German submarine U - 518 German submarine " U - 518 " was a Type IXC U - boat of the German Navy during World War II . She saw considerable success from her launch in 11 February 1942 until she was sunk on 22 April 1945 . The U - boat was laid down at the Deutsche Werft in Hamburg as ' werk ' 314 on 12 June 1941 , and commissioned on 25 April 1942 with " Fregattenkapitän " Hans - Günther Brachmann in command . He was replaced on 19 August 1942 by " Kapitänleutnant " Friedrich - Wilhelm Wissmann . She sank nine ships and damaged three more in ten active patrols . " U - 518 " had a crew of 56 , and was by then commanded by " Oberleutnant " Hans - Werner Offermann from 13 January 1944 . Operational career . First patrol . She left Kiel on 26 September 1942 , by - passed the British Isles via the gap between Iceland and the Faeroe Islands and crossed the Atlantic . She entered Conception Bay , Newfoundland and near Bell Island sank the British " PLM 27 " and the Canadian " Rose Castle " on 2 November . Moving out into the Atlantic proper , she attacked other ships , such as the British " Empire Sailor " on the 21st and the American " Caddo " on the 23rd . With these and other successes behind her , she moved to her new home base , Lorient in occupied France , arriving on 15 December 1942 . Second patrol . Leaving Lorient on 11 January 1943 , she sailed to the eastern Brazilian coast and on 14 February 1943 came under attack from unidentified Allied aircraft ; she sustained minimal damage Between 18 February and 25 March , she sank another four ships . On the return journey , she passed through the Cape Verde Islands , west of the Canaries and east of the Azores , arriving back at Lorient on 27 April 1943 after a patrol lasting 107 days . Third patrol . Her third sortie was marred by a depth charge and strafing attack on 27 June 1943 by a Sunderland flying boat of 201 Squadron , RAF . The damage incurred was serious enough to warrant her return which was hampered by another attack by a Sunderland , this time from 10 Squadron , RAAF on 30 June in the Bay of Biscay . This incident caused no further damage , but the aircraft ' s rear gunner was mortally wounded . The boat docked in Bordeaux on 3 July . Fourth patrol . She spent fifteen weeks on patrol which included a presence in the Gulf of Mexico , between 18 August and 1 December 1943 , with no results . Fifth patrol . Another long patrol saw the boat in the Caribbean where she torpedoed the Panamanian " Valera " . The ship broke in two before sinking . The submarine had departed Lorient on 23 January 1944 and returned there on 10 July . Sixth patrol . This was a non - active Patrol , traveling from port to port , lasted from 4 – 10 July 1944 , with no results Seventh patrol . By now , the Allies were besieging the Atlantic ports on the landward side ; the boat departed Lorient for the last time on 15 July 1944 . Allied escort ships attacked a submarine in mid - ocean , probably " U - 518 " , on 9 August . She next turned up , on the eastern US coast , where she damaged the American " George Ade " . She then withdrew to Kristiansand in Norway , arriving on 24 October 1944 . Eighth and ninth patrols . Both of these voyages from 25 – 28 October 1944 and 5 – 10 March 1945 were between ports and produced no results . Tenth and final patrol . Her last foray began when she departed Kristiansand on 12 March 1945 . She was sunk northwest of the Azores on 24 April by depth charges from USS " Carter " and " Scott " . There were no survivors . Bibliography . - Le abbuffate del sottomarino tedesco U - 518 - 1965 1976 1987 1998 2009 2020 2031 2042 2053 2064