U-46
Type | VIIB | |||||||||||||||||||
| Ordered | 21 Nov, 1936 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Laid down | 24 Feb, 1937 | Germaniawerft, Kiel (werk 581) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Launched | 10 Sep, 1938 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Commissioned | 2 Nov, 1938 | Kptlt. Herbert Sohler | ||||||||||||||||||
| Commanders |
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| Career | 13 patrols | 2 Nov, 1938 - 31 Aug, 1939 7. Flottille (front boat) 1 Sep, 1939 - 31 Dec, 1939 7. Flottille (front boat) 1 Jan, 1940 - 1 Sep, 1941 7. Flottille (front boat) 2 Sep, 1941 - 31 Mar, 1942 26. Flottille (training) 1 Apr, 1942 - 1 Jul, 1942 24. Flottille (training) 1 Sep, 1942 - 1 Oct, 1943 24. Flottille (training) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Successes | 20 ships sunk for a total of 85.792 GRT 2 auxiliary warships sunk for a total of 35.284 GRT 4 ships damaged for a total of 25.491 GRT 1 ship a total loss for a total of 2.080 GRT | |||||||||||||||||||
| Fate | Stricken at Neustadt in October 1943. Scuttled on 4 May 1945 in Kupfermühlen Bay, in position 54.50N, 09.29E. | |||||||||||||||||||
See the 27 ships hit by U-46 - View the 13 war patrols
Wolfpack operations
U-46 operated with the following Wolfpacks during its career:
Rösing (12 Jun, 1940 - 15 Jun, 1940)
Without name (13 Aug, 1940 - 16 Aug, 1940)
Without name (17 Oct, 1940 - 19 Oct, 1940)
Without name (19 Oct, 1940 - 20 Oct, 1940)
Attacks on this boat
13 Apr, 1940
During the battle around Narvik, Norway the boat was depth charged and severely damaged by British destroyers supporting HMS Warspite. (Sources: Blair, vol 1, page 152)
3 Aug, 1940
The British submarine HMS Triad (Lt. Cm George Salt) was returning from patrol off Fedjeosen, to the north of Bergen, she spotted U-46 (Endrass) as she was sailing for patrol. Not being able to find a firing position, Triad surfaced and attacked U-46 with her 102mm gun at 2230 hours. Endrass decided not to engage and dived. Triad also dived and tried to hunt the U-boat, but both boats lost contact. HMS Triad was lost in action only 6 weeks later.
25 Oct, 1940
3 Hudson aircraft from the 228th RAF Squadron attacked U-46 and one man was fatally wounded and died the next day. [Matrosengefreiter Plaep]
8 Jun, 1941
The torpedoed British tanker Ensis rammed its attacker, the U-46, and damaged its tower and periscope. The damages forced the boat to abort the patrol. (Sources: Blair, vol 1, page 306)
4 recorded attacks on this boat.
General notes on this boat
On 3 April, 1941 U-46 had to return to base due to serious problems with the flaps of the torpedo tubes.
Men lost from the boat
27 Sep, 1940
The boat lost two men during an unintentional dive.[Oberbootsmaat Heinrich Schenk, Matrosenobergefreiter Wilhelm Reh]
25 Oct, 1940
3 Hudson aircraft from the 228th RAF Squadron attacked U-46 and one man was fatally wounded and died the next day. [Matrosengefreiter Plaep]
27 Mar, 1941
The boat lost a man, Oberleutnant zur See Helmut Pöttgen, overboard.
Related: For more info on such losses see - Men lost from U-boats -
 German U-Boat Losses During World War II Niestle, Axel Buy this title at amazon.co.uk See more sellers |
Books dealing with this subject include: German U-Boat Losses During World War II, Niestle, Axel, 1998 Narvik, Dickens, Peter and Grove, Eric J., 1996 U-Boat Operations of the Second World War - Vol 1, Wynn, Kenneth, 1998 U-Boat Operations of the Second World War - Vol 2, Wynn, Kenneth, 1998 |
There was another U-46 in World War One
That boat was launched from its shipyard on 18 May, 1915 and commissioned into the Imperial Navy on 17 Dec, 1915. The Naval war in WWI was brought to an end with the Armistice signed on 11 Nov, 1918. Read about the U 46 during WWI.