U-481

Type

VIIC

Ordered

5 Jun 1941

Laid down

6 Feb 1943

Deutsche Werke AG, Kiel (werk 316)

Launched

25 Sep 1943

Commissioned

10 Nov 1943

Oblt. Ewald Pick

Commanders

10 Nov 1943	-	29 Feb 1944	Oblt. (R) Ewald Pick
1 Mar 1944	-	9 May 1945	Kptlt. Klaus Andersen
28 Dec 1944	-	28 Dec 1944	Oblt. Gustav Bischoff (in deputize) -- acting

Career
5 patrols

10 Nov 1943	-	31 Jul 1944	5. Flottille (training)
1 Aug 1944	-	8 May 1945	8. Flottille (active service)

Successes

4 ships sunk, total tonnage 1,165 GRT
3 warships sunk, total tonnage 160 tons
1 warship damaged, total tonnage 26 tons

Fate

Surrendered on 9 May 1945 at Narvik, Norway (Waller & Niestlé, 2010).

Transferred to Loch Eriboll, Scotland, on 19 May 1945 and later to Lisahally and Loch Ryan.

Operation Deadlight (post-war Allied operation, info)
Sunk on 30 November 1945 at 56.11N x 10.00W by unknown causes.

Final location

See the 8 ships hit by U-481 - View the 5 war patrols

The U-boats that were in the Narvik area at the end of the war were all moved to the Skjomenfjord upon Allied orders to avoid conflicts with the Norwegians on 12 May. On 15 May, a German convoy of five ships (the fleet tender Grille with the staff of FdU Norwegen aboard, the fleet oiler Kärnten, the repair ship Kamerun and the depot ships Huascaran and Stella Polaris) and 15 U-boats (U-278, U-294, U-295, U-312, U-313, U-318, U-363, U-427, U-481, U-668, U-716, U-968, U-992, U-997 and U-1165) left for transfer to Trondheim, but was intercepted after two days by the 9th Escort Group off the Norwegian coast and officially capitulated. While the ships were allowed to proceed to Trondheim, the U-boats were escorted to Loch Eriboll, Scotland, arriving on 19 May. All U-boats were later that month transferred to Lisahally or Loch Ryan for Operation Deadlight.

Wolfpack operations

U-481 operated with the following Wolfpacks during its career:
Faust (16 Apr 1945 - 25 Apr 1945)

Attacks on this boat and other events

30 Jul 1944
Aircraft attack, aircraft shot down:Soviet Il-2 (Sqdn )

Narva Bay, Baltic: two Ilushin Il-2 Sturmoviks (35. ShAP) attacked. One was hit by flak and later ditched.

1 recorded attack on this boat.

Schnorchel-fitted U-boat

This boat was fitted with a Schnorchel underwater-breathing apparatus in February 1945.

Read more about the Schnorchel and see list of fitted boats.

Men lost from the boat

12 Dec 1944
U-481 met the homebound U-958 (Groth) in the Gulf of Finland to transfer a midshipman and to take over spare parts. However, the rubber dinghy with four crew members capsized after bringing Fähnrich Jähners to U-958 which managed to rescue Matrosenobergefreiter Toni Setzwein, but the other three men drowned. [Oberbootsmaat Johannes Lenz, Matrosenobergefreiter Josef Fallert, Matrosenobergefreiter Felix Pulkner]

Related: For more info on such losses see - Men lost from U-boats -