German submarine U-461
 Attack on U-461 in the Bay of Biscay |
|
| Career (Nazi Germany) |  |
|---|---|
| Name: | U-461 |
| Ordered: | 14 May 1940 |
| Builder: | Deutsche Werke, Kiel |
| Yard number: | 292 |
| Laid down: | 9 December 1940 |
| Launched: | 8 November 1941 |
| Commissioned: | 30 January 1942 |
| Fate: | Sunk, 30 July 1943 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | German Type XIV submarine |
| Displacement: | 1,668 long tons (1,695 t) surfaced 1,932 long tons (1,963 t) submerged |
| Length: | 67.1 m (220 ft 2 in) overall 47.5 m (155 ft 10 in) pressure hull |
| Beam: | 9.35 m (30 ft 8 in) overall 4.9 m (16 ft 1 in) pressure hull |
| Height: | 11.7 m (38 ft 5 in) |
| Draft: | 6.5 m (21 ft 4 in) |
| Propulsion: | 2 × Germaniawerft F46 supercharged 6-cylinder diesel engines, 3,200 hp (2,400 kW) 2 × SSW Gu343/388-8 double-acting electric motors 750 hp (560 kW) |
| Speed: | 14.9 knots (27.6 km/h) surfaced 6.2 knots (11.5 km/h) submerged |
| Range: | 12,350 nmi (22,870 km) at 10 kn (19 km/h) surfaced 55 nmi (102 km) at 4 kn (7.4 km/h) submerged |
| Test depth: | 240 m (790 ft) |
| Complement: | 53–60 men |
| Armament: | • 2 × 37 mm AA guns • 2 × 20 mm AA guns |
| Service record[1][2] | |
| Part of: | 4th U-boat Flotilla (30 January–30 June 1942) 10th U-boat Flotilla (1 July–31 October 1942) 12th U-boat Flotilla (1 November 1942–30 July 1943) |
| Commanders: | Kptlt. Hinrich-Oscar Bernbeck (30 January–21 April 1942) KrvKpt. Wolf-Harro Stiebler (22 April 1942–30 July 1943) |
| Operations: | 1st patrol: 21 June–16 August 1942 2nd patrol: 7 September–17 October 1942 3rd patrol: 19 November 1942–3 January 1943 4th patrol: 13 February–22 March 1943 5th patrol: 20 April–30 May 1943 6th patrol: 27 July–30 July 1943 |
| Victories: | None |
German submarine U-461 was a Type XIV supply and replenishment U-boat ("Milchkuh") of the of the German Kriegsmarine during World War II.
Her keel was laid down on 9 December 1940, by Deutsche Werke of Kiel. She was commissioned on 30 January 1942 with Oberleutnant zur See Hinrich-Oscar Bernbeck in command. Bernbeck was promoted to Kapitänleutnant by 21 April 1942, when he was relieved by Korvettenkapitän Wolf-Harro Stiebler.[1]
U-461 conducted six patrols. As a supply boat, she avoided combat.
On 30 July 1943, in the Bay of Biscay northwest of Cape Ortegal, Spain, U-461 was sunk by an Australian Sunderland aircraft from No. 461 Squadron RAAF piloted by Flight Lieutenant Dudley Marrows. Coincidentally this aircraft had the registration "U", also making it known as U-461. As a result of the pilot dropping an inflatable dinghy after the attack, fifteen of her crew survived; 53 were killed.[1]
[edit] References
- Notes
- ^ a b c "The Type XIV boat U-461 - German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net". www.uboat.net. http://www.uboat.net/boats/u461.htm. Retrieved 2009-12-07.
- ^ "War Patrols by German U-boat U-461 - Boats - uboat.net". www.uboat.net. http://www.uboat.net/boats/patrols/u461.html. Retrieved 2009-12-07.
- Bibliography
[edit] See also
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Coordinates: 45°33′N 10°48′W / 45.55°N 10.8°W
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