1945
January
U-3507,
21 Jan, 1945
One man died in an accident. [Maschinengefreiter Rudi Grötzschel]
U-348,
28 Jan, 1945
One man died near Gotenhafen. [Matrose Hermann Witthöft]
February
U-997,
24 Feb, 1945
The boat lost a man overboard in the Arctic Sea. [Bootsmaat Erich Sachse]
March
U-733,
3 Mar, 1945
The commander of the boat died after an accident in Wesermünde. [Oberleutnat zur See Hans Hellmann]
April
U-2502,
8 Apr, 1945
The commander, Kptlt. d. Res Gert Mannesmann, died during an air raid on Hamburg.
U-2539,
21 Apr, 1945
During an air raid on Kiel the commander, Oblt. Erich Jewinski, was killed.
U-637,
26 Apr, 1945
Norwegian MTB's (motor torpedo boats) 711 and 723 claim sunk a German U-boat near Utsira, Norway. This attack was in fact aganst the U-637 which survived. The commander of the U-boat shot him self fatally after being seriously wounded in the face. The Engineering officer brought the boat to shore. Several men were lost in this action. [Kapitänleutnant Wolfgang Riekeberg]
U-3012,
28 Apr, 1945
After a misfiring of the 2cm AA machine gun on 28 April the I WO Oberleutnant zur See Wolfgang Schlett was killed instantly. The commander of the boat, Kapitänleutnant Hans Bungards, was heavily wounded and died next night in the Navy hospital at Travemünde.
May
U-2524,
3 May, 1945
British Beaufighters from Squadrons 236 and 254 attacked the boat killing 1 man and damaging the boat. The boat was scuttled later that day. The LI refused to leave the boat and perished with it. [Oberleutnant(Ing) Werner Braun]
U-2503,
3 May, 1945
During an attack from a Beaufighter aircraft on 3 May a rocket penetrated into the control room killing the commander and 12 of his men. She was scuttled the next day.
U-349,
5 May, 1945
When the boat was scuttled Obermaschinist Wilhelm Hegenbarth set the charges off and refused to leave the boat.
U-873,
19 May, 1945
Its former commander, Kptlt. Friedrich Steinhoff, committed suicide while being kept in a street prison in Boston, USA instead of a POW camp.
Total numer of losses:
24 men in 12 incidents (24 dead and 0 wounded)
Return to Men Lost from U-boats