Type: IX-D2
Built by: AG Weser (Bremen)
Launched: 15 June 1942
Commissioned: 3 November 1942
Feldpost Nr.: M49158
Sunk: 12 August 1944
Sunk by: HMS FINDHORN (Fr) HMS GODARVARI (Sl) and RAF A/C from 832 and 851 Squadrons
Location sunk: North of the Seychelles
Position sunk: 03º 35’S x 52º 49’E (all hands lost, 66 men)

The first Skipper of U-198 was FKPT Werner Hartmann (Knights Cross and Oak Leaf) from 3 November 1942 to January 1944; he also commanded U-26 & U-37. The second and last Skipper was Oberleutnant z.S. Burkhard Heusinger von Waldegg who was killed when U-198 was lost. He had no prior commands.

U-198 was attached to the 12th U-Bootflottille based at Bordeaux with the other larger boats.

U-198 had patrols in the Indian Ocean off Capetown and Madagascar for 200 days through May to August 1943. When they sank the steamers SS WILLIAM KING and SS LEANA, they took the respective Skippers prisoner.

04.17.03	NORTHMOOR	Brit stmr	4,392 GRT
04.17.43	unknown	?????	6,000 GRT (no confirmation)
04.29.43	HOPETARN	Brit mtrshp	5,231 GRT
06.05.43	DUMRA	Brit stmr	2,304 GRT
06.06.43	WILLIAM KING	Amer stmr	7,176 GRT

This was a fairly new ship, built in 1942. She drew 16 feet 6 inches under her cargo of 18,000 barrels of fuel oil and was making 10 knots when attacked. She was owned by WSA and operated by Maritime Transport Lines. Her armament consisted of one five-inch deck gun and nine 20mm automatic guns. Her Master was Owen Harvey Reed.

This ship departed Bahrain on 14 May bound for Durban, South Africa steering a zigzag course. The first torpedo hit portside at the #3 hatch while the second torpedo missed astern. The explosion opened a huge hole in the side of the ship, destroyed two lifeboats, exploded the portside boiler, stopped the engines and fire broke out in the engine room and in the #3 hold and elsewhere in the ship.

The ship’s compliment of eight officers, thirty-four men and Twenty-three Armed Guards were able to get off the sinking ship in two lifeboats and two rafts. After the men were clear of the ship, Hartmann put one more torpedo into her to speed her down.

As the ship went under, U-198 came alongside the lifeboats and her Master, Captain Reed, was taken as a prisoner. U-198 submerged and departed the area.

The two rafts were lashed together but the #3 boat with the Second Officer drifted away in the night. Some thirty-six hours later, the trawler NORTHERN CHIEF found and rescued the men on the two rafts and later on, the men in the #3 lifeboat. The destroyer HMS RELENTLESS found the #1 boat six days after the sinking and took those men aboard.

Two officers and four crewmen died in the action and the three men on watch below were killed outright. The other survivors were landed at Durban.

07.06.43	HYDRAIOS	Grk stmr	4,476 GRT
07.07.43	LEANA	Brit stmr	4,742 GRT
08.01.43	MANGKALIBAT	Norw stmr	8,457 GRT
SHIPS SUNK BY U-198 under HEUSINGER
06.16.44	COLUMBINE	SAfr stmr	3,268 GRT
07.15.44	DIRECTOR	Brit stmr	5,107 GRT
07.18.44	unknown	?????	large (unconfirmed)
08.06.44	EMPIRE CITY	Brit mtrshp	7,295 GRT
08.07.44	EMPIRE DAY	Brit mtrshp	7,242 GRT