The Type VIIC boat U-621 left Brest for the Azores area on 22 April 1943, under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Max Kruschka. On 31 May 1943, when returning from a cruise in which it had sunk another merchant vessel, it was attacked in the Bay of Biscay by a Liberator of No.224 Sqd, flown by Pilot Officer Robert V. Sweeney, an American in the RAF, from St. Eval, Cornwall. Two attacks were made, dropping six depth charges on each occasion. This photograph was taken immediately after the release of one of these sticks. The U-boat was damaged but managed to reach Brest five day later. U-621 was repaired and carried out another war cruise, in the Bay of Biscay. It left Brest for a sixth war cruise on 6 January 1944, still under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Max Kruschka, but on 13 January was attacked by Liberator G.R.Mk.V (FL990) flown by Flying Officer Wes G. Loney (RAAF), from Ballykelly, Northern Ireland. Ordinary Seaman Thomas was killed and six others wounded by depth charges and strafing attacks. Kruschka decided to return to Brest, arriving on 23 January. The U-boat made another war cruise under him. Command was then taken over by Oberleutnant zur See Hermann Stockmann, who sank an American tank landing ship and a British infantry landing craft, as well as damaging a merchant vessel, after the initial D-Day landings . U-621 finally met its end on 18 August 1944, when sailing from Brest to La Pallice, from depth charges fired from the destroyers HMCS Ottowa, Kootenay and Chaudiere. There were no survivors from the crew of fifty-six. Ref: ADM 199/1418