Gerhard Meyer

Oberleutnant zur See der Reserve

Successes
2 ships sunk, total tonnage 17,651 GRT
1 warship sunk, total tonnage 1,085 tons
1 warship a total loss, total tonnage 1,085 tons

Born	15 Apr 1915		Kiel
Died	12 Apr 1945	(29)	Norwegian Sea

If you can help with photo or any information on this Officer please contact us at gummi@uboat.net.

Ranks

1 Jul 1943

Oberleutnant zur See der Reserve

Decorations

		Iron Cross 2nd Class
		Iron Cross 1st Class
7 Feb 1945		German Cross in Gold

U-boat Commands

U-boat	From	To
U-486	22 Mar 1944	12 Apr 1945 (+)	2 patrols (55 days)

Gerhard Meyer joined the Kriegsmarine in 1935. He served as a Watch Officer (WO) on the destroyer Z 15 Erich Steinbrinck from March 1942 to May 1943. He joined the U-boat force and went through U-boat training, including Commander courses, from May 1943 to Jan 1944 (Busch & Röll, 1999).

To prepare for his own U-boat Command he began his U-boat familiarization (Baubelehrung) in Jan 1944. On 22 March 1944 he commissioned the brand new type VIIC boat U-486 at Kiel and started his work-up training in the Baltic (Busch & Röll, 1999).

On 26 Nov 1944 he sailed from Egersund, Norway for his first war patrol (Busch & Röll, 1997). His destination was the English Channel. This was to be one of the mos successful war patrols in the last year of the war. He sank or destroyed 4 ships; including the 11,506 BRT troopship Leopoldville on 24 Dec and the British frigates HMS Affleck (K-462) and HMS Capel (K 470) on 26 Dec (Rohwer, 1998). He returned to Bergen, norway on 15 Jan 1945 after 51 days at sea (Busch & Röll, 1997).

The Belgian troopship Leopoldville sunk by U-486 (Meyer) on 24 Dec 1944.
Photo courtesy of the Allen Collection.

This performance, under constant Allied sub-hunting, should have ensured a Knight's Cross for him but the Allies spread disinformation that the Leopoldville was a hospital ship and also BdU seemed oddly unaware of his exploits.

On 9 April 1945 U-486 left Bergen for its second patrol. The boat was sunk with all hands (48 men) 3 days later on 12 April by torpedoes from the British submarine HMS Tapir (Niestlé, 1998).

Sources

Busch, R. and Röll, H-J. (1999). German U-boat commanders of World War II.
Busch, R. and Röll, H-J. (1997). Der U-Bootkrieg 1939-1945 (Band 2).
Niestlé, A. (1998). German U-boat losses during World War II.
Rohwer, J. (1998). Axis Submarine Successes of World War Two.

Patrol info for Gerhard Meyer

	U-boat	Departure		Arrival
1.	U-486	6 Nov 1944	Kiel	9 Nov 1944	Horten		4 days
2.	U-486	17 Nov 1944	Horten	20 Nov 1944	Egersund		4 days
3.	U-486	26 Nov 1944	Egersund	15 Jan 1945	Bergen	Patrol 1,	51 days
4.	U-486	9 Apr 1945	Bergen	12 Apr 1945	Sunk	Patrol 2,	4 days
2 patrols, 55 days at sea

Ships hit by Gerhard Meyer

Date	U-boat	Name of ship	Tons		Convoy
18 Dec 1944	U-486	Silverlaurel	6,142	br	BTC-10
24 Dec 1944	U-486	Leopoldville	11,509	be	WEP-3
26 Dec 1944	U-486	HMS Affleck (K 462) (t.)	1,085	br
26 Dec 1944	U-486	HMS Capel (K 470)	1,085	br
			19,821
4 ships sunk (19,821 tons). Legend We have a picture of this vessel. (t.) means the ship was a total loss (included in ships & tonnage lost).