Mediterranean U-boat Campaign (World War II) - Allied Invasion of North Africa

Allied Invasion of North Africa

More U-boats were assigned to the 29th flotilla when improved anti-submarine warfare (ASW) measures along the east coast of North America ended the Second Happy Time. When a patrolling Short Sunderland found U-559, the aircraft summoned five destroyers able to maintain contact while dropping 150 depth charges over a period of ten hours until the submarine attempted to sneak away on the surface at night. Waiting destroyers open fire as soon as the U-boat surfaced, and the U-boat crew abandoned ship. The Royal Navy boarded the sinking U-boat and recovered German code documents before U-559 sank.

The Second Battle of El Alamein prompted a concentration of U-boats in the western Mediterranean in anticipation of Allied amphibious invasion. Five U-boats made contact with Operation Torch convoys, and two wolfpacks assembled near the invasion points. U-73, U-81, U-458, U-565, U-593, U-595, U-605 and U-617 assembled around Oran as Gruppe Delphin (Dolphin); while U-77, U-205, U-331, U-431, U-561 and U-660 assembled around Algiers as Gruppe Hai (Shark). Five U-boats were sunk opposing the invasion.

• U-73 damaged the 7,453-ton Lalande on 14 November 1942 and sank the Liberty ship Arthur Middleton of convoy UGS 3 on 1 January 1943.
• U-77 sank the 18-ton Mahrous on 20 October 1942, damaged HMS Stork on 12 November, and sank the 6,699-ton Empire Banner and the 7,043-ton Empire Webster of convoy KMS 8 on 7 February. U-77 damaged the 5,222-ton Hadleigh and the 5,229-ton Merchant Prince of convoy ET 14 on 16 March and was sunk on 29 March 1943 by Lockheed Hudsons.
• U-81 sank the 2,012-ton Garlinge on 10 November 1942 and the 6,487-ton Maron on 13 November. U-81 damaged the 6,671-ton Saroena on 10 February 1943 and sank sailing ships Al Kasbanah, Dolphin, Husni, and Sabah el Kheir on 11 February. U-81 sank the 244-ton Bourghieh and sailing ship Mawahab Allah on 20 March 1943, and sailing ship Rousdi on 28 March.
• U-83 was sunk on 23 March 1943 by a Lockheed Hudson of 500 Squadron RAF.
• U-97 was under repair at Salamis.
• U-205 was sunk on 17 February 1943 by aircraft and destroyers.
• U-331 sank USS Leedstown on 9 November 1942 before being sunk by aircraft on 17 November.
• U-371 sank the trawler HMS Jura and damaged the 7,159-ton Ville de Strasbourg of convoy MKS 5 on 7 January 1943 before sinking the 2,089-ton Fintra on 23 February and damaging the Liberty ship Daniel Carroll of convoy TE 16 on 28 February.
• U-375 damaged HMS Manxman on 1 December 1942.
• U-431 sank HMS Martin on 10 November 1942, HNLMS Isaac Sweers on 13 November, and sailing ships Alexandria on 23 January 1943, Mouyassar and Omar el Kattab on 25 January, and Hassan on 26 January, before damaging the 6,415-ton City of Perth of convoy MKS 10 on 26 March 1943.
• U-453 sank the 5,859-ton Jean Jadot of convoy KMS 7 on 20 January 1943.
• U-559 sank 200-ton Bringhi on 12 October 1942 and was hunted to exhaustion on 30 October.
• U-561 sank 39-ton Sphinx on 24 September 1942.
• U-562 sank the 23,722-ton Strathallan of convoy KMF 5 on 21 December 1942, and was sunk on 23 February 1943 by aircraft and destroyers.
• U-565 sank HMS Partridge on 18 December 1942, damaged the Liberty ship Nathanael Greene of convoy MKS 8 on 24 February 1943, and damaged the 10,389-ton Seminole of convoy TE 16 on 27 February.