German submarine U-418

German submarine U-418 was a Type VIIC U-boat of the Nazi German Kriegsmarine during World War II.

She carried out one patrol. She was a member of three wolfpacks. She did not sink or damage any ships.

She was sunk by a British aircraft in the Bay of Biscay in June 1943.

Service history
The submarine was laid down on 21 October 1941 at the Danziger Werft (yard) at Danzig (now Gdansk), as 'werk' 119, launched on 11 July 1942 and commissioned on 21 October under the command of Oberleutnant Gerhard Lange.

She served with the 8th U-boat Flotilla from 21 October 1942 and the 1st flotilla from 1 May 1943.

Patrol and loss
U-418 left Kiel on 24 April 1943 and headed for the Atlantic Ocean via the 'gap' between Iceland and the Faroe Islands. The boat was attacked, (but it was not reported), by a British Catalina flying boat of No. 210 Squadron RAF on 30 May. One man was killed, two others were wounded. The aircraft sank on its return to Pembroke Dock, but was later salvaged.

U-418 was sunk on 1 June 1943 by rockets from a British Bristol Beaufighter of 236 Squadron in the western Bay of Biscay.