Post War U-boat events

This compilation is not complete as such and will be updated frequently when we learn of new events in this time-frame. This initial version however should give you a pretty good overview of the post-war events.




1945

10 May - U-977, in Norwegian waters when Germany surrendered, put ashore those men who did not wish to accompany the rest of the crew on a desperate voyage to Argentina.

14 May - On 14 May, 1945 off Delaware, USA U-858 became the first German warship to surrender to U.S. forces.

23 May - Grossadmiral Karl Dönitz and members of his government were taken into custody by the Allies.

3 Jun - The crew of U-1277 disembarked from the scuttled boat in rubber dinghies at the beach of "Angeiras" some kilometres north of the city of Oporto on 3 June, 1945. They were interned by Portuguese authorities in the "Castelo de Sao Jose da Foz" (Oporto). A few days later they were handed over to a British warship in Lisbon and put in a POW camp for 3 years, before they could return to Germany.

10 Jul - U-530 surrendered to the Argentine Navy at Mar del Plata.

15 Jul - U-195, in Japanese hands since May 6, 1945 was renamed as I 506.

15 Jul - U-219, in Japanese hands since May 6, 1945 is renamed as I 505.

15 Jul - U-181, in Japanese hands since May 6, 1945 is renamed as I 501.

15 Jul - U-862, in Japanese hands since May 6, 1945 is renamed as I 502.

6 Aug - U-2513 and U-3008 are transferred to the USA.

17 Aug - U-977 surrendered in Argentina on 17 August, 1945 after a lengthy patrol from Norway including a 66-day submerged run.

4 Sep - The last German unit surrendered! It was the weather station 'Haudegen' on Spitzbergen, which was set out from U-307 on 28 September, 1944.

17 Oct - The beginning of the trial against Kptlt. Eck his other officers from U-852 for their involvement in the Peleus sinking.


1946

5 Feb - U-805 and U-1228 are scuttled on the US East coast.

12 Feb - The last of the Operation Deadlight boats (U-3514) is scuttled NW of Ireland.

13 Feb - U-181 (I-501) and U-862 (I-502) are scuttled at Singapore.

14 Feb - U-2518 is transferred from the US to France and becomes the Roland Morillot.

30 Apr - U-511 (then called RO-500 by Japanese) is scuttled by US Navy at Maizuru.

23 Oct - The French submarine MILLE (ex U-471) leaves port for the first time after repairs.

13 Nov - The U-977 is torpedoed of Massachusetts, USA by the US Navy during exercises.

6 Dec - U-2326 is transferred to France in 1946 and sinks in an accident on this date, 17 dead. Raised and broken up.

12 Dec - The Soviet TS-16, the former German U-9 is broken up sometime shortly after this date.


1947

27 May - The former German U-boats U-18 & U-24 were scuttled south of Sewastopol (Black Sea) by Soviet submarine M-120 with torpedoes.

21 Oct - U-190 is scuttled off Nova Scotia by Canadian forces during exercises.

22 Oct - U-150 was scuttled on while on manoeuvres with the Canadian Navy. She was spared from Operation Deadlight during 1945-1946.

20 Nov - U-234 is scuttled by US naval forces during trials off Cape Cod.

20 Nov - U-889 is scuttled by the US Navy near New England, USA after being used for torpedo trials.

21 Nov - U-858 is scuttled by the US Navy near New England, USA after being used for torpedo trials.

27 Nov - U-530 is scuttled north-east of Cape Cod, USA, by US Navy during exercises.


1948

18 Jun - The former German U-boat U-3008 is taken out of service by the US Navy.

18 Nov - The former German U-boat U-1105 is sunk during explosives trials in the Chesapeake Bay, USA She is later raised.


1949

10 Jan - U-926 became the Norwegian submarine KNM Kya, she would serve until 1964.

1 Apr - The breaking up U-2348 begins at Leigh & Co in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

12 May - The breaking up of U-1108 begins at Briton Ferry, England.

19 Sep - U-1105 is sunk during explosives trials in the lower Potomac river.

30 Oct - The breaking up of former U-3017, possibly as N 41, at Newport, England.

9 Nov - Korvkpt. Karl-Heinz Moehle leaves a German prison after 3 years in captivity. He was condemned in 1946 for 'passing the Laconia order on.


1950

15 Jun - The breaking up of former U-953 begins England after extensive trials.


1951

1 Jul - The former German U-boat U-1202 becomes the Norwegian submarine KNM Kinn.

7 Oct - The former German U-boat U-2513 is sunk by USS Owens off Key West, USA.


1952

1 Dec - U-995 becomes the Norwegian submarine KNM Kaura.


1955

15 Sep - The former German U-boat U-3008, then in American hands, was sold for scrap to Loudes Iron & Metal Co.


1957

15 Aug - The former U-2365 is commissioned in the German navy as U-Hai (S 170). Commander is Kaptlt. Walter Ehrhardt, who commanded U-1016 from 1944 to 1945.

1 Oct - The former U-2367 is commissioned in the German navy as U-Hecht (S 171). Commander is Kaptlt. Hans-Heinrich Hass, who commanded U-2324 from 1944 to 1945.


1958

2 Aug - More than 1,500 former U-boat men gather in Hamburg, Germany. Among them for the first time is Grossadmiral Dönitz.

