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 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 BBC GG UB 720/8 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-608 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 a 2 cm 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 (U28) 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)