List of all U-boats

U-481

Type

VIIC

 
Ordered5 Jun 1941
Laid down6 Feb 1943 Deutsche Werke AG, Kiel (werk 316)
Launched25 Sep 1943
Commissioned10 Nov 1943Oblt. 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)
Successes4 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 -

U-boat Emblems

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


Anvil, Hammer and Metal being worked

Stalin and Hammer

Media links


U-Boat Attack Logs

Daniel Morgan and Bruce Taylor


amazon.co.uk
(£ 38.25)


The Grey Wolves of Eriboll

David M. Hird


The Royal Navy and German Naval Disarmament, 1942-1947

Madsen, Chris


amazon.com
($ 58.77)


U-Boat Operations of the Second World War - Vol 1

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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