Patrol info for U-343
Date lookup for 7 Jan 1944
| Departure | Arrival / Fate | Duration | ||
| 26 Dec 1943 | La Pallice | 19 Jan 1944 | Toulon | 25 days |
Commander | Officers * |
 Oblt. Wolfgang Rahn |
U-343's position on 7 Jan 1944
Ships hit by U-343 on this date
General Events during this patrol
We have no events listed for this date.
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Attacks on U-343 during this patrol
7 Jan 1944
Aircraft attack, aircraft shot down:
British Wellington HF245 (RAF Sqdn 36/Y, pilot F/O R.D. Bamford, RNZAF)
U-343 was attacked at 20.30 hrs, two days after passing the Straits of Gibraltar into the Mediterranean. The Wellington made a low level attack, dropping five depth charges which fell astern and missed, and was hit by flak in the port wing and caught fire. It was forced to ditch shortly afterwards, and the pilot and navigator were killed. The remaining four aircrew were rescued from their dinghy by ORP Slazak the next morning.
The sighting report from this aircraft led another Wellington (HF221, RAF Sqdn 36/M, pilot F/O J.T. Hutton) to the scene, which immediately attacked U-343. Its depth charges fell wide because the port engine was hit by flak and the aircraft became difficult to control, despite which it managed to return to Bone (now Annaba), Algeria and land safely.
(Sources: Franks/Zimmerman)About this data
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* These are officers that later became commanders themselves.