List of all U-boats

U-546

Type

IXC/40

 
Ordered5 Jun 1941
Laid down6 Aug 1942 Deutsche Werft AG, Hamburg (werk 367)
Launched17 Mar 1943
Commissioned2 Jun 1943Oblt. Paul Just
Commanders
2 Jun 1943 - 24 Apr 1945  Kptlt. Paul Just (German Cross in Gold)
Career
3 patrols
2 Jun 1943-31 Dec 1943  4. Flottille (training)
1 Jan 1944-9 Nov 1944  10. Flottille (active service)
10 Nov 1944-24 Apr 1945  33. Flottille (active service)
Successes1 warship sunk, total tonnage 1,200 tons
Fate

Sunk on 24 April 1945 in the North Atlantic north-west of the Azores, in position 43.53N, 40.07W, by depth charges from the US destroyer escorts USS Flaherty, USS Neunzer, USS Chatelain, USS Varian, USS Hubbard, USS Janssen, USS Pillsbury and USS Keith. 26 dead and 33 survivors.

Loss position

See the 1 ships hit by U-546 - View the 3 war patrols

Wolfpack operations

U-546 operated with the following Wolfpacks during its career:
   Igel 1 (9 Feb 1944 - 17 Feb 1944)
   Hai 1 (17 Feb 1944 - 22 Feb 1944)
   Seewolf (14 Apr 1945 - 24 Apr 1945)

Attacks on this boat and other events

16 Feb 1944
A Sunderland flying boat attacked U-546 in mid Atlantic. Although one man died and there was some minor damage to the diesel engines, the boat reported it was able to continue the patrol. [Matrosengefreiter Wilhelm van de Kamp] (Sources: Blair, vol 2, page 500)

17 Apr 1944
Aircraft attack, aircraft shot down: British B-24 Liberator bomber BZ800 (RAF Sqdn 53/H, pilot F/L C. Roberts)

04.53 hrs, North of Finisterre, off the Bay of Biscay, inbound: after approaching using the Leigh Light, the Liberator dropped six depth charges, two to starboard and four to port of U-546 (which caused only minor damage) before the boat dived. The aircraft crashed into the sea 500m (547 yds) from U-546. All nine aircrew died.

(Sources: Franks/Zimmerman)

18 Jun 1944
Bay of Biscay, SW of Ushant, outbound: After using all the flak ammunition fending off an unidentified Allied aircraft, U-546 returned to Lorient, arriving 22 June and re-embarking 25 June. Date of attack is approximate. (Sources: Blair, vol 2, page 621)

20 Jul 1944
U-546 was detected by an American hunter-killer group west of Funchal on the 20th June after a chase that had started on the 13th. The boat fired a torpedo at the escort carrier but missed, and suffered three hours of depth charging from the escorts before escaping. (Sources: Blair, vol 2, page 621)

4 recorded attacks on this boat.

Men lost from the boat

16 Feb 1944
A Sunderland flying boat attacked U-546 in mid Atlantic. Although one man died and there was some minor damage to the diesel engines, the boat reported it was able to continue the patrol. [Matrosengefreiter Wilhelm van de Kamp]

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

U-boat Emblems

We have 2 emblem entries for this boat. See the emblem page for this boat or view emblems individually below.


The Olympic Rings - Crew 36

Aircraft

Media links


U-Boat Attack Logs

Daniel Morgan and Bruce Taylor


amazon.co.uk
(£ 38.25)


U-Boat Operations of the Second World War - Vol 2

Wynn, Kenneth


Hitler's U-boat War, Vol II

Blair, Clay


German U-Boat Losses During World War II

Niestle, Axel




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