German submarine U-546

History
Nazi Germany
Name	U-546
Ordered	5 June 1941
Builder	Deutsche Werft AG, Hamburg-Finkenwerder
Yard number	367
Laid down	6 August 1942
Launched	17 March 1943
Commissioned	3 June 1943
Fate	Sunk on 24 April 1945 by US Navy ships in the north Atlantic[1]
General characteristics
Class and type	Type IXC/40 submarine
Displacement	1,144 t (1,126 long tons) surfaced 1,257 t (1,237 long tons) submerged
Length	76.76 m (251 ft 10 in) o/a 58.75 m (192 ft 9 in) pressure hull
Beam	6.86 m (22 ft 6 in) o/a 4.44 m (14 ft 7 in) pressure hull
Height	9.60 m (31 ft 6 in)
Draught	4.67 m (15 ft 4 in)
Installed power	4,400 PS (3,200 kW; 4,300 bhp) (diesels) 1,000 PS (740 kW; 990 shp) (electric)
Propulsion	2 shafts 2 × diesel engines 2 × electric motors
Speed	18.3 knots (33.9 km/h; 21.1 mph) surfaced 7.3 knots (13.5 km/h; 8.4 mph) submerged
Range	13,850 nmi (25,650 km; 15,940 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced 63 nmi (117 km; 72 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth	230 m (750 ft)
Complement	4 officers, 44 enlisted
Sensors and processing systems	FuMO-61 Hohentwiel U FuMB-26 Tunis G.H.G. Atlas Type multi-unit hydrophones
Armament	6 × torpedo tubes (four bow, two stern) 22 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedoes 1 × 3.7 cm (1.5 in) SK C/30 1 × 2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft gun
Service record
Part of:	4th U-boat Flotilla 2 June – 31 December 1943 10th U-boat Flotilla 1 January – 9 November 1944 33rd U-boat Flotilla 10 November 1944 – 24 April 1945
Identification codes:	M 51 791
Commanders:	Kptlt. Paul Just 2 June 1943 – 24 April 1945
Operations:	3 patrols: 1st patrol: 26 January – 23 April 1944 2nd patrol: 15 June – 11 November 1944 3rd patrol: 11 March – 24 April 1945
Victories:	1 warship sunk (1,200 tons)

German submarine U-546 was a Type IXC/40 U-boat operated by Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. She was laid down at the Deutsche Werft in Hamburg as yard number 367 on 6 August 1942, launched on 17 March 1943 and commissioned on 2 June 1943 under Oberleutnant zur See Paul Just.^[2] The U-boat was a member of three wolfpacks.

U-546 was responsible for the last combat sinking of a United States Navy vessel in the Atlantic Theatre, during Operation Teardrop. On 24 April 1945 U-546 sank the destroyer escort USS Frederick C. Davis, but was in turn sunk by combined fire of five other US destroyers.^[3] Her captain and most of her crew were rescued by US vessels, and taken to Argentia Naval Station. It was from this crew that the USN eventually learned that no V-1/2 attacks from the U-boats were planned by the Kriegsmarine.^[4]