German submarine U-358

German submarine U-358 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

She carried out five patrols before being sunk north of the Azores by British warships on 1 March 1944.

She sank four ships and one warship.

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

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 17.7 kn and a maximum submerged speed of 7.6 kn. When submerged, the boat could operate for 80 nmi at 4 kn; when surfaced, she could travel 8500 nmi at 10 kn. U-358 was fitted with five 53.3 cm 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 C/30 anti-aircraft guns. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.

Service history
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.

First patrol
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 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.

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

Third patrol
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.

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

Fifth patrol and loss
U-358 left St. Nazaire on 14 February 1944. From the 29th, she was hunted by the British frigates HMS Gould (K476), HMS Affleck (K462), HMS Gore (K481) and HMS Garlies (K475) 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.

Wolfpacks
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)