From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
U-441 was a German World War II Type VIIC submarine commissioned on 21 February 1942. U-441 served with 5. Unterseebootsflottille (5th U-Boat Flotilla), a training unit, and with 1. Unterseebootsflottille (1st U-Boat Flotilla) from 1 October 1942 to 8 June 1944. In April-May 1943 U-441 was rebuilt as the first of three U-Flak boats, designed to give U-boats a better change of defending against aircraft attacks. U-441 was equipped with an enlarged bridge, which served as a base for two Flakvierling 2cm (four-barrelled) Flak guns and one 3.7cm Flak gun, as well as a number of machine guns. U-441 was redesigned U-Flak 1, and operated as U-Flak 1 from 1 May 1943 to 1 November 1943. By late 1943, U-Flak boats had been considered a failure and U-Flak 1 was converted back to her original configuration and redesigned U-441. U-441 completed 11 patrols sunk one ship totalling 7,051 gross register tons (GRT), and shot down one Sunderland flying-boat. U-441 was damaged on her second patrol by Beaufighters and was sunk on 8 June 1944 with all hands on deck by depth charges dropped by a Liberator of No. 224 Squadron RAF.
U-441 Commanders
- Kptlt. Klaus Hartmann (February 1942 to May 1943)
- Kptlt. Götz von Hartmann (May 1943 to August 1943)
- Kptlt. Klaus Hartmann (August 1943 to June 1944)
[edit] References
- Bishop, C. Kriegsmarine U-Boats, 1939-45. Amber Books, 2006.
