U-650

Type

Sunk after 7 January 1945 in the English Channel south of Penzance, in position 49.51N, 05.30W, by Hedgehog depth charges from an unidentified Allied vessel. 47 dead (all hands lost). (Axel Niestlé, July 2008).

Loss position

View the 7 war patrols

In 1976 a U-boat wreck was discovered by the Risdon Beazley salvage company in position 49°51.061N, 05°29.971W. This was then confirmed in 1997 by a scuba diver. On 17 July 2008 Odyssey surveyed the wreck at depth of 97m.

Reassessment of this wreck
See the following PDF file for more details on further research into this wreck.

Niestlé, Axel (2010). The ‘Atlas’ Survey Zone: Deep-sea Archaeology & U-boat Loss Reassessments, Oddyssey Marine Exploration

Previously recorded fate

Missing since 9 Dec, 1944 in the North Atlantic or the Arctic Ocean, position unknown. There is no explanation for its loss.

Wolfpack operations

U-650 operated with the following Wolfpacks during its career:
   Star (27 Apr 1943 - 4 May 1943)
   Fink (4 May 1943 - 6 May 1943)
   Elbe (7 May 1943 - 10 May 1943)
   Elbe 1 (10 May 1943 - 14 May 1943)
   Mosel (19 May 1943 - 24 May 1943)
   Rügen (14 Jan 1944 - 26 Jan 1944)
   Hinein (26 Jan 1944 - 3 Feb 1944)
   Igel 2 (3 Feb 1944 - 17 Feb 1944)
   Hai 2 (17 Feb 1944 - 22 Feb 1944)

Attacks on this boat and other events

23 Jun 1943
A single 600 pound bomb dropped by a British B-24 Liberator bomber (86 Sqn RAF, pilot John Wright) caused severe damage, but U-650 managed to reach base at St Nazaire in France five days later. (Sources: Blair, vol 2, page 340)

5 Jan 1944
While outbound from St. Nazaire the boat suffered damage from aircraft attack, but made repairs at sea and continued the patrol. (Sources: Blair, vol 2, page 486)

2 recorded attacks on this boat.

Schnorchel-fitted U-boat

This boat was fitted with a Schnorchel underwater-breathing apparatus and sailed equipped with it in August 1944 but it was of course installed prior to that date.

Read more about the Schnorchel and see list of fitted boats.

Men lost from the boat

4 Dec 1944
Seeman Edgar Schmidt suffered an accident while in port, and the boat left for her last patrol without him. He was posted to U-901 when fit. Date is approximate.

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