U-608

Type

VIIC

Ordered

22 May 1940

Laid down

27 Mar 1941

Blohm & Voss, Hamburg (werk 584)

Launched

11 Dec 1941

Commissioned

5 Feb 1942

Oblt. Rolf Struckmeier

Commanders

5 Feb 1942	-	12 Jan 1944		Kptlt. Rolf Struckmeier (German Cross in Gold)
21 Jan 1944	-	10 Aug 1944		Oblt. Wolfgang Reisener

Career
9 patrols

5 Feb 1942	-	31 Aug 1942	5. Flottille (training)
1 Sep 1942	-	10 Aug 1944	6. Flottille (active service)

Successes

4 ships sunk, total tonnage 35,539 GRT
1 warship sunk, total tonnage 291 tons (lost aboard transport ships)

Fate

Sunk on 10 August 1944 in the Bay of Biscay north-west of La Rochelle, in position 46.30N, 03.08W, by depth charges from the British sloop HMS Wren and a British Liberator aircraft (53 Sqn RAF/C). 52 survivors (no casualties).

Loss position

See the 5 ships hit by U-608 - View the 9 war patrols

Wolfpack operations

U-608 operated with the following Wolfpacks during its career:
   Stier (29 Aug 1942 - 2 Sep 1942)
   Vorwärts (2 Sep 1942 - 15 Sep 1942)
   Pfeil (1 Feb 1943 - 9 Feb 1943)
   Neptun (18 Feb 1943 - 3 Mar 1943)
   Neuland (8 Mar 1943 - 13 Mar 1943)
   Dränger (14 Mar 1943 - 20 Mar 1943)
   Trutz (1 Jun 1943 - 16 Jun 1943)
   Trutz 1 (16 Jun 1943 - 29 Jun 1943)
   Geier 1 (30 Jun 1943 - 15 Jul 1943)
   Schlieffen (14 Oct 1943 - 22 Oct 1943)
   Siegfried (22 Oct 1943 - 27 Oct 1943)
   Siegfried 1 (27 Oct 1943 - 30 Oct 1943)
   Jahn (31 Oct 1943 - 2 Nov 1943)
   Tirpitz 2 (2 Nov 1943 - 8 Nov 1943)
   Eisenhart 7 (9 Nov 1943 - 11 Nov 1943)
   Schill 2 (17 Nov 1943 - 22 Nov 1943)
   Igel 2 (9 Feb 1944 - 17 Feb 1944)
   Hai 1 (17 Feb 1944 - 22 Feb 1944)
   Preussen (22 Feb 1944 - 14 Mar 1944)

Attacks on this boat and other events

12 Sep 1942
An escort attacked the boat, forced it to break off its attack on convoy ON 127. (Sources: Blair, vol 2, page 31.)

13 Oct 1943
18.58 hrs, approx. 600 miles north of the Azores: the boat was attacked by an American Avenger aircraft (VC-9 USN/T-9, pilot Lt(jg) H. Fryatt) from USS Card. As U-608 dived the aircraft passed overhead and dropped a Fido homing torpedo about 50m (55 yards) ahead, but without result. AA shrapnel cut the hydraulic line to the starboard landing gear, so the Avenger had to land as last aircraft of the evening. It collided with the island and hit a parked Avenger, but was later repaired. The aircrew were unhurt and a sailor who fell overboard during the mishap was rescued. (Sources: Franks/Zimmerman)

31 Jan 1944
Aircraft attack, aircraft shot down: British Wellington MP813 (RAF Sqdn 172/K, pilot F/S L.D. Richards)

This attack by a British Wellington bomber during the night of 30/31 Jan. 1944 in the Bay of Biscay west of Bordeaux, France in position 45.25N, 05.15W was formerly credited with the sinking of U-364 with depth charges.

The target was in fact the outbound U-608, which escaped unscathed. The boat scored hits on the aircraft with AA fire when it switched on the Leigh Light and then escaped by diving. The Wellington did not drop any depth charges, and apparently crashed shortly afterwards, as witnessed by the crew of a Polish Wellington (RAF Sqdn 304/2B, F/S S. Czekaski), who apparently misinterpreted the crash as exploding depth charges. The six aircrew were all lost.

(Sources: Axel Niestle, Franks/Zimmerman)

10 Feb 1944
05.06 hrs: a British B-24 Liberator (RAF Sqdn 53/G, pilot S/L T. Spooner, DFC) covering convoy HX 277 made two Leigh Light attacks after locating U-608 on radar. The boat was strafed, and six depth charges were dropped on the first run, and two on the second. The AA gunners claimed hits on the Liberator, but it was not damaged. The U-boat escaped with minor damage. (Sources: Franks/Zimmerman)

4 recorded attacks on this boat.