German submarine U-758

History
Nazi Germany
Name:	U-758
Ordered:	9 October 1939
Builder:	Kriegsmarinewerft Wilhelmshaven
Yard number:	141
Laid down:	18 May 1940
Launched:	1 March 1942
Commissioned:	5 May 1942
Status:	Broken up
General characteristics
Class & type:	Type VIIC submarine
Displacement:	769 tonnes (757 long tons) surfaced 871 t (857 long tons) submerged
Length:	67.10 m (220 ft 2 in) o/a 50.50 m (165 ft 8 in) pressure hull
Beam:	6.20 m (20 ft 4 in) o/a 4.70 m (15 ft 5 in) pressure hull
Height:	9.60 m (31 ft 6 in)
Draught:	4.74 m (15 ft 7 in)
Installed power:	2,800–3,200 PS (2,100–2,400 kW; 2,800–3,200 bhp) (diesels) 750 PS (550 kW; 740 shp) (electric)
Propulsion:	2 shafts 2 × diesel engines 2 × electric motors
Speed:	17.7 knots (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph) surfaced 7.6 knots (14.1 km/h; 8.7 mph) submerged
Range:	8,500 nmi (15,700 km; 9,800 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced 80 nmi (150 km; 92 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth:	230 m (750 ft) Crush depth: 250–295 m (820–968 ft)
Complement:	4 officers, 40–56 enlisted
Armament:	5 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (4 bow, 1 stern) 14 × torpedoes 1 × 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun (220 rounds) various AA guns
Service record
Commanders	Kptlt. Helmut Manseck 5 May 1942 - 3 April 1944 Oblt.z.S. Hans-Arend Feindt 4 April 1944 - 16 March 1945
Operations	7 patrols
Victories	2 ships sunk for a total of 13,989 GRT

German submarine U-758 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II. Commissioned on 5 May 1942, she served with the 6th U-boat Flotilla until 1 November as a training boat, and as a front boat until 14 October 1944 mostly under the command of Kapitänleutnant Helmut Manseck before joining the 33rd U-boat Flotilla as a training boat for the remainder of her service in the war.

Design

German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-758 had a displacement of 769 tonnes (757 long tons) when at the surface and 871 tonnes (857 long tons) while submerged. She had a total length of 67.10 m (220 ft 2 in), a pressure hull length of 50.50 m (165 ft 8 in), a beam of 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in), a height of 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in), and a draught of 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in). The submarine was powered by two Germaniawerft F46 four-stroke, six-cylinder supercharged diesel engines producing a total of 2,800 to 3,200 metric horsepower (2,060 to 2,350 kW; 2,760 to 3,160 shp) for use while surfaced, two Garbe, Lahmeyer & Co. RP 137/c double-acting electric motors producing a total of 750 metric horsepower (550 kW; 740 shp) for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 1.23 m (4 ft) propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to 230 metres (750 ft).

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 17.7 knots (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 7.6 knots (14.1 km/h; 8.7 mph). When submerged, the boat could operate for 80 nautical miles (150 km; 92 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 8,500 nautical miles (15,700 km; 9,800 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). U-758 was fitted with five 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and one at the stern), fourteen torpedoes, one 8.8 cm (3.46 in) SK C/35 naval gun, 220 rounds, and an anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.

Service history

Built at the Kriegsmarinewerft shipyard in Wilhelmshaven, U-758 served on seven patrols with the 6th U-boat Flotilla.

1st patrol

The submarine's first patrol of 41 days between 14 November and 24 December 1942 from Kiel to St. Nazaire was uneventful.

2nd patrol

Her second patrol from 14 February to 30 March 1943 was not. Midway across the Atlantic Ocean on 17 March, U-758 joined Wolfpack Raubgraf and attacked convoy HX 229 which was eastbound, delivering goods from the United States to the United Kingdom. U-758 destroyed two ships from the 37-ship convoy: The Dutch ship Zaanland (6,813 GRT) and the US Liberty Ship James Oglethorpe (7,176 GRT). Torpedoes fired at the Dutch motor tanker Magdala missed their mark.

Subsequent patrols

U-758 undertook five more combat patrols but did not sink or damage any further ships.

Wolfpacks

U-758 took part in nine wolfpacks, namely

• Panzer (23 November – 11 December 1942)
• Sturmbock (21–24 February 1943)
• Burggraf (24–26 February 1943)
• Wildfang (26 February – 5 March 1943)
• Raubgraf (7–20 March 1943)
• Leuthen (15–24 September 1943)
• Rossbach (24 September – 9 October 1943)
• Borkum (24 December 1943 – 3 January 1944)
• Borkum 2 (3–13 January 1944)

Fate

The veteran submarine was caught in the open during a British raid on the port of Kiel. Badly damaged, she was stricken from the navy list on 16 March 1945. At the cessation of hostilities, she was surrendered to the Allies. Deemed too badly damaged to be sunk as part of Operation Deadlight, she was instead broken up for scrap beginning in 1946.

Summary of raiding history

Date	Ship	Nationality	Tonnage	Fate
17 March 1943	Zaanland	Netherlands	6,813	Sunk
17 March 1943	James Oglethorpe	United States	7,176	Sunk

Table

Departure

• Kiel
• St. Nazaire
• Bordeaux
• St. Nazaire
• Lorient
• St. Nazaire
• St. Nazaire

Time

• 14 November 1942
• 14 February 1943
• 15 May 1943
• 1 September 1943
• 16 December 1943
• 6 June 1944
• 23 August 1944

Arrival

• St. Nazaire
• Bordeaux
• St. Nazaire
• Lorient
• St. Nazaire
• St. Nazaire
• Bergen

Time

• 24 December 1942
• 30 March 1943
• 16 May 1943
• 24 October 1943
• 20 January 1944
• 15 June 1944
• 10 October 1944

Days

• 41 days
• 45 days
• 33 days
• 54 days
• 36 days
• 10 days
• 49 days