# German submarine U-608

German submarine U-608 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. During the Battle of the Atlantic, she was commanded by Kapitänleutnant Rolf Struckmeier as a unit of Wolfpack Vorwärts.
She was scuttled in the Bay of Biscay on 10 August 1944 after being attacked by a RAF Liberator aircraft with depth charges.

## Design

German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-608 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 BBC GG UB 720/8 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-608 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 a 2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.

## Fate

She was scuttled in the Bay of Biscay on 10 August 1944 after being attacked by a RAF Liberator aircraft with depth charges. The damaged boat surfaced unnoticed and was scuttled by her crew, which was rescued by HMS Wren six hours later suffering no losses.

### Wolfpacks

U-608 took part in 19 wolfpacks, namely:
* Stier (29 August – 2 September 1942)
* Vorwärts (2 – 15 September 1942)
* Pfeil (1 – 9 February 1943)
* Neptun (18 February – 3 March 1943)
* Neuland (8 – 13 March 1943)
* Dränger (14 – 20 March 1943)
* Trutz (1 – 16 June 1943)
* Trutz 1 (16 – 29 June 1943)
* Geier 1 (30 June – 15 July 1943)
* Schlieffen (14 – 22 October 1943)
* Siegfried (22 – 27 October 1943)
* Siegfried 1 (27 – 30 October 1943)
* Jahn (31 October – 2 November 1943)
* Tirpitz 2 (2 – 8 November 1943)
* Eisenhart 7 (9 – 11 November 1943)
* Schill 2 (17 – 22 November 1943)
* Igel 2 (9 – 17 February 1944)
* Hai 1 (17 – 22 February 1944)
* Preussen (22 February – 14 March 1944)

## Summary of raiding history

| Date | Ship Name | Nationality | Tonnage | Fate |
| 12 September 1942 | Hektoria | United Kingdom | 13,797 | Sunk |
| 12 September 1942 | Empire Moonbeam | United Kingdom | 6,849 | Sunk |
| 16 November 1942 | Irish Pine | Ireland | 5,621 | Sunk |
| 8 February 1943 | Daghild | Norway | 9,272 | Sunk |
| 8 February 1943 | HMS LCT-2335 | Royal Navy | 291 | Sunk |