List of all U-boats
U-417
Type | VIIC | |||||||||
| Ordered | 20 Jan 1941 | |||||||||
| Laid down | 16 Sep 1941 | Danziger Werft AG, Danzig (werk 118) | ||||||||
| Launched | 6 Jun 1942 | |||||||||
| Commissioned | 26 Sep 1942 | Oblt. Wolfgang Schreiner | ||||||||
| Commanders |
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| Career 1 patrol |
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| Successes | No ships sunk or damaged | |||||||||
| Fate |
Sunk on 11 June 1943 in the North Atlantic south-east of Iceland, in position 63.20N, 10.30W, by depth charges from a British Fortress aircraft (206 Sqn RAF/R). 46 dead (all hands lost). | |||||||||
| Loss position | ||||||||||
Attacks on this boat and other events
11 Jun 1943
Aircraft attack, aircraft shot down:British B-17 Flying Fortress FA704 (RAF Sqdn 206/R, pilot W/C R.B. Thomson)
The sinking of U-417The Flying Fortress began the attack at 11.10 hours in the Atlantic SE of Iceland. Despite AA hits to the nose, cockpit, mainplanes, bomb bay and rear turret, the pilot dropped his depth charges on target. Several survivors from U-417 were seen in the water after she sank, but none were rescued.
Thomson (CO of 206 Squadron) had to ditch shortly afterwards and all eight aircrew managed to get into one dinghy, although without supplies. On 14 June an American Catalina flying boat (USN VP-84/P-3, pilot Lt Douglas S. Vieira, USNR) attempted to land nearby, but crashed, and its crew of nine also found themselves adrift, in two rafts. While the crew of the Fortress was located and rescued the same day by a British Catalina (190 Sqdn RAF, pilot S/L J.A. Holmes, DFC), the Catalina crew was not found until five days later. There was only one survivor, the others having died of exposure.
(Sources: Franks/Zimmerman)1 recorded attack on this boat.
Men lost from U-boats
Unlike many other U-boats, which during their service lost men due to accidents and various other causes, U-417 did not suffer any casualties (we know of) until the time of her loss.
Media links
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