German submarine U-955

German submarine U-955 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

She was ordered on 10 April 1941, and was laid down on 23 February 1942 at Blohm & Voss, Hamburg, as yard number 155. She was launched on 14 November 1942 and commissioned under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Hans-Heinrich Baden on 31 December 1942.

Design
German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-955 had a displacement of 769 t when at the surface and 871 t while submerged. She had a total length of 67.10 m, a pressure hull length of 50.50 m, a beam of 6.20 m, a height of 9.60 m, and a draught of 4.74 m. The submarine was powered by two Germaniawerft F46 four-stroke, six-cylinder supercharged diesel engines producing a total of 2800 to 3200 PS for use while surfaced, two Garbe, Lahmeyer & Co. RP 137/c double-acting electric motors producing a total of 750 PS for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 1.23 m propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to 230 m.

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 17.7 kn and a maximum submerged speed of 7.6 kn. When submerged, the boat could operate for 80 nmi at 4 kn; when surfaced, she could travel 8500 nmi at 10 kn. U-955 was fitted with five 53.3 cm torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and one at the stern), fourteen torpedoes or 26 TMA mines, one 8.8 cm SK C/35 naval gun, 220 rounds, and an anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of between 44 — 52 men.

Service history
On 30 April 1944, U-955 landed Ernst Fresenius, Sigurður Juliusson and Hjalti Björnsson, espionage agents, on Icland.

U-955 was located by radar on 5 May 1944, from a British B-24 Liberator, FK226, of 86 Squadron/G RAF piloted by W/O M.G. Moseley and spotted in the moonlight. After several attempts to get the Liberator into a favorable upmoon attack run contact with U-955 was lost. She had apparently made a crash dive after firing at B-24, which she later claimed at shooting down, even though the B-24 was not hit in the encounter.

On 7 June 1944, U-955 was sunk by depth charges, north of Cape Ortegal, Spain in the Bay of Biscay, from a British Sunderland of 201 Squadron/S RAF. Her crew of 50 were all lost.

The wreck is located at 45.21667°N, -8.5°W.