U-731
Type | VIIC | |||||||||
| Ordered | 21 Nov 1940 | |||||||||
| Laid down | 1 Oct 1941 | F Schichau GmbH, Danzig (werk 1522) | ||||||||
| Launched | 25 Jul 1942 | |||||||||
| Commissioned | 3 Oct 1942 | Oblt. Werner Techand | ||||||||
| Commanders |
| |||||||||
| Career 4 patrols |
| |||||||||
| Successes | No ships sunk or damaged | |||||||||
| Fate | Sunk 15 May, 1944 in the mid-Atlantic near Tangier, in position 35.54N, 05.45W, by depth charges from the British patrol vessel HMS Kilmarnock and the British anti-submarine trawler HMS Blackfly and 2 US Catalina aircraft (VP-63/P-12/P-1). 54 dead (all hands lost). | |||||||||
Wolfpack operations
U-731 operated with the following Wolfpacks during its career:
Iller (12 May 1943 - 15 May 1943)
Donau 1 (15 May 1943 - 26 May 1943)
Leuthen (15 Sep 1943 - 24 Sep 1943)
Rossbach (24 Sep 1943 - 9 Oct 1943)
Rügen 7 (28 Dec 1943 - 2 Jan 1944)
Rügen 6 (2 Jan 1944 - 7 Jan 1944)
Rügen (7 Jan 1944 - 26 Jan 1944)
Stürmer (26 Jan 1944 - 3 Feb 1944)
Igel 2 (3 Feb 1944 - 16 Feb 1944)
Attacks on this boat
19 May 1943
The depth chage attack on 19 May, 1943 southeast of Cape Farewell, Greenland, in position 55.09N, 35.18W from a British B-24 Liberator aircraft (Sqdn. 120/T) formerly credited with sinking U-954 was in fact against U-731 inflicting no damages. (Sources: 1991-10-01, FDS/NHB)
4 Oct 1943
A Hudson aircraft (Sqdn 269/S) attacked U-731 on 4 Oct. The commander and 5 more men were wounded and the boat was damaged. The boat did not have to abort its patrol.
12 Oct 1943
The boat was attacked by three Avenger aircraft from the US carrier USS Card. U-731 had undergone an attack by aircraft one week previously in which six men, including the commander, were wounded and the boat was damaged.
3 recorded attacks on this boat.
Men lost from the boat
4 Oct 1943
A Hudson aircraft (Sqdn 269/S) attacked U-731 on 4 Oct. The commander and 5 more men were wounded and the boat was damaged. The boat did not have to abort its patrol.
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:
|
