U-91
Type | VIIC | |||||
| Ordered | 25 Jan 1939 | |||||
| Laid down | 12 Nov 1940 | Flender Werke AG, Lübeck (werk 295) | ||||
| Launched | 30 Nov 1941 | |||||
| Commissioned | 28 Jan 1942 | Kptlt. Heinz Walkerling | ||||
| Commanders |
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| Career | 6 patrols | 28 Jan 1942 - 31 Aug 1942 5. Flottille (training) 1 Sep 1942 - 26 Feb 1944 9. Flottille (front boat) | ||||
| Successes | 4 ships sunk for a total of 26,194 GRT 1 warship sunk for a total of 1,375 tons | |||||
| Fate | Sunk 26 Feb, 1944 in Northern Atlantic, in position 49.45N, 26.20W by depth charges from the British frigates HMS Affleck, HMS Gore and HMS Gould. 36 dead and 16 survivors. | |||||
See the 5 ships hit by U-91 - View the 6 war patrols
Wolfpack operations
U-91 operated with the following Wolfpacks during its career:
Vorwärts (27 Aug 1942 - 26 Sep 1942)
Westwall (25 Nov 1942 - 25 Dec 1942)
Knappen (18 Feb 1943 - 26 Feb 1943)
Raubgraf (7 Mar 1943 - 20 Mar 1943)
Seeteufel (22 Mar 1943 - 28 Mar 1943)
Attacks on this boat
1 Sep 1942
An attack on 1 Sept, 1942 in the North Atlantic, in position 58.08N, 27.33W, by American Catalina aircraft (Sqdn. VP-73) was credited with sinking the U-756.
This attack was in fact against the U-91 inflicting minor damages.
(Sources: 1987-09-01, FDS/NHB)12 Sep 1942
An escort from ON 127 fired at the boat, causing minor damages. (Sources: Blair, vol 2, page 31.)
21 Feb 1943
While attacking a convoy the boat was hit by "rain of aircraft bombs and depth charges from surface ships" and forced to abort its attack to repair the damages. (Sources: Blair, vol 2, page 186)
27 Mar 1943
At 22.45 hours, the inbound boat was attacked by a Leigh-Light equipped British Wellington aircraft (RAF Sqdn 172 / M) in the Bay of Biscay. No damage to the boat. Due to a misunderstanding it dived, leaving three men on the bridge. They resurfaced immediately and found two of them still on the tower, but the crewman who fired the AA gun until the last moment was missing. [Oberbootsmaat Heinrich Hollenborg] (Sources: Ritschel)
26 Oct 1943
The attack on 26 Oct, 1943 in the North Atlantic, in postion 50.49N, 41.01W, by depth charges from a Canadian B-24 Liberator aircraft (RCAF Sqdn. 10/A) formerly credited with sinking the U-420.
This attack was in fact against U-91 inflicting no damage. U-91 was seeking U-584 to give her fuel.
(Sources: 1996-01-01, Axel Niestle)31 Oct 1943
While attempting the fuel the U-584 Avenger aircraft from the carrier Card found the boats and brought in other aircraft. After initially repelling them with flak U-91 dived while the other boat stayed on the surface a bit longer. U-584 was destroyed with all hands by Fido homing torpedoes when attempting the dive. U-91 escaped this attack and the following hunt. (Sources: Blair, vol 2, page 438)
6 recorded attacks on this boat.
Men lost from the boat
27 Mar 1943
The boat was attacked by an aircraft in the North Atlantic. During the crash dive one man lost. [Oberbootsmaat Heinrich Hollenbarg]
Related: For more info on such losses see - Men lost from U-boats -
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There was another U-91 in World War One
That boat was launched from its shipyard on 14 Apr 1914 and commissioned into the Imperial Navy on 17 Sep 1914. The Naval war in WWI was brought to an end with the Armistice signed on 11 Nov, 1918. Read about the U 91 during WWI.