The Men - The Commander listing

Hans-Joachim Förster

Oberleutnant zur See (Crew 38)

Successes
2 ships sunk for a total of 12.846 GRT
2 warships sunk for a total of 1.775 tons

Born	20 Feb, 1920	Gross-Köris, Teltrow
Died	24 Feb, 1945	Channel south-west of Land's End

U-boat Commands

U-348	Jul, 1943	-	Aug, 1943	No war patrols
U-479	Aug, 1943	-	Aug, 1943	No war patrols
U-480	6 Oct, 1943	-	24 Feb, 1945 (+)	3 patrols (144 days)

Personal information

Oblt. z. See Hans-Joachim Förster

Hans-Joachim Förster joined the Kriegsmarine in October 1938. He rode on the destroyer Z-29 in 1941 and 1942 for 7 patrols, before he was attached in July 1942 to the U-boat force.

After the usual training he was for three patrols first watch officer on board of U-380 operating in the Mediterranean. He left U-380 in May 1943 and commissioned 5 months later the type VIIC U-boat U-480.

Very successful became his second patrol in where he sunk 4 ships sunk for a total of 14,646 tons including the Canadian corvette HMCS Alberni and the British minesweeper HMS Loyalty.

U-480 was lost with all hands when she was sunk on 24 February, 1945 in the Channel south-west of Land's End, by depth charges from the British frigates HMS Duckworth and Rowley.

Patrol info

	U-boat	Departure		Arrival
1.	U-480	18 May, 1944	Kiel	19 May, 1944	Arendal		2 days
2.	U-480	7 Jun, 1944	Arendal	7 Jul, 1944	Brest	Patrol,	31 days
3.	U-480	3 Aug, 1944	Brest	4 Oct, 1944	Trondheim	Patrol,	63 days
4.	U-480	6 Jan, 1945	Trondheim	24 Feb, 1945	Sunk	Patrol,	50 days
					3 patrols, 144 days at sea

Ships hit by Hans-Joachim Förster

Date	Boat	Name of ship	Tons	Nat.		Convoy	Fate *
21 Aug, 1944	U-480	HMCS Alberni (K 103)	925		ca
22 Aug, 1944	U-480	HMS Loyalty (J 217)	850		br
23 Aug, 1944	U-480	Fort Yale	7.134		br	ETC-72
25 Aug, 1944	U-480	Orminster	5.712		br	FTM-74
			14.621
* Unless otherwise noted the ships listed here were sunk.