Mediterranean U-boat Campaign (World War II) - After The Italian Armistice

After The Italian Armistice

As Allied escort forces in the Mediterranean became more numerous, the tactic of hunting a detected U-boat to exhaustion was given the name Swamp and used with increasing frequency. U-boats launched G7es torpedoes with passive homing against destroyers, but were unable to cope with a team of escorts. U-boats remaining in port were subjected to USAAF air raids from newly constructed airfields. Surviving 'U-boats at Toulon were scuttled when Operation Dragoon, (the invasion of southern France), closed the 29th Flotilla base on 15 August 1944. Three U-boats remained at Salamis until Allied forces reached them on 19 September 1944.

• U-73 damaged the Liberty ship John S. Copley of convoy GUS 24 and was sunk by the convoy escort on 16 December 1943.
• U-81 sank the 2,887-ton Empire Dunstan on 18 November 1943 before being destroyed by a 9 January 1944 USAAF raid on Pula.
• U-371 sank HMS Hythe on 11 October, USS Bristol on 13 October, and damaged the Liberty ship James Russell Lowell of convoy GUS 18 on 15 October. U-371 sank the 17,024-ton Dempo and destroyed the 6,165-ton Maiden Creek of convoy SNF 17 on 17 March 1944 and damaged USS Menges and the French destroyer escort Sénégalais from convoy convoy GUS 38 with G7es torpedoes on 3 May 1944 while being hunted to exhaustion by convoy escorts.
• U-380 was destroyed by an 11 March 1944 USAAF raid on Toulon.
• U-407 damaged HMS Birmingham on 28 November 1943, sank 55-ton Rod el Faraq on 27 February 1944, and damaged 6207-ton Ensis on 29 February. U-407 then sank 7210-ton Meyer London and damaged Liberty ship Thomas G. Masaryk of convoy UGS 37 on 16 April, and was sunk by destroyers off Salamis on 19 September 1944.
• U-410 sank Liberty ship Christian Michelsen of convoy convoy UGS 17 on 26 September 1943. U-410 then sank Liberty ship Fort Howe and damaged 3722-ton Empire Commerce of convoy MKS 26 on 1 October and sank Liberty ship Fort Saint Nicolas on 15 February 1944, HMS Penelope on 18 February, and LST-348 on 20 February before being destroyed by an 11 March 1944 USAAF raid on Toulon.
• U-431 was sunk on 21 October 1943 by a Vickers Wellington of 179 Squadron.
• U-453 sank the 80-ton Aqia Paraskevi, the 67-ton Himli, and the 81-ton Salem on 1 February 1944 and the 64-ton Yahiya on 2 February. She then sank Liberty ship Fort Missanabie of convoy HA 43 on 19 May and was hunted to exhaustion by convoy escorts on 21 May 1944.
• U-565 was scuttled at Salamis on 19 September 1944.
• U-593 sank Liberty ship William W. Gerhard of convoy NSS 3 on 21 September 1943, USS Skill on 25 September, 4531-ton Mont Viso of convoy KMS 30 on 3 November, and HMS Holcombe and HMS Tynedale of convoy KMS 34 with G7es torpedoes on 12 December while being hunted to exhaustion by the convoy escort on 13 December 1943.
• U-596 sank 5542-ton Marit of convoy XT 4 on 4 October and 8009-ton Cap Padaran of convoy HA 11 on 9 December 1943 before being scuttled at Salamis on 19 September 1944.
• U-616 sank USS Buck on 9 October 1943 and LCT-553 on 11 October, and damaged 7127-ton Fort Fidler and 10,627-ton G.S.Walden of convoy convoy GUS 39 with G7es torpedoes before being hunted to exhaustion by convoy escorts on 14 May 1944.
• U-617 was sunk on 11 September 1943 by Vickers Wellingtons of 179 Squadron.