U-354

Type

VIIC

Ordered

9 Oct 1939

Laid down

15 Apr 1940

Flensburger Schiffsbau-Ges, Flensburg (werk 473)

Launched

10 Jan 1942

Commissioned

22 Apr 1942

Kptlt. Karl-Heinz Herbschleb

Commanders

22 Apr 1942	-	22 Feb 1944		Kptlt. Karl-Heinz Herbschleb
22 Feb 1944	-	24 Aug 1944		Oblt. Hans-Jürgen Sthamer (German Cross in Gold)

Career
11 patrols

22 Apr 1942	-	30 Sep 1942	5. Flottille (training)
1 Oct 1942	-	14 Oct 1942	1. Flottille (active service)
15 Oct 1942	-	31 May 1943	11. Flottille (active service)
1 Jun 1943	-	24 Aug 1944	13. Flottille (active service)

Successes

1 ship sunk, total tonnage 7,176 GRT
1 warship sunk, total tonnage 1,300 tons
1 ship damaged, total tonnage 3,771 GRT
1 warship a total loss, total tonnage 11,420 tons

Fate

Sunk on 24 August 1944 in the Barents Sea north-east of North Cape, in position 72.49N, 30.41E, by depth charges from the British sloop HMS Mermaid and the British frigate HMS Loch Dunvegan. 51 dead (all hands lost).

Loss position

See the 4 ships hit by U-354 - View the 11 war patrols

Previously recorded fate

Sunk by the British Swordfish aircraft (Sqdn 825/X) of the escort carrier HMS Vindex on 22 August, 1944 in position 74.54N, 15.26E. (Axel Niestlé & Eric Zimmerman, June 2011)
Notes. This attack was in fact responsible for the loss of U-344.

Wolfpack operations

U-354 operated with the following Wolfpacks during its career:
   Eisbär (27 Mar 1943 - 1 Apr 1943)
   Wiking (4 Aug 1943 - 15 Sep 1943)
   Eisenbart (1 Nov 1943 - 4 Dec 1943)
   Eisenbart (8 Dec 1943 - 28 Dec 1943)
   Boreas (9 Mar 1944 - 10 Mar 1944)
   Hammer (10 Mar 1944 - 5 Apr 1944)
   Donner (5 Apr 1944 - 11 Apr 1944)
   Donner & Keil (20 Apr 1944 - 2 May 1944)
   Trutz (22 Aug 1944 - 24 Aug 1944)

Men lost from the boat

11 Nov 1942
A crew member was washed overboard and drowned after his safety belt broke in heavy seas in the Denmark Strait at 1800hrs. [Fähnrich zur See Horst Meyn]

12 Mar 1943
A man from U-354 took his own life. [Maschinenmaat Helmut Richter]

Related: For more info on such losses see - Men lost from U-boats -