German submarine U-55 (1939)

German submarine U-55 was a Type VIIB U-boat of the Nazi German Kriegsmarine during World War II. She was ordered on 16 July 1937 and laid down on 2 November 1938 at Krupp Germaniawerft in Kiel as Werk 590. Launched on 19 October 1939, she went into service on 21 November 1939 under the command of Kapitänleutnant (Kptlt.) Werner Heidel.

Wartime activity
U-55 began her first and only war patrol on 16 January 1940, under Heidel's command; he had previously sunk two ships in GS U-7 (1935). She sank four small freighters sailing independently, then attacked convoy OA-80G on 29 January. U-55 sank two more ships before coming under concerted attack from the convoy's escorts, supported by a Sunderland flying boat from RAF Coastal Command. After a sustained depth charge attack, the U-boat surfaced and carried out a running gun battle before her deck gun jammed. Heidel ordered the boat to be abandoned, then apparently went down with it. The remainder of the crew was rescued by the escorts. The British awarded official credit for sinking U-55 to the sloop HMS Fowey (L15), the destroyer HMS Whitshed (D77) and the Sunderland.