German submarine U-358

German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-358 had a displacement of {{convert|769|t|LT}} when at the surface and {{convert|871|t|LT}} while submerged.{{sfn|Gröner|1991|pp=43–46}} She had a total length of {{convert|67.10|m|ftin|abbr=on}}, a pressure hull length of {{convert|50.50|m|ftin|abbr=on}}, a beam of {{convert|6.20|m|ftin|abbr=on}}, a height of {{convert|9.60|m|ftin|abbr=on}}, and a draught of {{convert|4.74|m|ftin|abbr=on}}. The submarine was powered by two Germaniawerft F46 four-stroke, six-cylinder supercharged diesel engines producing a total of {{convert|2800 to 3200|PS|kW shp|-1}} for use while surfaced, two AEG GU 460/8–27 double-acting electric motors producing a total of {{convert|750|PS|kW shp}} for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two {{convert|1.23|m|ft|abbr=on|0}} propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to {{convert|230|m}}.{{sfn|Gröner|1991|pp=43–46}}

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of {{convert|17.7|kn}} and a maximum submerged speed of {{convert|7.6|kn}}.{{sfn|Gröner|1991|pp=43–46}} When submerged, the boat could operate for {{convert|80|nmi}} at {{convert|4|kn}}; when surfaced, she could travel {{convert|8500|nmi}} at {{convert|10|kn}}. U-358 was fitted with five {{convert|53.3|cm|in|0|abbr=on}} torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and one at the stern), fourteen torpedoes, one 8.8 cm SK C/35 naval gun, 220 rounds, and two twin 2 cm FlaK 30 anti-aircraft guns. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.{{sfn|Gröner|1991|pp=43–46}}

The submarine was laid down on 25 June 1940 at the Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft yard at Flensburg as yard number 477, launched on 30 April 1942 and commissioned on 15 August under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Rolf Manke.

The boat's first patrol was in two parts; it began with her departure from Kiel on 12 January 1943. During the second part, which began with her departure from Kristiansand in Norway on the 16th, she negotiated the gap between Iceland and the Faroe Islands and sank the Neva {{convert|200|nmi}} west of these islands on the 22nd. On the 26th, she sank the Nortind east of Cape Farewell, (Greenland). She arrived at St. Nazaire in occupied France on 8 March.

Having left St. Nazaire (which became her base for the rest of her career) on 11 April 1943, U-358 sank {{ship||Bristol City|1919|2}} and {{SS|Wentworth|1919|2}}. She was attacked south of Cape Farewell by the British corvette {{HMS|Pink|K137|6}} commanded by Lieutenant Robert Atkinson and badly damaged. (This attack had originally credited Pink with the destruction of {{GS|U-192||2}}.)

The submarine's third foray took her south, as far as the Gulf of Guinea, off the west African coast. At 84 days, it was her longest patrol.

U-358{{'}}s fourth patrol was northeast of the Azores.

U-358 left St. Nazaire on 14 February 1944. From the 29th, she was hunted by the British frigates {{HMS|Gould|K476|6}}, {{HMS|Affleck|K462|2}}, {{HMS|Gore|K481|2}} and {{HMS|Garlies|K475|2}} north of the Azores. Gore and Garlies had to break off the assault and sail to Gibraltar to re-fuel. The U-boat sank Gould on 1 March, but Affleck persisted with the attack, sinking U-358 with gunfire after the submarine was forced to the surface.

50 men died in the U-boat; there was one survivor, Alfons Eckert.

U-358 took part in eleven wolfpacks, namely:

• Haudegen (27 January – 2 February 1943)
• Nordsturm (2 – 9 February 1943)
• Haudegen (9 – 15 February 1943)
• Taifun (15 – 20 February 1943)
• Without name (15 – 18 April 1943)
• Specht (19 April – 4 May 1943)
• Fink (4 – 6 May 1943)
• Schill (2 – 16 November 1943)
• Schill 1 (16 – 22 November 1943)
• Weddigen (22 November – 7 December 1943)
• Preussen (22 February – 1 March 1944)

{{Reflist|group=Note}}

{{reflist}}

{{Refbegin}}

• {{cite book | last1 = Busch | first1 = Rainer | last2 = Röll | first2 = Hans-Joachim | translator-last = Brooks | translator-first = Geoffrey | title = German U-boat commanders of World War II : a biographical dictionary | publisher = Greenhill Books, Naval Institute Press | location = London, Annapolis, Md | year = 1999 | isbn = 1-55750-186-6 }}
• {{cite book |last1=Busch |first1=Rainer |last2=Röll |first2=Hans-Joachim |title=Der U-Boot-Krieg, 1939-1945: Deutsche U-Boot-Verluste von September 1939 bis Mai 1945|trans-title=German U-boat losses from September 1939 to May 1945 |date=1999|volume=IV |publisher=Mittler|location=Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn |isbn=3-8132-0514-2 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vXKwAAAAIAAJ |language=de}}
• {{cite book

| last=Edwards

| first=Bernard

| title=Dönitz and the Wolf Packs – The U-boats at War

| year=1996

| isbn=0-304-35203-9

| pages=198

| publisher=Cassell Military Classics

| ref={{sfnRef|Edwards}}

}}

• {{cite book

|last1=Gröner

|first1=Erich

|last2=Jung

|first2=Dieter

|last3=Maass

|first3=Martin

|translator-last1=Thomas

|translator-first1=Keith

|translator-last2=Magowan

|translator-first2=Rachel

|year=1991

|title=U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels

|volume=2

|series=German Warships 1815–1945

|location=London

|publisher=Conway Maritime Press

|isbn=0-85177-593-4

|ref=CITEREFGröner1991

}}

• {{cite book

|last=Kemp

|first=Paul

|title=U-Boats Destroyed – German Submarine Losses in the World Wars

|location=London

|year=1999

|publisher=Arms & Armour

|isbn=1-85409-515-3

}}

{{Refend}}

• {{Cite web

|url=http://uboat.net/boats/u358.html

|title=The Type VIIC boat U-358

|last=Helgason

|first=Guðmundur

|website=German U-boats of WWII – uboat.net

|access-date=26 December 2014

}}

• {{cite web

|url=http://www.u-boot-archiv.de/dieboote/u0358.html

|title=U 358

|last=Hofmann

|first=Markus

|website=Deutsche U-Boote 1935–1945 – u-boot-archiv.de

|language=de

|access-date=26 December 2014

}}

{{German Type VII submarines}}

{{March 1944 shipwrecks}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:U0358}}

Category:German Type VIIC submarines

Category:U-boats commissioned in 1942

Category:U-boats sunk in 1944

Category:U-boats sunk by British warships

Category:1942 ships

Category:Ships built in Flensburg

Category:World War II submarines of Germany

Category:Maritime incidents in March 1944