U-546

Type

IXC/40

Ordered

5 Jun, 1941

Laid down

6 Aug, 1942

Deutsche Werft AG, Hamburg (werk 367)

Launched

17 Mar, 1943

Commissioned

2 Jun, 1943

Oblt. Paul Just

Commanders

2 Jun, 1943 - 24 Apr, 1945

Kptlt. Paul Just

Career

3 patrols

2 Jun, 1943 - 31 Dec, 1943  4. Flottille (training)
1 Jan, 1944 - 9 Nov, 1944  10. Flottille (front boat)
10 Nov, 1944 - 24 Apr, 1945  33. Flottille (front boat)

Successes

1 warship sunk for a total of 1.200 tons

Fate

Sunk 24 April, 1945 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.

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

Attacks on this boat

16 Feb, 1944
A Sunderland aircraft attacked the boat in the North Atlantic and one man died. The suffered some disel engine damages but reported it was able to continue its patrol. [Matrosengefreiter Wilhelm van de Kamp] (Sources: Blair, vol 2, page 500)

17 Apr, 1944
Aircraft attack, aircraft shot down:British B-24 Liberator (Sqdn 53/H). The battle was in the Bay of Biscay.

18 Jun, 1944
When outbound in the Bay of Biscay the boat was attacked by an unknown Allied aircraft and used all its Flak ammo in fending it off. The boat then returned to France on June 22 - re-sailing on June 25. The date of attack is approximate. (Sources: Blair, vol 2, page 621)

20 Jul, 1944
The boat had been hunted by an American hunter-killer group since June 13 and finally detected on the 20th. The boat fired a torpedo on the escort carrier but missed and suffered 3 hours of depth charge attacks from the escorts. She still managed to escape this trap. (Sources: Blair, vol 2, page 621)

4 recorded attacks on this boat.