U-559

Type

VIIC

Ordered

16 Oct 1939

Laid down

1 Feb 1940

Blohm & Voss, Hamburg (werk 535)

Launched

8 Jan 1941

Commissioned

27 Feb 1941

Oblt. Hans Heidtmann (Knights Cross)

Commanders

27 Feb 1941

30 Oct 1942

Kptlt. Hans Heidtmann (Knights Cross)

Career
10 patrols

27 Feb 1941	-	1 Jun 1941	1. Flottille (training)
1 Jun 1941	-	31 Oct 1941	1. Flottille (active service)
1 Nov 1941	-	14 Apr 1942	23. Flottille (active service)
15 Apr 1942	-	30 Oct 1942	29. Flottille (active service)

Successes

4 ships sunk, total tonnage 11,811 GRT
1 warship sunk, total tonnage 1,060 tons
2 ships a total loss, total tonnage 6,117 GRT

Fate

Sunk on 30 October 1942 in the Mediterranean Sea north-east of Port Said, in position 32.30N, 33.00E, by depth charges from the British destroyers HMS Pakenham, HMS Petard and HMS Hero and the British escort destroyers HMS Dulverton and HMS Hurworth, after being located by a British Vickers Wellesley aircraft (47 Sqn RAF/F). 7 dead and 38 survivors.

Loss position

See the 7 ships hit by U-559 - View the 10 war patrols

Wolfpack operations

U-559 operated with the following Wolfpacks during its career:
Goeben (20 Sep 1941 - 5 Oct 1941)

General notes on this boat

30 Oct 1942. The sinking boat was boarded by three men from HMS Petard who had swum over to her. Two of them went down with the wreck when it foundered, but they had managed to pass out the Enigma code machine, with the current rotor settings, and the cipher books. This allowed the Allies to read naval traffic for several weeks and crack Enigma codes thereafter.

Men lost from U-boats

Unlike many other U-boats, which during their service lost men due to accidents and various other causes, U-559 did not suffer any casualties (we know of) until the time of her loss.