22 Aug - U-843 is raised from the Kattegat where is was sunk in April 1945.


1959

18 Aug - The former U-123 stricken from French service (then named Q165). Broken up.


1960

1 Sep - The former U-2540 is commissioned in the German Navy, Bundesmarine as Wilhelm Bauer (Y-880).


1961

1 Jun - The Norwegian submarine KNM Kinn (ex. U-1202) is transferred to Hamburg Germany where she would be broken up in 1963.

16 Sep - The Verband deutscher U-Bootfahrer VdU (Union of former German U-boat men) is founded.


1962

20 Mar - The first post-war constructed U-boat U-1, a type 201 boat, is commissioned into the Bundesmarine (the post war German Navy). Commander is Korvkpt. Heinz Baumann, who commanded U-2333 during 1944-1945.

15 Dec - The former U-995 is taken out of Norwegian service as KNM Kaura.


1963

11 Mar - The former U-766 stricken as the French Q335. Broken up.

9 Jul - The French Q339 (former U-471) is stricken from service. Broken up.


1966

14 Sep - U-2365 (raised in 1956) sank at 1854hrs in the North Sea, in position 55.15N, 04.22E, after taking in water. Raised on 19 Sept, 1966 from 47 meters depth and broken up.

19 Sep - U-2365 that sank 5 days earlier in the North Sea, in position 55.15N, 04.22E, after taking in water (19 dead) was raised from the seabed and scrapped.


1967

17 Oct - The French submarine Roland Morrilot (former German U-boat U-2518) is stricken from the French Navy. She was broken up as Q426 in 1968.


1968

30 Sep - U-2367 (Hecht) is stricken from the German Navy.


1969

21 May - The former U-2518 was sold to the SPA Lotti in La Spezia, Italy and was broken up later that summer.


1970

2 May - The Spanish submarine S-01 (G-7 until June 15 1961), ex U-573, is decomissioned, being on that date the last World War U-boat in service. Besides her service in the Spanish Navy, she had been used for several film productions with Navy permission.

27 Sep - The U-Boot-Ehrenmal (memorial) was reopened in Möltenort, Germany. There you find on 89 bronze plates the names of all 30,003 U-boat men who died in the war.

28 Nov - Guðmundur Helgason, founder of this site, was born in Siglufjörður, in northern Iceland.


1981

21 Jul - The Canadian Coast Guard finds again on Labrador the German weather station Kurt, which was put there on 23 Oct, 1943 by U-537.


1985

29 Jun - U-1105 is discovered by team of support divers led by Uwe Lovas.


1990

26 Sep - The former commander of U-732 Oblt. Claus-Peter Carlsen paid his last respects to the dead crew members of his boat onboard of HMS Hart near the sinking position (Straits of Gibraltar). He put a bouquet of flowers in the water with the words: "In memoriam of U-732 and her dead members of the crew. The commander and his crew members, who survived." After return to Gibraltar the commander of the British Naval Base HMS Rooke said to Kptlt. Carlsen: "It was the least I could do for you!"


1992

2 Oct - A large meeting of former Seehund men in Kiel during 2-4 Oct. Among the guests was Admiral Eberhardt Godt.

8 Oct - Opening of a memorial for the in action killed U-boat men in the Caribbean. The ceremony took place in Port of Spain (Trinidad) in the presence of some crewmembers from U-161, U-162 and U-615.


1993

12 Dec - Meeting on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of sinking of the British destroyer HMS Tynedale by U-593 in Hexham, England. Invited were the former commander, Kptlt. Gerd Kelbling and a crewmember, whose would be welcomed with great friendship and deep respect.


1994

8 Oct - 3 German U-boats (U-11, U-12 and U-18) visit Reykjavik, Iceland the birthplace of the uboat.net. This was the 3rd such visit. The first visit took place in summer 1939 before war, when Kapitän z. S. von Friedeburg visited on U-27 and a second boat the town. And ptlt. Lemp (U-30) left one injured crewmember from the boat in September 1939.


1995

21 Jul - U-Web - The U-boat War 1939-1945 website, based in Iceland, is opened up on the Internet. This has since become one of the most successful military and history website on the Internet. On May 1, 1997 it was renamed uboat.net.


1996

29 May - The U-534 arrives at Birkenhead, just of Liverpool, England for restoration and later display for public. She was raised from the Kattegat in 1993.

21 Sep - On the former Soviet and now Russian Naval base Kronstadt near St. Petersburg was opened a memorial stone for the crew of U-250, which was sunk in July 1944.


1997

1 Apr - Two post-war German U-boats of type 206A (450 tons, 22 man crew) and the escort ship Meersburg left Eckernförde, Germany for a training patrol. They are to cross the Atlantic and take part in the festivities at New York City harbour on July 4 (US Independence Day). Return is scheduled for August 5, 1997. This is the longest patrol of German U-boats since the end of World War Two.

1 May - uboat.net is given its current name (formerly called U-Web). At the time the site contained 1504 pages of information.


1999

15 Sep - The Norwegian mine clearance vessel KNM Tyr located the wreck of U-735 at a depth of 195 meters during a routine training mission (although some have said the navy was asked to look in that specific spot for the boat). The wreck was filmed by a ROV and is in fine shape, except for the aft part which is heavily damaged. Its position is just outside Horten (in the Oslofjord) in position 59.28,2 north and 010.29,3 east.


2004

13 Jul - U-215 has been located off Canada
The boat, lost on a mine-laying operation in Canadian waters, was finally located recently in 90m deep waters about 200miles off Shelburne. You can read a bit more about its discovery in this CBC article. She is the first U-boat to be discovered off the Canadian coast.


2008

7 Feb -

7 Feb -

7 Feb -

79 post-war events located.

History