1940

U-25. At 16.25 hrs, the boat torpedoed and sank Pajala near North Rona, Hebrides. Her escort, the armed boarding vessel HMS Northern Duke, forced U-25 to dive with gunfire at 17.26 hrs and followed up with depth charges. She claimed hits on the conning tower and the sinking of the enemy, but U-25 in fact escaped undamaged.

1942

U-130. Following an unsuccessful nighttime attack on a fast merchantman off Nova Scotia, the boat was nearly lost when surprised on the surface by two Canadian "destroyers" at about 01.20 hrs. One of them tried to ram, and passed only 10 metres astern of U-130, which immediately crash-dived. Iced-up diesel air intake valves caused 8 tons of water to enter the boat, which hit the bottom at a depth of 48 metres (157 ft). Luckily the warships dropped no depth charges, perhaps due to their equipment also being frozen. The Germans managed to pump the water out and the boat later headed southwards into warmer seas. (KTB U-130)

No U-boats were lost on this date, 18 January.

- For more information on U-boat losses check out our Fates section.

There were no men lost from U-boats on this date, 18 January.

- For more information on Men lost from U-boats check out this page.

The following men were born on this day:
Martin Czekowski (1922), Karl-Heinz Fuchs (1915), Hans-Joachim Hesse (1906), Martin Kuttkat (1922).

The following men died on this day:
Georg Lassen (2012).

See the entire U-boat commander listing showing all U-boat commanders.
We might include more officers (Allied and Axis) at a later date.

This section shows the U-boat departures and arrivals from bases on this day of the year. Current country names shown with harbour names. Boats entering port display days at sea during that patrol.

1940

Sailed:
From Kiel, Germany: U-18, U-19
From Wilhelmshaven, Germany: U-23

U-boats entering base:
To Helgoland, Germany: U-14 (2 days)

1942

Sailed:
From La Pallice: U-564
From La Spezia, Italy: U-431
From St. Nazaire, France: U-69, U-98

1943

Sailed:
From Konstanza, Rumania: U-24
From Narvik, Norway: U-354
From St. Nazaire, France: U-454

U-boats entering base:
To Bordeaux, France: U-181 (129 days)
To Hammerfest, Norway: U-255 (12 days)
To St. Nazaire, France: U-618 (55 days)

1944

Sailed:
From Brest, France: U-441
From Kiel, Germany: U-472, U-852 (lost 107 days later), U-1060
From Lorient, France: U-969

U-boats entering base:
To Bergen, Norway: U-277 (3 days)
To Brest, France: U-92 (59 days)
To Skjomenfjord U-956 (11 days)

1945

Sailed:
From Bogenbucht: U-299
From Horten, Norway: U-1014 (lost 18 days later)
From Kiel, Germany: U-2324

U-boats entering base:
To Bergen, Norway: U-680 (62 days)

Boats entering port on this day are not counted, but boats departing for patrol are. (+) indicates the boat was lost during this patrol.

1940

U-9, U-15, U-18, U-19, U-22, U-23, U-25, U-31, U-32, U-34, U-44, U-51, U-55 (+), U-57, U-59, U-60, U-61.
17 boats at sea.

1941

U-38, U-93, U-94, U-96, U-105, U-106, U-123, U-124.
8 boats at sea.

1942

U-43, U-66, U-69, U-71, U-73, U-82 (+), U-84, U-85, U-86, U-87, U-94, U-97, U-98, U-103, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-109, U-123, U-125, U-128, U-130, U-132, U-133, U-134, U-135, U-203, U-205, U-331, U-333, U-352, U-372, U-375, U-402, U-404, U-453, U-454, U-455, U-504, U-552, U-553, U-561, U-564, U-566, U-571, U-572, U-575, U-578, U-581 (+), U-582, U-585, U-586, U-587, U-588, U-591, U-654, U-656, U-701, U-751, U-753, U-754.
61 boats at sea.

1943

U-24, U-43, U-66, U-69 (+), U-71, U-83, U-87 (+), U-96, U-105, U-109, U-117, U-123, U-124, U-125, U-134, U-156 (+), U-160, U-175, U-176, U-177, U-182 (+), U-186, U-187 (+), U-201 (+), U-202, U-205, U-214, U-217, U-218, U-223, U-226, U-257, U-258, U-260, U-262, U-264, U-266, U-267, U-268 (+), U-302, U-303, U-333, U-358, U-381, U-383, U-384, U-402, U-403, U-404, U-407, U-413, U-414, U-431, U-436, U-438, U-440, U-441, U-442 (+), U-444, U-453, U-454, U-455, U-456, U-459, U-463, U-465, U-466, U-506, U-509, U-510, U-511, U-514, U-516, U-518, U-521, U-522 (+), U-525, U-553 (+), U-558, U-571, U-572, U-575, U-584, U-594, U-598, U-606 (+), U-607, U-609 (+), U-613, U-614, U-620 (+), U-622, U-624 (+), U-625, U-629, U-631, U-632, U-662, U-704, U-706, U-707, U-752.
102 boats at sea.

1944

U-19, U-20, U-24, U-66 (+), U-123, U-129, U-177 (+), U-178, U-188, U-193, U-212, U-257 (+), U-260, U-271 (+), U-278, U-281, U-283 (+), U-302, U-309, U-311, U-343, U-360, U-364 (+), U-380, U-382, U-386 (+), U-390, U-392, U-406 (+), U-425, U-441, U-453, U-455, U-471, U-510, U-516, U-530, U-532, U-539, U-543, U-545 (+), U-547, U-549, U-571 (+), U-592 (+), U-601, U-621, U-641 (+), U-642, U-650, U-666 (+), U-731, U-737, U-739, U-741, U-758, U-762 (+), U-763, U-764, U-845 (+), U-846, U-852 (+), U-953, U-960, U-965, U-969, U-976, U-981, U-984, U-989, U-1060, U-1062.
72 boats at sea.

1945

U-242, U-244, U-245, U-275, U-278, U-285, U-286, U-290, U-293, U-295, U-299, U-313, U-325, U-348, U-370, U-427, U-480 (+), U-485, U-510, U-532, U-636, U-739, U-745 (+), U-764, U-806, U-825, U-843, U-861, U-862, U-869 (+), U-870, U-905, U-907, U-956, U-963, U-992, U-1001, U-1009, U-1014 (+), U-1017, U-1051 (+), U-1053, U-1055, U-1058, U-1172 (+), U-1199 (+), U-1203, U-1208 (+), U-1230, U-1231, U-1232, U-1233, UIT-24.
53 boats at sea.

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