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| U-556 | Type VIIC |
| Feldpost Number | M 36 839 |
| Construction Yard | Blohm und Voß, Hamburg |
| Yard Number | 532 |
| Ordered | 25th Sep 1939 |
| Keel laid | 2nd Jan 1940 |
| Launched | 7th Dec 1940 |
| Commissioned | 6th Feb 1941 |
| Baubelehrung | Baubelehrung U-Boote Nordsee, Bremen | | Training, Flotillas and Duties | | 02.41 - 06.41 | 1.U-Flottille, Kiel & Brest
Ausbildungsboot (under training)
Frontboot (operational)
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| Commanders | | 06.02.41 - 27.06.41 | KL Heinrich Wilhelm Herbert Wohlfarth
see also: U-14 U-137 |
| Operations information for U-556 | 01.05.1941 - 30.05.1941
First Sailing - active patrol
U-556 left Kiel under the command of Herbert Wohlfarth on 1st May 1941 and arrived at Lorient on 30th May 1941 after just over four weeks.
Herbert Wohlfarth hit seven ships on this patrol, six of these ships were in convoy: three were from convoy HX-126 and three were from convoy OB-318.
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On 6th May 1941 he sank the 166 ton Emanuel.
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On 10th May 1941 he sank the British 4,861 ton Empire Caribou, sailing with convoy OB-318.
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On 10th May 1941 he damaged the British 4,986 ton Aelybryn, a member of convoy OB-318.
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On 10th May 1941 he sank the Belgian 5,086 ton Gand, part of convoy OB-318.
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On 20th May 1941 he sank the British 4,974 ton Darlington Court, from convoy HX-126.
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On 20th May 1941 he sank the British 5,995 ton Cockaponset, sailing with convoy HX-126.
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On 20th May 1941 he sank the British 8,470 ton British Security, a member of convoy HX-126.
You can find more about convoy HX-126 at the warsailors.com page on convoy HX-126.
| 19.06.1941 - 27.06.1941
Second Sailing - active patrol
On the 19th Jun 1941, U-556 left Lorient under the command of Herbert Wohlfarth. U-556 was sunk on 27th Jun 1941.
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| Notes for U-556 |
The Admiralty Report on interrogation of the survivors of U-556 is available. You can find how to obtain a report here.
We have 45 crew names for this boat. click here for crew names of U 556
You can perform other crew searches here. Note that the number of names we give possibly includes prior crew members.
There is one photograph in this boat's album. Click here to view the U-Boat photo album.
You can discuss this boat or ask questions at the ubootwaffe.net forums |
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8 relevant ships here:
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 | | Wohlfarth receives his RK | | Courtesy Richard Sysum | | Kapitänleutnant Heinrich Wilhelm Herbert Wohlfarth was presented with his RitterKreuz on 30th May 1941 by Admiral Karl Döntiz in Lorient. |
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