U-382

Type

VIIC

Ordered

16 Oct 1939

Laid down

30 Jul 1941

Howaldtswerke AG, Kiel (werk 13)

Launched

21 Mar 1942

Commissioned

25 Apr 1942

Oblt. Herbert Juli

Commanders

25 Apr 1942	-	1 Apr 1943	Kptlt. Herbert Juli
1 Apr 1943	-	14 Nov 1943	Oblt. Leopold Koch
15 Nov 1943	-	16 Jul 1944	Rudolf Zorn
May, 1944	-	29 Jun 1944	Oblt. Ernst-August Gerke
25 Aug 1944	-	14 Jan 1945	Oblt. (R) Hans-Dietrich Wilke
24 Jan 1945	-	20 Mar 1945	Oblt. Günther Schimmel

Career
7 patrols

25 Apr 1942	-	30 Sep 1942	5. Flottille (training)
1 Oct 1942	-	31 Oct 1944	7. Flottille (active service)
1 Nov 1944	-	20 Mar 1945	33. Flottille (active service)

Successes

1 ship damaged, total tonnage 9,811 GRT

Fate

Decommissioned on 30 June 1944 at La Pallice and laid up in the U-boat pen. Repaired and returned to service on 25 August 1944.

Decommissioned on 20 March 1945 at Wilhelmshaven after being damaged by bombs during British air raid (RAF Bomber Command) on 12 January 1945.

Scuttled on 5 May 1945 in the western entrance to Readerschleuse at Wilhelmhaven.

Final location

See the 1 ships hit by U-382 - View the 7 war patrols

Wolfpack operations

U-382 operated with the following Wolfpacks during its career:
   Luchs (27 Sep 1942 - 6 Oct 1942)
   Panther (6 Oct 1942 - 11 Oct 1942)
   Leopard (12 Oct 1942 - 13 Oct 1942)
   Robbe (16 Feb 1943 - 25 Feb 1943)
   Without name (15 Apr 1943 - 18 Apr 1943)
   Borkum (18 Dec 1943 - 3 Jan 1944)
   Borkum 1 (3 Jan 1944 - 13 Jan 1944)
   Rügen (13 Jan 1944 - 15 Jan 1944)

Attacks on this boat and other events

12 Oct 1942
Depth charges from an unidentified allied aircraft caused extensive damage, forcing the boat to return to France, escorting the blockade runner Tannenfels while doing so. Date is approximate. (Sources: Blair, vol 2, page 38.)

23 Feb 1943
The boat suffered severe damage from depth charging by escorts of convoy UC 1, and was forced to return to France. Date of attack is approximate. (Sources: Blair, vol 2, page 198)

17 Apr 1943
Escorts of convoy HX 233 depth charged the boat for 16 hours, causing such heavy damage that the boat had to return to France. (Sources: Blair, vol 2, page 282)

11 Jan 1944
In action against convoys ON 64 and KMS 38 U-382 fired a T-5 homing torpedo at an escort, which missed, and was then severely damaged by the reprisals, forcing her to break off her attack. (Sources: Blair, vol 2, page 490)

13 Jan 1944
After breaking off a convoy attack two days earlier when attacked by aircraft from the USS Block Island hunter-killer group, U-382 was attacked by its destroyers, but escaped, reaching St. Nazaire on 26 Jan. (Sources: Blair, vol 2, page 491)

5 recorded attacks on this boat.

General notes on this boat

18 Apr 1943. On 18 April, 1943 U-382 had to return to base due to technical problems.

Schnorchel-fitted U-boat

This boat was fitted with a Schnorchel underwater-breathing apparatus in October 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-382 did not suffer any casualties (we know of) until the time of her loss.