German submarine U-745
Encyclopedia
German submarine U-745 was a Type VIIC
U-Boat
built for the German
Kriegsmarine
for service during World War II
, and which was lost at sea on 30 January 1945.
U-745 was launched on 16 April 1943, under the command of Wilhelm von Trotha, who would remain its commanding officer for its entire service. U-745 had a crew of 45. She undertook four patrols during her service, and sank one allied auxiliary ship (the Soviet minesweeping trawler T-45 Antikajnen (No 48) and one allied warship (the Soviet fleet minesweeper T-76 Korall).
On January 30, 1945, she was lost with all hands in the Gulf of Finland
, possibly having struck a German mine. Wilhelm von Trotha's body was later found near Foglo
, Finland
, and was buried three days later. No other bodies were recovered. Unlike most U-Boats, which suffered casualties during the course of service due to accidents or other causes, U-745 suffered no casualties at all until the time of her disappearance.
German Type VII submarine
Type VII U-boats were the most common type of German World War II U-boat. The Type VII was based on earlier German submarine designs going back to the World War I Type UB III, designed through the Dutch dummy company Ingenieurskantoor voor Scheepsbouw den Haag which was set up by Germany after...
U-Boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
built for the German
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
Kriegsmarine
Kriegsmarine
The Kriegsmarine was the name of the German Navy during the Nazi regime . It superseded the Kaiserliche Marine of World War I and the post-war Reichsmarine. The Kriegsmarine was one of three official branches of the Wehrmacht, the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany.The Kriegsmarine grew rapidly...
for service during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and which was lost at sea on 30 January 1945.
U-745 was launched on 16 April 1943, under the command of Wilhelm von Trotha, who would remain its commanding officer for its entire service. U-745 had a crew of 45. She undertook four patrols during her service, and sank one allied auxiliary ship (the Soviet minesweeping trawler T-45 Antikajnen (No 48) and one allied warship (the Soviet fleet minesweeper T-76 Korall).
On January 30, 1945, she was lost with all hands in the Gulf of Finland
Gulf of Finland
The Gulf of Finland is the easternmost arm of the Baltic Sea. It extends between Finland and Estonia all the way to Saint Petersburg in Russia, where the river Neva drains into it. Other major cities around the gulf include Helsinki and Tallinn...
, possibly having struck a German mine. Wilhelm von Trotha's body was later found near Foglo
Föglö
Föglö is an island municipality of Åland, an autonomous territory of Finland.The municipality has a population of and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is ....
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, and was buried three days later. No other bodies were recovered. Unlike most U-Boats, which suffered casualties during the course of service due to accidents or other causes, U-745 suffered no casualties at all until the time of her disappearance.