German submarine U-56 (1938)

German submarine U-56 was a Type IIC U-boat of the Nazi German Kriegsmarine that served in the Second World War. She was built by Deutsche Werke AG, Kiel as 'werk' 255. Ordered on 17 June 1937, she was laid down on 21 September, launched on 3 September 1938 and commissioned on 26 November under the command of Kapitänleutnant Wilhelm Zahn.

U-56 was initially assigned to the 5th U-boat Flotilla during her training period, until 31 December 1939, when she was re-assigned to the 1st U-boat Flotilla for operations. She carried out twelve war patrols, sinking three ships for a total 8,860 GRT and one auxiliary warship of 16,923 GRT; she also damaged one vessel of 3,829 GRT.

1st, 2nd and 3rd patrols
U-58's first three patrols, completed during her workup and training period, were relatively uneventful cruises in the North Sea. No ships were attacked during this period; even though on her third sortie, she circumnavigated the Shetland Islands.

4th patrol
The submarine's luck changed for the better on her fourth foray. She damaged the Eskdene on 2 December 1939, 70 mi northeast of the Tyne. The following day, she sank the Rudolf 40 mi east of May Island (in the mouth of the Firth of Forth).

5th, 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th patrols
The fifth patrol was also uneventful and took the boat into the southern North Sea.

Patrol numbers six and seven were both more of the same.

The boat's eighth sortie ranged far and wide; across the North Sea to the Scottish west coast, north of Shetland, then the other side of the North Sea to the coast of Norway, but further success continued to elude her.

Her ninth effort was to the north of the Hebrides and again round the Shetland Islands.

10th patrol
U-56's tenth patrol took her to the newly captured port of Lorient on the French Atlantic coast. She departed Wilhelmshaven on 29 June 1940; her route was to the west of Ireland, culminating in her arrival on 21 July.

11th patrol
She was near Ireland once more when she sank the Boma on 5 August 1940 northwest of Malin Head.

In a similar location, she sank the armed merchant cruiser HMS Transylvania 40 mi northwest of Malin Head on 10 August.

12th patrol
U-56 was attacked by the British submarine HMS Tribune about 15 nautical miles northeast of St Kilda on 6 September. All the torpedoes missed; the Germans were unaware of the situation. The boat was on her way, via the 'gap' between the Faroe and Shetland Islands, back to Germany. She arrived in Kiel on the 15th.