German submarine U-598

German submarine U-598 was a Type VIIC U-boat of the Nazi German Kriegsmarine during World War II.

She carried out four patrols, was a member of four wolfpacks and sank two ships; she also damaged one other.

The boat was sunk by depth charges from two US aircraft, off the Brazilian coast in July 1943.

Service history
The submarine was laid down on 11 January 1941 at Blohm & Voss, Hamburg as 'werk' 574, launched on 2 October 1941 and commissioned on 27 November under the command of Korvettenkapitän Gottfried Holtorf.

She served with the 8th U-boat Flotilla from 27 November 1941 for training and the 6th flotilla for operations from 1 July 1942 until her loss.

1st patrol
U-598's first patrol began from Kiel on 7 July 1942. She headed for the Atlantic Ocean via the 'gap' separating Iceland and the Faroe Islands. One man drowned while carrying out maintenance on hydroplanes and propellers in mid-Atlantic on 5 August.

She damaged the Standella, sank the Michael Jebsen and the Empire Corporal, all on 14 August northwest of Barlovento Point, Cuba. The Empire Corporal had, as the SS British Corporal, been damaged by a torpedo and bombs in the English Channel in 1940. She had been repaired and returned to service in 1942.

The boat arrived at St. Nazaire, in occupied France on the 13 September.

2nd and 3rd patrols
U-598's second sortie was to the south of Greenland; it was relatively uneventful.

Her third foray also started and finished in St. Nazaire between March and May 1943.

4th patrol and loss
The boat departed St. Nazaire for the last time on 26 June 1943. On 23 July she was sunk by depth charges dropped by two US Liberators near Natal (on the Brazilian coast).

Forty-three men died with U-598; there were two survivors.