U-Boat losses mount

30th July 1943: Five U-Boats are sunk by the Allies in one day, including U-461 sunk by Sunderland aircraft "U"/461

U.S. Navy Grumman TBF-1 Avenger bombers during torpedo practice, circa 1942-43.

In May 1943 Admiral Donitz had responded to rising U-Boat losses by withdrawing routine U-Boats patrols from the North Atlantic. But U-Boats were still being sent to sea for patrols in the Mediterranean, the Caribbean and the South Atlantic. They faced ever more vigilant Allied U-boat hunters in the air and at sea, armed with new weapons. The 30th July 1943 just serves to illustrate that they were being hunted down everywhere.

USS Santee (ACV-29) Douglas SBD-3 Dauntless scout-bombers and Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat fighters on the ship’s flight deck during Operation Torch, November 1942 . Grumman Avenger aircraft from Santee sank the veteran U-Boat U-43 with the new homing FIDO torpedo on the 30th July - all 55 crew were lost

The new 84-inch long US Torpedo Mk 24 (nicknamed "Fido" in service), in the bomb bay of a TBM "Avenger". A pair of depth bombs are installed behind the "Fido". The Mk 24 was the Navy's first anti-submarine homing torpedo.