U-965

Type

Sunk on 30 March 1945 in the North Atlantic in the North Minch, in position 58.19N, 05.31W, by depth charges from the British frigates HMS Rupert and HMS Conn. 51 dead (all hands lost). (Axel Niestlé, December 1991).

Loss position

View the 7 war patrols

Previously recorded fate

Sunk by the British frigate HMS Conn on 27 March, 1945 in position 58.34N, 05.46W. (Postwar assessment)
Notes. This attack probably sank the U-905 instead.

Wolfpack operations

U-965 operated with the following Wolfpacks during its career:
   Isegrim (5 Jan 1944 - 27 Jan 1944)
   Werwolf (27 Jan 1944 - 2 Feb 1944)
   Trutz (23 Jun 1944 - 10 Jul 1944)
   Schwefel (22 Sep 1944 - 23 Sep 1944)
   Zorn (28 Sep 1944 - 1 Oct 1944)
   Grimm (1 Oct 1944 - 2 Oct 1944)
   Panther (16 Oct 1944 - 22 Oct 1944)
   Panther (24 Oct 1944 - 10 Nov 1944)
   Stier (25 Nov 1944 - 19 Dec 1944)

Attacks on this boat and other events

17 May 1944
U-965 was forced to return to base four days into a patrol by serious technical problems. Four hours later the boat encountered an enemy submarine, which fired a torpedo fan at U-965, all of which missed.

20 Jul 1944
13.05 hrs, Norwegian Sea: a British Liberator bomber (RAF Sqdn 59/N, pilot FO D.A. Willows) on A/S patrol attacked after locating U-965 on radar. The Liberator passed two miles astern to take up a favourable attack position on the starboard beam. As it approached, the 37mm AA gun jammed on firing the first round and both men manning the 20mm twin gun on the port side were hit by machine gun fire [Matrosenhauptgefreiter Willibald Niederle died and Bootsmaat Lütjen was wounded]. Luckily for the U-boat, the depth charges failed to release when the Liberator passed over her stern because the lock-select lever was not fully engaged. U-965 then escaped by diving, and seven depth charges were dropped about 40 seconds afterwards. Two small streaks of oil, an oval life raft and two pieces of wood were sighted by the crew of the Liberator when it returned to the scene approx. 90 minutes later, but the U-boat was undamaged, and remained submerged until the aircraft departed. Mhg Niederle was buried at sea at 22.05 hrs. (Sources: ADM 199/1786)

22 Aug 1944
The boat was attacked by two RAF Martlet aircraft (modified Grumman Wildcat). Three men were killed and eight wounded. [Bootsmaat Kurt Pesch, Matrosengefreiter Heinz Schade, Maschinengefreiter Thiel]

3 recorded attacks on this boat.

Schnorchel-fitted U-boat

This boat was fitted with a Schnorchel underwater-breathing apparatus and sailed equipped with it in February 1945 but it was of course installed prior to that date.

Read more about the Schnorchel and see list of fitted boats.