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?·<le1·ed widening of t he se.'U'ch ilrc and more erratic zi~-zn 1~ in.;. Patrolled up und down the "ort fl t~nk in search of the subm;1r ine. At '4\.x,ut 0830 orde:r3 \'fere re~eived to return to the !'lcene of t he l orp.,.,.loin... Wld assist u. s. s. J~l'&"wCi! in cove:-inr; tile Prui.- Fennsylvania ::ind 11• .j • •J • .;vrcl v1ho 1'1'.IS t'> p-ick up survivors. C:une .ibout and went to nank s0t.ed. OR37 ttie tih::tft revolutions "ere 6cx:l per minute. · 0848 !\umber 4 >W'.lin en:;i ne was securt>d due to cr.. 11kc;1se explC>sion and overheotin:; of Cl'linders 6 ano 7, co111,oellinc r~i uced :inn unbclJU"Jced apeed throur.hout the :remainder of the operation. En."Oute to scene, what appeared to be torpedo wake v1 l!.S .noticetl pa1•<1llel to t his ves sel about 75 yor ds ,JistMt._ St.oorl erratically down the cou.rse for about 5COO yards without cont::ict until tr.ice •1as lost and then Pl'OCeeried to cover lf. ;:;; . s. JO'ICE in picking up survi-vors. There were t oo many su.....Yivors and O. s. ~ . PE'l'filIBOU vros a irecied to assist, •'hile circling t hese t l";o ships the after lookout reported streaks of bubbles :i.n the water which appeared to be torpedo l'la.ke comin~ !rom .iU't. Came about in an attempt to track t hem ti.own but oecided after a short search that ttiey had been l~te in seeing them and r.iiey _oo: sibl., c~ from the orther d:irection and proceedecl to 61fln{l ;-..round tne other tHo vessels. 0950 u. s. s. JOYC;~ finished picking up s urvivors ruia st... :rt.ed-00 a ssist covering u. s .. s. ffiTill'~:,;c~; when she mat.le cont ~t. ;,t this time both vessels were ot1 our port. liCJ!4 and rse Y1ere on 265 T at 15 knot s . U, s. S, JOYCE steamed across our bov1 reporting that she had contact at relative bearing 000 , relative, speed 15 knots and about. 400 y-drds -ahead of her. U. ~ . s. JOYCE' :i course "as JlO T. 0956 u. S,. S ,. G/.WDY changed course to 239 T to clear the gt>een llltll"ker of the pattern dropped bf u. s. s. JOYCE. 0956 Cau.e right 30 degrees to 2.69 'l' to open sliehtly on the su'b•s assumed cQQrse of 270 to 290 T1 sound searebing tbe area constantly with no re8Ults, even from the pat.tern of o. s. s. JOYCE. • 1000 Tbe sub's bow broke water at a n angl~ of about 30 ~oa<i on st.arboard b0Wf1 distance about bOO yards from lf. s. s. GFJIDY and 20C/ to 250 7ards west of the marker. The Commandine Officer Ge.Ve the order1 "Riftlt full ru'-der, oo me to 11 3201 open tire and stand by to ram. on the order to ram the sound head was hoisted, 1002 rammed · the sub about 25 or 30 feet from it 1 s ster.n. It is ~lievetl that t.lle ai'ter sect.ion was cut off. After striking, the rudder l4ae left at niet't .full'' to t hrotl propellors clear. Hunfire was continuerl ll9 this '\'e-S$el 6WUJle left along starbo:ird si de of the sub and further casual.ties- to sub personnel were observed. tit &>out this t:.ime t.he sub was -well on r;;JIDY' 3 quarter ano a voice was heard on one of the voice r adios shout:ing somethi ne in a germanic eccont. $upposing it en offer to surrender t be Conrnanding Officor Ql'dare4 ''Cease firing", '1hich, after a few seconds delay got t hrough to the l uns , iUmost iramediately the ::iub manned a machine e;un ba.tt~ry and CQIJlllenced firing. The G.\h-CY swung left to bring guns to be<-:r and after a very few bursts, fire on the sub cea.sed and they comnenced abnodontng ship. COUPID E NTI .',1 ----~------- ,:;.. .it. LiI ;JtY 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-.