U-508

The Type IXC boat U-508 left Lorient for a third war cruise on 22 February 1943, under the command of Kapitanleutnant Georg Staats. Four days later it was attacked in mid-Atlantic by Liberator G.R.Mk.II (AL507) of No.224 Sqd, flown by Squadron Leader Peter J. Cundy, from Beaulieu, Hampshire, as shown here. Four depth charges were dropped, but the crew of the Liberator could see no results and continued their patrol. Unknown to them, the U-boat was forced to return to Lorient for repair. It was eventually sunk on 12 December 1943 in the Bay of Biscay by a U.S. Navy Liberator of Patrol Squadron VP-103, flown by Lieutenant Ralph B. Brownell. In turn the Liberator was shot down and all crew members were killed. There were no survivors from the fifty-seven crew members of the U-boat. Ref: AIR 15/470