u 550 Type IX C-40 Built by Deutsche Werft, Hamburg Keel laid 2.10.42 Launched 12.5.43 Commissioned 28. 7 .43 Feldpost Nr M 53 4 73
Sunk 16.4.44 S of Nantucket Island (40°09'N 69°44 'W)
Served with 4 U-Flottille, Stettin July 1943 - January 1944 (ab) 1O U-Flottille, Lorient February 1944 -16.4.44 (fb)
Commanded by KL Klaus Hanert July 1943 - 16.4.44
Patrols: 1 Ships sunk: 1 (11,017 grt)
1. 6.2.44 Left Kiel for the North Atlantic. U 550 initially carried out weather-reporting duties. In the latter part of March she went to the Newfoundland area and later moved south and in mid-April was off the US east coast. On the 16th U 550 was S of Nantucket Island, when she sighted eastbound convoy CU 21. She torpedoed and sank the tanker SS Pan Pennsylvania (am 11017t). Whilst destroyer-escorts were picking up survivors, U 550 was located by USS Joyce and depth charges were dropped. The boat surfaced close by and USS Gandy opened fire and prepared to ram. U 550 tried to manoeuvre clear but was struck near the stem. Gandy moved away and began firing again. She was joined by Joyce and USS Peterson. A muffled explosion was heard from within the boat and some time later she began to sink. Of U 550's crew, 44 men were lost and the commander and 11 others were picked up and made Po W. On the attached action, ( battle report enclosed as authorized by LCDR. William A. Sessions, U.S.N.R. # 60924 and who was awarded the Legion of Merit ), the U.S.S. Gandy rammed the U-550 at about 15 knots. Within 32 minutes, the submarine sank stern first. Four ( 4 ) members of the U.S.S. Gandy were wounded in the fight and her ramming plate was broken. The wreckage was discovered on July 23, 2012. mck 5-17-15
------CON I- lDL.l'! TIAL lJ April. 194/t 0000 Moored as before, starboard side to pier ff lo, berth 1, U• .:; . !>la.val Frontier Base, T"oi.ipkinsv-llle, St~ten Island, N. Y. 0900 Ueported to Commanoer :::scort Id.vis ion 22 i'or uut.y; reference Com'fasklo oi· 29 ci spatcb 01'der lOl?.)l o! April 1944.
14 April 1944 0000 ;1oored as be!"ore, starboard side to pier ii 10, berth 1, u• .., . ::.ava.1 Frontier Base, 'l'omp.lcin~ville, Jtaten !sla.nd, l~ . Y. , l~ April 1~ 0000 ~ioored as before,, sttrboard side to pier 1i 10, berth l, u. 3. Naval Frontier Base, Tompkinsville, .:>tat.en Isle.nd) fl. Y. 1004 Underway from U• ..>. ~aval Frvntier Base, Tompkinsville, .3t aten Island, N. I. in accordance with verbal inst.ructions froot CTG 21.5 operating in accordance with GTG 21.5 OpOrd rt 2-i.J.. Proceeding in c001pn.ny llith u• ..> . o. POOIA l DAl.51),, u ...... ::; . mn.,~01: (D1il52), u.s . ~ . ii:>• .'V ..:J:.AiN ( D~316J, u • .;. ->. JOYaE {DE317) and U U.J. ; . KYKFA~:.ICK {DEJ18) which COltlpOSe Escort Eivision 22; proceedine out New York Harbor channel. Task Group t.:01:T.lrulder in U.. S • .:1. POOLE lm.J.51). 1125 Anchored off .Sandy Hook in company with other Leatroyer Escorts of l!:scort IJ i vision 22. J..402 Underway from :..>endy Hook Ba;y in company with othe:r Destroyer iscorts ct Escort Division. ;!2 to. conduct sound search off channel entr;mce prior to aortie of convqy. 14JO CQnvoy cQlllr2nced scrtie under condition of very low vi.sibility. 1455 Cotiriieneed patrolling on various courses and speeds on port flank of convoy. Relayin_g me~saces to merchant vessels as directed by ~scort Coanander. 2000 .:>bip•s position: lat. 32° 10' ti. Long. 6So 10' ~ •• 20J5 Convoy cleared. swept channel and assumed base course 0900 T.. Stea.mine in sing.le <11lwnn, wtable to foI'Jll up in convoy because of low visibility. u.s.s. uJJ:DY lvE164 roll' station at 15 lmots on port. flaok of column.
160000 A pril• 19Aft Steaming as before in cOlllpany with Escort Division 22, escorting Convoy Cu-2l, patrolling port flank of convoy. Escort Comander in u• .$. s. fO'•.LE (DEl.51). 0505 tixercised at morn i.ng General ~uarters. 0605 Secureti :from General '.uu.rters, set .Jar l.'rui sing ~. atch. 0800 .:>hipts posit.).on; Lat. 40° 091 30" ii . Long. 69° 471 \, ,
-3- -U -ON------YllJll;N'!'I /, L
0805 Pan- !,en.nsyl v: nia was struck by a tor_ 1edo . The Cor.:nanding Officer o?·
1_6 ;\pril 1244 _(concluded)
U. S. ~ . J OYCtt ce.ine alon:;~-ide t.he sub t o pick up survivors while v:e crelT off to cover them anti a szess 01.Jl" cia.tlage. 1034 The sub sank stern first. A thorough check of the ship disclosed small buckling of pl:ite8 abaft the doubling plate for ram, various antenna shot away, pock ruarke from shr apnel. and 50 caliber and a larger hole in eta.ck, minor caliber holes in boat, SA Co;;X;el leaking pos:sibly tro1n v1hip in ma-st., pos si\.,l.,y fro1£1 shrapnel. Personnel casualties wel'e as follows: (l} TAYLOR, l. illie Chester, SK3c, 9.33 OB 60, lbN-I - :.ound, thorax, left lower (shrapnel) admi tted to !i.ck list-. i;onsidered serious. (2) L\NPS, Suford FrMk, $2c 1 ;356 13 139 ~ U3NR - ,;ound, cheek, ri.gbt, and hand, left ( ehrap.. el), treauient shrapnel removed, dressing applied am returned to dut.y. {3) LA'rHALI,, Vincent J . r.., SMJc 1 532 699, USCGR - t;ound, l e.ft. index.> right ~ snrapnel) 1 treatment • shrapnel removed, dreesin(; applied and returned to uuty. l4) 1liH U>rm1Ar~T, ~i'eldon ~·1 inford, ::>le, 625 62 JS, USNR - •.ound, ri.$1t cheek anti left hand \shrapnel).
Treatment - Shrapnel re1110ved 1 dI-essing applied and returned to dl.lty. G:.tDY i.bout. eight operating days out of shakeaown and the crew performed t heir duties very r1ell except in t he r..at ter of records. Quarterm· ster l og was not kept c:na course and times are f rom G. I . c. v:hicn f
Steaming a s before in canpany with Escort Division 22, escorting Convoy CU-2)... Patrolling on st:ition # 4 in accordance mt.h nieht screening plan 6 NAN . rim Cruising ..at ch set. 0425 Exerci sed at morning General <.1:Iarters. 0527 Asswned station if 4 :in accordance with day BCJ'eening plan DOO 6. -s- ' - - 7