U 508

U 508 ( previous / next - all submarines )
Type :	IX C
Field Post Number :	M 36 926
Shipyard:	German shipyard , Hamburg
Construction contract:	October 20, 1939
Build number:	304
Keel laying:	September 24, 1940
Launch:	July 30, 1941
Commissioning:	October 20, 1941
Commanders:	October 20, 1941 - November 12, 1943 Lieutenant Georg Staats
Calls:	6 activities
Sinkings:	14 ships (74,087 GRT)
Whereabouts:	sunk in the Atlantic on November 12, 1943

U 508 was a German type IX C submarinethat was used by the German Navy in World War II .

history

Construction and commissioning

The construction contract was issued on October 20, 1939 to the Deutsche Werft in Hamburg, which had been commissioned to build boats of this type since the beginning of the war as the successor to the Bremen Deschimag AG Weser. The keel was laid on September 24, 1940 and the launch on July 30, 1941. The boat was put into service on October 20, 1941 under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Georg Staats.

Flotilla affiliation and stationing

After its commissioning, the boat was used by the 4th U-Flotilla in Stettin as a training boat to train the crew until June 30, 1942 . From July 1, 1942 until its sinking, it was under the control of the 10th U-Flotilla in Lorient as a front boat . During the entire service life of the boat, Kapitänleutnant Georg Staats was in command.

Calls

U 508 undertook six enemy voyages during which 14 ships with 74,087 GRT were sunk.

First venture

U 508 left Kiel on June 25, 1942 and entered Lorient on September 15, 1942 after 83 days at sea. In the course of this voyage, Commander Staats sank two ships.

• August 12, 1942: sinking of the Cuban steamer Santiago de Cuba (1,685, traveling in SpecCon-12 convoy , 10 dead)
• August 12, 1942: sinking of the Cuban steamer Manzanillo (1,025, traveling in SpecCon-12 convoy, 23 dead)

Second venture

The boat left Lorient on October 17, 1942 and returned there on January 6, 1943. On this 82 day long undertaking nine ships with 50,265 GRT were sunk.

• November 7, 1942: sinking of the American steamer Nathaniel Hawthorne (7,176, in convoy TAG-19, 38 dead)
• November 7, 1942: sinking of the British steamer Lindenhall (5,248, driving in convoy TAG-19, 42 dead)
• November 17, 1942: sinking of the British steamer City of Corinth (5,318, 11 dead)
• November 27, 1942: Sinking of the British steamer Clan Macfadyen (6,191, 82 dead)
• November 28, 1942: sinking of the British steamer Empire Cromwell (5,970, 24 dead)
• December 1, 1942: Sinking of the British freighter Trevalgan (5,299, no deaths)
• December 2, 1942: sinking of the British steamer City of Bath (5,079, 3 dead)
• December 3, 1942: sinking of the British steamer Solon II (4,561, 75 dead)
• 9 December 1942: sinking of the British steamer Nigerian (5,423, 5 dead, U 508 took in four survivors)

Third company

U 508 left Lorient on February 22, 1943 and entered Lorient on March 15, 1943 after 22 days at sea. No ships were sunk or damaged. After five days at sea, the boat was attacked and badly damaged by a British Consolidated B-24 Liberator of 224 Squadron RAF.

Fourth venture

The fourth patrol was a short and uneventful undertaking. The boat left Lorient on May 29, 1943 and returned to Lorient on May 31, 1943 after three days at sea.

Fifth venture

The boat left Lorient on June 7, 1943 and returned there on September 14, 1943. On this 100 day long undertaking three ships with 21,112 GRT were sunk.

• July 9, 1943: sinking of the British passenger liner De la Salle (8,400, driving in convoy ST-71, 10 dead)
• July 9, 1943: sinking of the British steamer Manchester Citizen (5,343, driving in convoy ST-71, 28 dead)
• July 18, 1943: sinking of the British passenger ship Incomati (7,369, 1 dead)

Sixth venture

In November 1943 the boat made a transfer trip from Lorient to St. Nazaire . From there, the boat set sail on November 9, 1943. No ships were sunk or damaged on the sixth patrol.

Whereabouts

At around 1:16 a.m. on November 12, 1943, an American Consolidated B-24 Liberator reported that it was attacking a submarine 95 miles north of Cabo de Peñas . Since this was the last sign of life from the plane, a search party went to look for the missing plane. At the indicated location, a small and a large oil spill were found about five miles apart. It is assumed that U 508 and the Liberator destroyed each other ( location ). The entire 57-man crew of the submarine and the ten-man crew of the aircraft were killed.

successes

date	Surname	nationality	Tonnage (GRT)	success
August 12, 1942	Manzanillo	Cuba	1,025	sunk ( location )
August 12, 1942	Santiago de Cuba	Cuba	1,685	sunk ( location )
November 7, 1942	Lindenhall	United Kingdom	5,248	sunk ( location )
November 7, 1942	Nathaniel Hawthorn	United States	7.176	sunk ( location )
November 17, 1942	City of Corinth	United Kingdom	5,318	sunk ( location )
November 27, 1942	Clan Mcfadyen	United Kingdom	6.191	sunk ( location )
November 28, 1942	Empire Cromwell	United Kingdom	5,970	sunk ( location )
December 1, 1942	Trevalgan	United Kingdom	5,299	sunk ( location )
December 2, 1942	City of Bath	United Kingdom	5,079	sunk ( location )
December 3, 1942	Solon II	United Kingdom	4,561	sunk ( location )
December 9, 1942	Nigerian	United Kingdom	5,423	sunk ( location )
July 9, 1943	De la Salle	United Kingdom	8,400	sunk ( location )
July 9, 1943	Manchester Citizen	United Kingdom	5,343	sunk ( location )
July 18, 1943	Incomati	United Kingdom	7,369	sunk ( location )

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Rainer Busch, Hans-Joachim Röll: The U-Boat War 1939-1945. Volume 2: U-boat construction in German shipyards. ES Mittler und Sohn, Hamburg et al. 1997, ISBN 3-8132-0512-6 , p. 58.
2. ↑ ^{a b c d e f} Rainer Busch, Hans-Joachim Röll: The U-Boat War 1939-1945. Volume 2: U-boat construction in German shipyards. ES Mittler und Sohn, Hamburg et al. 1997, ISBN 3-8132-0512-6 , p. 495.
3. ↑ ^{a b c d} Rainer Busch, Hans-Joachim Röll: The U-Boat War 1939-1945. Volume 3: German submarine successes from September 1939 to May 1945. ES Mittler und Sohn, Hamburg et al. 2001, ISBN 3-8132-0513-4 , p. 216.

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