Type | IXC/40 | |||||||||
| Ordered | 5 Jun 1941 | |||||||||
| Laid down | 12 Jun 1942 | Deutsche Werft AG, Hamburg (werk 363) | ||||||||
| Launched | 19 Jan 1943 | |||||||||
| Commissioned | 7 Apr 1943 | Oblt. Christian-Brandt Coester | ||||||||
| Commanders |
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| Career 1 patrol |
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| Successes | No ships sunk or damaged | |||||||||
| Fate | Sunk 28 Nov, 1943 north of Madeira, Portugal, in position 39.03N, 16.25W, by depth charges from a British Wellington aircraft with "Leigh light" (Sqdn. 179/H). 56 dead (all hands lost). (Axel Niestlé, September 1990). | |||||||||
Previously recorded fate
- Sunk by the British Wellington (RAF 179/L) on 28 Nov, 1943 in position 39.04N, 16.25W. (Postwar assessment)
Notes. This attack instead caused minor damages to the U-391.
Wolfpack operations
U-542 operated with the following Wolfpacks during its career:
Eisenhart 1 (9 Nov 1943 - 15 Nov 1943)
Schill 3 (18 Nov 1943 - 22 Nov 1943)
Weddigen (22 Nov 1943 - 28 Nov 1943)
Men lost from U-boats
Unlike many other U-boats, which during their service lost men due to accidents and various other causes, U-542 did not suffer any casualties (we know of) until the time of her loss.
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