wreck destroyed by gunfire from the British corvette HMS Hyacinth and the Australian minesweeper HMAS Wollongong.
-Arrival in Mediterrananean: 8 Nov 1942. Days in the Mediterranean: 308.U-755. Type VIIC. Launched on 23 Aug 1941 and commissioned on 3 Nov 1941.
Sunk 28 May, 1943 in the Mediterranean north-west of Mallorca, in position 39.58N, 01.41E, by rockets from a British Hudson aircraft (608 Sqdn.).
-Arrival in Mediterrananean: 8 Nov 1942. Days in the Mediterranean: 201.20 U-boats lost in the Mediterranean in 1943.