List of all U-boats

U-625

Type

VIIC

 
Ordered15 Aug 1940
Laid down28 Jul 1941 Blohm & Voss, Hamburg (werk 601)
Launched15 Apr 1942
Commissioned4 Jun 1942Oblt. Hans Benker
Commanders
4 Jun 1942 - 2 Jan 1944  Kptlt. Hans Benker (German Cross in Gold)
2 Jan 1944 - 25 Jan 1944  Oblt. Kurt Sureth
26 Jan 1944 - 10 Mar 1944  Oblt. Siegfried Straub
Career
10 patrols
4 Jun 1942-30 Sep 1942  8. Flottille (training)
1 Oct 1942-31 Oct 1942  3. Flottille (active service)
1 Nov 1942-31 May 1943  11. Flottille (active service)
1 Jun 1943-31 Oct 1943  13. Flottille (active service)
1 Nov 1943-10 Mar 1944  1. Flottille (active service)
Successes3 ships sunk, total tonnage 18,751 GRT
2 auxiliary warships sunk, total tonnage 1,129 GRT
Fate

Sunk on 10 March 1944 in the North Atlantic west of Ireland, in position 52.35N, 20.19W, by depth charges from a Canadian Sunderland aircraft (422 Sqn RCAF/U). 53 dead (all hands lost).

Loss position

See the 5 ships hit by U-625 - View the 10 war patrols

Photos taken by the crew of Sunderland Mk.III EK591 "U" of 422 Sqn RCAF which sank U-625 on 10 Mar, 1944:

A stick of six depth charges is straddling U-625 aft, while splashes from the machine gun fire of the rear gunner can be seen on the left.
Photo from Imperial War Museum, C-4287


The depth charges explode around the stern while machine gun fire hits the bows and conning tower of U-625, which crash dives shortly afterwards only to resurface three minutes later in a damaged condition. Photo from Imperial War Museum, C-4289


The Sunderland circles the disabled U-boat until it is abandoned by the crew after about 90 minutes and sinks by the stern.
Photo from Imperial War Museum, C-4292


Survivors from U-625 tie their dinghies together for support. Unfortunately none of them survived their ordeal as they were lost in a storm the following night. Photo from Imperial War Museum, C-4293

Wolfpack operations

U-625 operated with the following Wolfpacks during its career:
   Boreas (19 Nov 1942 - 28 Nov 1942)
   Nordwind (24 Jan 1943 - 4 Feb 1943)
   Eisbär (27 Mar 1943 - 15 Apr 1943)
   Coronel (4 Dec 1943 - 8 Dec 1943)
   Coronel 1 (8 Dec 1943 - 14 Dec 1943)
   Coronel 2 (14 Dec 1943 - 17 Dec 1943)
   Föhr (18 Dec 1943 - 23 Dec 1943)
   Rügen 6 (23 Dec 1943 - 28 Dec 1943)
   Preussen (7 Mar 1944 - 10 Mar 1944)

Attacks on this boat and other events

2 Jan 1944
2138hrs, Bay of Biscay, inbound: a British Liberator aircraft (224 Sqn RAF/G, pilot P/O J.E. Edwards) made a Leigh Light attack. U-625 initially opened fire with the AA guns, and a hit was scored on the port side of the aircraft, wounding the radio operator with shrapnel, but the boat then began to dive. Her commander, Kptlt. Hans Benker countermanded the order to dive so that he and one of the crew could recover the Naxos radar warning device, but the dive continued, causing both men to drown. (Sources: Blair, Clay)

1 recorded attack on this boat.

Men lost from the boat

2 Jan 1944
2138hrs, Bay of Biscay, inbound: a British Liberator aircraft (224 Sqn RAF/G, pilot P/O J.E. Edwards) made a Leigh Light attack. U-625 initially opened fire with the AA guns, and a hit was scored on the port side of the aircraft, wounding the radio operator with shrapnel, but the boat then began to dive. Her commander, Kptlt. Hans Benker countermanded the order to dive so that he and one of the crew could recover the Naxos radar warning device, but the dive continued, causing both men to drown.

  Related: For more info on such losses see - Men lost from U-boats -

U-boat Emblems

We have 2 emblem entries for this boat. See the emblem page for this boat or view emblems individually below.


Clover and Lightning

Clover and Lightning

Media links


U-Boat Operations of the Second World War - Vol 2

Wynn, Kenneth


German U-Boat Losses During World War II

Niestle, Axel


Hitler's U-boat War, Vol II

Blair, Clay


Hitler's U-boat War

Blair, Clay




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