List of all U-boats

U-545

Type

IXC/40

 
Ordered5 Jun 1941
Laid down1 Aug 1942 Deutsche Werft AG, Hamburg (werk 366)
Launched3 Mar 1943
Commissioned19 May 1943Kptlt. Gert Mannesmann
Commanders
19 May 1943 - 10 Feb 1944   Gert Mannesmann (German Cross in Gold)
Career
1 patrol
19 May 1943-30 Nov 1943  4. Flottille (training)
1 Dec 1943-10 Feb 1944  2. Flottille (active service)
Successes1 ship damaged, total tonnage 7,359 GRT
Fate

Scuttled on 10 February 1944 in the North Atlantic west of the Hebrides, in position 58.17N, 13.22W, after being badly damaged by 4 depth charges from a British Wellington aircraft (612 Sqn RAF/O). 1 dead and 56 survivors.

Loss position

See the 1 ships hit by U-545 - View the 1 war patrol

The boat was in fact attacked by two aircraft. The other one, a Canadian Wellington (407 Sqn RCAF), was shot down during the attack. The survivors were picked up by U-714 after a while and taken to St. Nazaire, France. The lone casuality from U-545 was Lt.z.See Körfer.

Kptlt. Mannesmann then commanded U-2502. He died in an air raid on Hamburg on 8 April, 1945.

Wolfpack operations

U-545 operated with the following Wolfpacks during its career:
   Rügen 2 (23 Dec 1943 - 28 Dec 1943)
   Rügen 1 (28 Dec 1943 - 7 Jan 1944)
   Rügen (7 Jan 1944 - 26 Jan 1944)
   Stürmer (26 Jan 1944 - 3 Feb 1944)
   Igel 1 (3 Feb 1944 - 10 Feb 1944)

Attacks on this boat and other events

10 Feb 1944
Aircraft attack, aircraft shot down:British Wellington (Sqdn 407)

U-545 was scuttled after this attack

1 recorded attack on this boat.

Men lost from the boat

26 Jan 1944
The I WO was lost overboard in the North Atlantic. [Oberleutnant zur See Hans Wilkening]

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

U-boat Emblems

We have 1 emblem entry for this boat. See the emblem page for this boat or view emblems individually below.


M inside Shield

Media links


U-Boat Operations of the Second World War - Vol 2

Wynn, Kenneth


Hitler's U-boat War, Vol II

Blair, Clay


German U-Boat Losses During World War II

Niestle, Axel




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