U-46
Type | VIIB | |||||||||||||||||||
| Ordered | 21 Nov 1936 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Laid down | 24 Feb 1937 | F. Krupp Germaniawerft AG, Kiel (werk 581) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Launched | 10 Sep 1938 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Commissioned | 2 Nov 1938 | Kptlt. Herbert Sohler | ||||||||||||||||||
| Commanders |
| |||||||||||||||||||
| Career | 13 patrols | 2 Nov 1938 - 31 Aug 1939 7. Flottille (front boat) 1 Sep 1939 - 31 Dec 1939 7. Flottille (front boat) 1 Jan 1940 - 1 Sep 1941 7. Flottille (front boat) 2 Sep 1941 - 31 Mar 1942 26. Flottille (training) 1 Apr 1942 - 1 Jul 1942 24. Flottille (training) 1 Sep 1942 - 1 Oct 1943 24. Flottille (training) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Successes | 20 ships sunk for a total of 85,792 GRT 2 auxiliary warships sunk for a total of 35,284 GRT 4 ships damaged for a total of 25,491 GRT 1 ship a total loss for a total of 2,080 GRT | |||||||||||||||||||
| Fate | Stricken at Neustadt in October 1943. Scuttled on 4 May 1945 in Kupfermühlen Bay, in position 54.50N, 09.29E. | |||||||||||||||||||
See the 27 ships hit by U-46 - View the 13 war patrols
Wolfpack operations
U-46 operated with the following Wolfpacks during its career:
Rösing (12 Jun 1940 - 15 Jun 1940)
Without name (13 Aug 1940 - 16 Aug 1940)
Without name (17 Oct 1940 - 19 Oct 1940)
Without name (19 Oct 1940 - 20 Oct 1940)
Attacks on this boat
13 Apr 1940
During the battle around Narvik, Norway the boat was depth charged and severely damaged by British destroyers supporting HMS Warspite. (Sources: Blair, vol 1, page 152)
3 Aug 1940
The British submarine HMS Triad (Lt. Cm George Salt) was returning from patrol off Fedjeosen, to the north of Bergen, she spotted U-46 (Endrass) as she was sailing for patrol. Not being able to find a firing position, Triad surfaced and attacked U-46 with her 102mm gun at 2230 hours. Endrass decided not to engage and dived. Triad also dived and tried to hunt the U-boat, but both boats lost contact. HMS Triad was lost in action only 6 weeks later.
25 Oct 1940
3 Hudson aircraft from the 228th RAF Squadron attacked U-46 and one man was fatally wounded and died the next day. [Matrosengefreiter Plaep]
8 Jun 1941
The torpedoed British tanker Ensis rammed its attacker, the U-46, and damaged its tower and periscope. The damages forced the boat to abort the patrol. (Sources: Blair, vol 1, page 306)
4 recorded attacks on this boat.
General notes on this boat
3 Apr 1941. On 3 April, 1941 U-46 had to return to base due to serious problems with the flaps of the torpedo tubes.
Men lost from the boat
27 Sep 1940
The boat lost two men during an unintentional dive.[Oberbootsmaat Heinrich Schenk, Matrosenobergefreiter Wilhelm Reh]
25 Oct 1940
3 Hudson aircraft from the 228th RAF Squadron attacked U-46 and one man was fatally wounded and died the next day. [Matrosengefreiter Plaep]
27 Mar 1941
The boat lost a man, Oberleutnant zur See Helmut Pöttgen, overboard.
Related: For more info on such losses see - Men lost from U-boats -
 | We have an emblem for this boat! You can view it here. (The emblem on the left is not the emblem for this boat). |
Buy this title at amazon.com See more sellers |
Books dealing with this subject include:
|
There was another U-46 in World War One
That boat was launched from its shipyard on 18 May 1915 and commissioned into the Imperial Navy on 17 Dec 1915. The Naval war in WWI was brought to an end with the Armistice signed on 11 Nov, 1918. Read about the U 46 during WWI.