U-505

Type

IXC

Ordered

25 Sep 1939

Laid down

12 Jun 1940

Deutsche Werft AG, Hamburg (werk 295)

Launched

24 May 1941

Commissioned

26 Aug 1941

Kptlt. Axel-Olaf Loewe

Commanders

26 Aug 1941	-	5 Sep 1942	KrvKpt. Axel-Olaf Loewe
6 Sep 1942	-	24 Oct 1943	Kptlt. Peter Zschech
24 Oct 1943	-	7 Nov 1943	Oblt. Paul Meyer (in deputize) -- acting
8 Nov 1943	-	4 Jun 1944	Oblt. (R) Harald Lange

Career
12 patrols

26 Aug 1941	-	31 Jan 1942	4. Flottille (training)
1 Feb 1942	-	4 Jun 1944	2. Flottille (active service)

Successes

8 ships sunk, total tonnage 45,005 GRT

Fate

Captured on 4 June 1944 off Mauritania, French West Africa, in position 21.30N, 19.20W, by the warships of Task Force 22.3, consisting of the US escort carrier USS Guadalcanal and the US destroyer escorts USS Pillsbury, USS Chatelain, USS Flaherty, USS Jenks and USS Pope, after being badly damaged by depth charges from USS Chatelain and strafing by two Wildcat aircraft (VC-8 USN/F-1 & F-7). 1 dead and 59 survivors.

Post war information (see more post-war boats):
Arrived in Bermuda on 19 Jun 44. Used for secret trials and training in Bermuda until May 45. Gifted to the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry on 9 Mar 54. Now on display in Chicago, USA.

Loss position

See the 8 ships hit by U-505 - View the 12 war patrols

Wolfpack operations

U-505 operated with the following Wolfpacks during its career:
Hela (28 Dec 1943 - 1 Jan 1944)

Attacks on this boat and other events

18 Apr 1942
U-505 was attacked by an aircraft in mid-Atlantic and suffered a small amount of damage.

10 Nov 1942
Aircraft attack, aircraft shot down:British Hudson V9253 (53 Sqn RAF/L, pilot F/S R.R. Sillcock, RAAF)

The II WO and a lookout were seriously wounded in a surprise air attack out of low cloud by a Hudson bomber SE of Trinidad. Four depth charges were released and a direct hit was scored, but the explosion also destroyed the aircraft and the five aircrew. Heavy damage cased the boat to abandon the patrol. 12 days later the II WO was transferred to the milch cow U-462.

(Sources: Franks/Zimmerman)

8 Jul 1943
On the 6th day out of Lorient, France, three British destroyers from a hunter-killer group pursued the submerged boat for 36 hours (assisted by a leak from an external fuel tank). The boat managed to slip away and docked at Lorient on 13 July for repair. (Sources: Blair, vol 2, page 383.)

24 Oct 1943
The commander of U-505, Kptlt. Peter Zschech, committed suicide during heavy depth charging on 24 Oct. This was the only such case of the war. The IWO, Oblt. Meyer took over and brought the boat back to port.

4 recorded attacks on this boat.

General notes on this boat

Check out the U-505 Gallery page

The Museum of Science of Industry website also has great material on U-505.

29 Dec 1943. The boat saved the commander and 33 survivors from the German torpedo boat T-25 (KKpt von Gartzen), sunk the day before by British cruisers in the Bay of Biscay.

Annoucements related to this boat

U-505 project in Chicago on schedule (3 Mar 2005)
U-505 being moved (12 Apr 2004)
U-505 to have its original periscope back (14 Sep 2002)
U-505 needs repairs (11 Nov 1997)