U-546

Type

IXC/40

Ordered

5 Jun 1941

Laid down

6 Aug 1942

Deutsche Werft AG, Hamburg (werk 367)

Launched

17 Mar 1943

Commissioned

2 Jun 1943

Oblt. Paul Just

Commanders

2 Jun 1943 - 24 Apr 1945

Kptlt. Paul Just

Career

3 patrols

2 Jun 1943 - 31 Dec 1943  4. Flottille (training)
1 Jan 1944 - 9 Nov 1944  10. Flottille (front boat)
10 Nov 1944 - 24 Apr 1945  33. Flottille (front boat)

Successes

1 warship sunk for a total of 1,200 tons

Fate

Sunk 24 April, 1945 north-west of the Azores, in position 43.53N, 40.07W, by depth charges from the US destroyer escorts USS Flaherty, USS Neunzer, USS Chatelain, USS Varian, USS Hubbard, USS Janssen, USS Pillsbury and USS Keith. 26 dead and 33 survivors.

See the 1 ships hit by U-546 - View the 3 war patrols

Attacks on this boat

16 Feb 1944
A Sunderland aircraft attacked the boat in the North Atlantic and one man died. The suffered some disel engine damages but reported it was able to continue its patrol. [Matrosengefreiter Wilhelm van de Kamp] (Sources: Blair, vol 2, page 500)

17 Apr 1944
Aircraft attack, aircraft shot down: British Liberator aircraft BZ800 (53 Sqdn RAF/H, pilot F/L C. Roberts)

At 04.53 hours, the inbound boat was attacked by the Leigh Light equipped Liberator in the Bay of Biscay. The aircraft dropped six depth charges, two falling to the starboard and four to the port side of U-546 which was only slightly damaged and escaped further attacks by crash diving. AA fire had hit the Liberator during the attack run and it crashed into the sea 500 meters from the boat, killing all 9 crewmen.

(Sources: Franks/Zimmerman)

18 Jun 1944
When outbound in the Bay of Biscay the boat was attacked by an unknown Allied aircraft and used all its Flak ammo in fending it off. The boat then returned to France on June 22 - re-sailing on June 25. The date of attack is approximate. (Sources: Blair, vol 2, page 621)

20 Jul 1944
The boat had been hunted by an American hunter-killer group since June 13 and finally detected on the 20th. The boat fired a torpedo on the escort carrier but missed and suffered 3 hours of depth charge attacks from the escorts. She still managed to escape this trap. (Sources: Blair, vol 2, page 621)

4 recorded attacks on this boat.