U-355 was ordered by the
Kriegsmarine on 26 October 1939. She was
laid down about six months later at the Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft yard at Flensburg, on 4 May 1940. Just over a year and a month later,
U-355 was
launched on 5 July 1941. She was formally
commissioned later that year on 29 October 1941.
Patrols U-355 sailed from
Kiel on 1 June 1942, arriving at
Skjomenfjord, near
Narvik, six days later. There, on 7 July 1942, she sank the 5,082 GRT
British merchant ship , dispersed from
Convoy PQ 17,
en route to
Arkhangelsk, carrying six vehicles, 36 tanks, seven aircraft and 2,409 tons of military stores. The ship, hit by three torpedoes, sank within 10 minutes around 17 miles west of
Novaya Zemlya. Of the crew, 29 men, seven gunners, and two naval signalmen were killed. The master and 12 men landed at Pomorski Bay, Novaya Zemlya. Another seven survivors took shelter on the American merchant ship , (also of PQ 17), which had run aground and been abandoned on North Gusini Shoal, Novaya Zemlya, and were later rescued by a
Soviet survey ship. The U-boat returned to Narvik on 12 July after 27 days at sea. This was
U-355s only success despite sailing on another eight patrols operating against the
Arctic convoys between July 1942 and April 1944, totaling 187 days at sea.
Fate On 1 April 1944, during her ninth patrol,
U-355 reported from approximate position while in pursuit of
Convoy JW 58. She was never heard from again, and was listed as missing, together with 52 hands on board, on 4 April 1944.
Previously recorded fate U-355 was originally thought to have been sunk in the Barents Sea southwest of Bear Island, Norway at position by and aircraft from . The attack was against , inflicting medium damage.
Wolfpacks U-355 took part in five
wolfpacks, namely: •
Eisteufel (21 June – 9 July 1942) • Nebelkönig (27 July – 14 August 1942) •
Eisbär (27 March – 15 April 1943) • Monsun (19 – 21 October 1943) • Blitz (26 March – 4 April 1944) ==Summary of raiding history==