German submarine U-418

German submarine U-418 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.
She carried out one patrol. She was a member of three wolfpacks. She did not sink or damage any ships.
She was sunk by a British aircraft in the Bay of Biscay on 30 May 1943.

Design

German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-418 had a displacement of when at the surface and while submerged. She had a total length of, a pressure hull length of, a beam of, a height of, and a draught of. The submarine was powered by two Germaniawerft F46 four-stroke, six-cylinder supercharged diesel engines producing a total of for use while surfaced, two Siemens-Schuckert GU 343/38–8 double-acting electric motors producing a total of for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to.
The submarine had a maximum surface speed of and a maximum submerged speed of. When submerged, the boat could operate for at ; when surfaced, she could travel at. U-418 was fitted with five torpedo tubes, fourteen torpedoes, one SK C/35 naval gun, 220 rounds, and two twin C/30 anti-aircraft guns. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.

The submarine was laid down on 21 October 1941 at the Danziger Werft at Danzig, as yard number 119, launched on 11 July 1942 and commissioned on 21 October under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Gerhard Lange.
She served with the 8th U-boat Flotilla from 21 October 1942 and the 1st flotilla from 1 May 1943.

U-418 left Kiel on 24 April 1943 and headed for the Atlantic Ocean via the gap between Iceland and the Faroe Islands. The boat was sunk by a British Catalina flying boat of No. 210 Squadron RAF on 30 May. Whole crew was killed.

U-418 was sunk on 1 June 1943 by rockets from a British Bristol Beaufighter of 236 Squadron in the western Bay of Biscay.

U-418 took part in three wolfpacks, namely: