U-boat patrols

Patrol info for U-518


DepartureArrival / FateDuration
26 Sep 1942Kiel15 Dec 1942Lorient81 days

Commander

Officers *


Oblt. Friedrich-Wilhelm Wissmann
1WO

Oblt. Gerhard Seehausen
2WO

Ltn. Rene Ballert

Daily positions, sinkings and allied attacks during the patrol of U-518


We have daily positions for all 81 days on this patrol.

Wolfpack operations during this patrol

U-518 operated with the following Wolfpacks during this patrol
   Panther (7 Oct 1942 - 11 Oct 1942)

Ships hit by U-518 during this patrol

Date U-boat Commander Name of ship Tons Nat. ConvoyMap
2 Nov 1942U-518Friedrich-Wilhelm Wissmann Rose Castle7,803caA
2 Nov 1942U-518Friedrich-Wilhelm Wissmann P.L.M. 275,633brB
21 Nov 1942U-518Friedrich-Wilhelm Wissmann British Promise (d.)8,443brON-145C
21 Nov 1942U-518Friedrich-Wilhelm Wissmann British Renown (d.)6,997brON-145D
21 Nov 1942U-518Friedrich-Wilhelm Wissmann Empire Sailor6,140brON-145E
23 Nov 1942U-518Friedrich-Wilhelm Wissmann Caddo10,172amF
 45,188

4 ships sunk (29,748 tons) and 2 ships damaged (15,440 tons).

Legend
We have a picture of this vessel.
(d.) means the ship was damaged.

General Events during this patrol

1942

9 Nov 1942. U-518 landed an Abwehr agent, Werner Alfred Waldmar von Janowski, on the coast of New Brunswick.

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Attacks on U-518 during this patrol

2 Nov 1942
While entering the Gulf of St. Lawrence via the Cabot Strait, U-518 was depth-charged by a radar-equipped Canadian aircraft, but escaped unharmed. (Sources: Blair, vol 2, page 50.)

21 Nov 1942
04.26 hrs, approx 200 miles (322km) SE of Sydney, Nova Scotia: following a successful attack on convoy ON 145, U-518 was forced to dive when taken under fire by several ships in bright moonlight.

HMCS Buctouche made for the tracer fire, obtained an Asdic contact at 04.42 hrs and carried out an immediate attack with four depth charges set at 100 ft (30m). A whistle effect was heard afterwards, but as the contact had been lost and classified as non-sub, the escort rejoined the convoy.

The depth charges caused no damage, but unknown to the crew, U-518 was in serious trouble, because the mounting of the heating plug in the third torpedo tube had broken loose, causing uncontrollable flooding of the bow torpedo room from a thick jet of water, as the bow cap could not be closed. At 05.18 hrs, the boat was forced to surface, and escaped undetected to the north. It took almost three hours to pump the compartment out, and U-518 was forced to return to base because the damage left her unfit for combat. (Sources: ADM 199/1268)

About this data
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* These are officers that later became commanders themselves.

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