Type | VIIC | |||||||||
| Ordered | 16 Oct 1939 | |||||||||
| Laid down | 26 Apr 1941 | Howaldtswerke AG, Kiel (werk 12) | ||||||||
| Launched | 14 Jan 1942 | |||||||||
| Commissioned | 25 Feb 1942 | Oblt. Wilhelm-Heinrich Graf von Pückler und Limburg | ||||||||
| Commanders |
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| Career 3 patrols |
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| Successes | No ships sunk or damaged | |||||||||
| Fate | Listed as missing south of Greenland on 21 May, 1943. There is no explanation for its loss. 47 dead (all hands lost). (FDS/NHB, June 1992). | |||||||||
U-381 reported for the last time on 9 May from approximate position 51.30N, 36.00W.
Previously recorded fate
- Sunk 19 May, 1943 in the North Atlantic southeast of Cape Farewell, Greenland,
in position 54.41N, 34.45W, by depth charges from the British destroyer HMS Duncan and the British corvette HMS Snowflake. (Postwar assessment)
Notes. This attack was actually aimed against U-304 and U-636 inflicting minor damage.
Wolfpack operations
U-381 operated with the following Wolfpacks during its career:
Panther (11 Oct 1942 - 20 Oct 1942)
Veilchen (20 Oct 1942 - 5 Nov 1942)
Delphin (26 Dec 1942 - 14 Feb 1943)
Adler (11 Apr 1943 - 13 Apr 1943)
Meise (13 Apr 1943 - 27 Apr 1943)
Star (27 Apr 1943 - 4 May 1943)
Fink (4 May 1943 - 6 May 1943)
Inn (11 May 1943 - 15 May 1943)
Donau 1 (15 May 1943 - 21 May 1943)
Attacks on this boat
14 Feb 1943
The attack by the British Catalina aircraft (RAF 202/J) on 14 Feb, 1943 in position 39.27N, 11.34W, formerly credited with the loss U-620 was instead against the U-381 causing no damage to that boat. (Sources: 1988-09-01, FDS/NHB)
1 recorded attack on this boat.
Men lost from U-boats
Unlike many other U-boats, which during their service lost men due to accidents and various other causes, U-381 did not suffer any casualties (we know of) until the time of her loss.
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