U-548

Type

IXC/40

Ordered

5 Jun, 1941

Laid down

4 Sep, 1942

Deutsche Werft AG, Hamburg (werk 369)

Launched

14 Apr, 1943

Commissioned

30 Jun, 1943

Oblt. Eberhard Zimmermann

Commanders

30 Jun, 1943 - 8 Feb, 1945	Kptlt. Eberhard Zimmermann
Aug, 1944 - Nov, 1944	Kptlt. Günther Pfeffer
9 Feb, 1945 - 19 Apr, 1945	Oblt. Erich Krempl

Career

4 patrols

30 Jun, 1943 - 31 Mar, 1944  4. Flottille (training)
1 Apr, 1944 - 30 Sep, 1944  2. Flottille (front boat)
1 Oct, 1944 - 19 Apr, 1945  33. Flottille (front boat)

Successes

1 warship sunk for a total of 1.445 tons

Fate

Sunk on 19 April, 1945 in the North Atlantic south-east of Halifax, in position 42.19N, 61.45W by depth charges from the American destroyer escorts USS Reuben James and USS Buckley. 58 dead (all hands lost).

See the 1 ships hit by U-548 - View the 4 war patrols

Previously recorded fate (Last revised by Axel Niestlé during January 1990). More on revised fates

Sunk 30 April, 1945 east of Cape Hatteras, USA, in position 36.34N, 74.00W, by depth charges from the US patrol frigate USS Natchez and the destroyer escorts Coffman, Bostwick and Thomas.

This attack probably resulted in the loss U-879.

Attacks on this boat

3 May, 1944
A strange incident in which a Liberator aircraft illuminated HMS Hargood (K 582) at night while hunting for a German U-boat east of Conception Bay, Newfoundland. U-548, sensing they were the intended target fired at the aircraft which wrongly assumed the destroyer escort had done so and aborted the attack. The U-boat went unnoticed by the Allies. (Sources: Blair, vol 2, page 562)

6 May, 1944
After having sunk the Canadian frigate Valleyfield other Allied escorts (after finally figuring out what happened) turn to hunt for the boat but again she escapes. (Sources: Blair, vol 2, page 562)

2 recorded attacks on this boat.

Schnorchel-fitted U-boat
This boat was fitted with a Schnorchel underwater-breathing apparatus and sailed equipped with it in August 1944 but it was of course installed prior to that date. Read more about the Schnorchel and see list of fitted boats.