German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-759 had a displacement of 769t when at the surface and 871t while submerged. She had a total length of 67.1m (220.1feet), a pressure hull length of 50.5m (165.7feet), a beam of 6.2m (20.3feet), a height of 9.6m (31.5feet), and a draught of 4.74m (15.55feet). The submarine was powered by two Germaniawerft F46 four-stroke, six-cylinder supercharged diesel engines producing a total of NaNPS for use while surfaced, two Garbe, Lahmeyer & Co. RP 137/c double-acting electric motors producing a total of 750PS for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 1.23abbr=onNaNabbr=on propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to .
The submarine had a maximum surface speed of and a maximum submerged speed of . When submerged, the boat could operate for at ; when surfaced, she could travel at . U-759 was fitted with five 53.30NaN0 torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and one at the stern), fourteen torpedoes, one 8.82NaN2 SK C/35 naval gun, 220 rounds, and two twin 2sp=usNaNsp=us C/30 anti-aircraft guns. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.
After training with 5th U-boat Flotilla at Kiel, Germany, on 1 February 1943 U-759 was transferred to 9th U-boat Flotilla, based in Brest, France, for front-line service. She sailed on two combat patrols and sank two ships totalling . U-759 was sunk east of Jamaica on 15 July 1943 by depth charges from a US Navy Mariner patrol bomber. All hands were lost.
U-759 first sailed from Kiel on 2 February 1943, and out into the Atlantic, south of Greenland. She had no successes, and arrived at Lorient, France on 14 March after 41 days.[1]
U-759 left Lorient on 7 June 1943 and sailed across the Atlantic to the Caribbean Sea.[2] There on 5 July, about 70nmi west of Port-Salut, Haiti, she torpedoed the 3,513 GRT American merchant ship Maltran, part of Convoy GTMO-134. The ship sank in 15 minutes, but all 47 aboard escaped in lifeboats, and were picked up by .[3]
Two days later, on 7 July, the U-boat torpedoed and sank the 9,251 GRT Dutch cargo ship Poelau Roebiah, in convoy TAG-70, east of Jamaica. All but two of the 68 crew, along with 24 armed guards and 31 US passengers abandoned ship in four lifeboats and were later rescued.[4] After sinking the Dutch ship the U-boat was pursued and attacked by the United States destroyer, but escaped. The next day, 8 July, U-759 was spotted and attacked by a United States Navy scout aircraft. Allied surface ships attacked for seven hours, but the U-boat evaded them and escaped unharmed.
U-759 was sunk on 15 July 1943 by depth charges from a US Navy Mariner aircraft from Squadron VP-32 in the Caribbean, in approximate position 15.9667°N -117°W. All 47 crew were lost.
U-759 took part in one wolfpack, namely:
| Date | Ship Name | Nationality | Tonnage (GRT) | Fate[5] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 July 1943 | Maltran |  United States | 3,513 | Sunk | |
| 7 July 1943 | Poelau Roebiah |  Netherlands | 9,251 | Sunk |