U-241
Type | VIIC | |||
| Ordered | 10 Apr 1941 | |||
| Laid down | 4 Sep 1942 | F. Krupp Germaniawerft AG, Kiel (werk 675) | ||
| Launched | 25 Jun 1943 | |||
| Commissioned | 24 Jul 1943 | Ltnt. Arno Werr | ||
| Commanders |
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| Career | 1 patrol | 24 Jul 1943 - 31 Mar 1944 5. Flottille (training) 1 Apr 1944 - 18 May 1944 3. Flottille (front boat) | ||
| Successes | No ships sunk or damaged | |||
| Fate | Sunk 18 May, 1944 north-east of the Faeroes, in position 63.36N, 01.42E, by depth charges from a British Catalina aircraft (Sqdn. 210/S). 51 dead (all hands lost). | |||
Attacks on this boat
17 May 1944
Aircraft attack, aircraft shot down:
Norwegian Catalina aircraft FP121 (333 Sqdn RAF/C, pilot S/Lt Harald E. Hartmann)
At 22.21 hours, the outbound boat was attacked by the Catalina about 125 miles west of Alesund, Norway. AA fire hit the aircraft during the attack run and apparently caused the depth charges to miss, but U-241 was sunk by another Catalina the next day. The gunner of the starboard blister gun was killed (Pty/O Kyrre D. Berg) and large hole in the hull forced the pilot to beach the Catalina after landing in the River Tay, damaging it beyond repair.
(Sources: Franks/Zimmerman, Axel Niestlé)1 recorded attack on this boat.
General notes on this boat
The book Steuermann durch Krieg und Frieden (Helmsman through War and Peace) by Hans Schmid covers the loss of U-241. According to the book its author and 2 other men survived the sinking and were saved and put into POW camp.
This is a total nonense according to our sources. No German document is known which holds information about the rescue of any crew members of U-241. This boat sank with all hands according to all the offical documents. In only a handful of cases did survivors from sunk German U-boats off Norway get resuced by the Germans (or the Allies). German control of the waters around Norway ended at about 10 miles out.
Schnorchel-fitted U-boat
This boat was fitted with a Schnorchel underwater-breathing apparatus but the date of fitting or sailing date with the equipment is unknown. Read more about the Schnorchel and see list of fitted boats.
Men lost from U-boats
Unlike many other U-boats, which during their service lost men due to accidents and various other causes, U-241 did not suffer any casualties (we know of) until the time of her loss.
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