German submarine U-445

German submarine U-445 was a Type VIIC U-boat of the Nazi German Kriegsmarine during World War II.

She carried out nine patrols. She sank no ships.

She was a member of one wolfpack.

She was sunk in the Bay of Biscay by a British warship in August 1944.

Service history
The submarine was laid down on 9 April 1940 at F. Schicau GmbH in Danzig (now Gdansk) as 'werk' 1505, launched on 19 March 1942 and commissioned on 30 May under the command of Oberleutnant Heinz-Konrad Fenn.

She served with the 8th U-boat Flotilla from 30 May 1941 for training and the 6th flotilla from 1 November 1942 for operations.

1st patrol
U-432's first patrol was preceded by the short journey from Kiel in Germany to Marviken. The patrol itself commenced with her departure from Marviken on 8 November 1942. She proceeded via the 'gap' separating the Faroe and Shetland Islands and into the Atlantic Ocean. She arrived at St. Nazaire in occupied France on 3 January 1943.

2nd and 3rd patrols
Her second sortie was carried out north of the Azores and west of Gibraltar.

The submarine's third patrol was relatively uneventful.

4th and 5th patrols
The boat's fourth patrol was, at 68 days, her longest. It took her to the west coast of Africa. The most southerly point, between South America and Africa, was reached on 12 August 1943.

She was attacked on patrol number five by a Handley Page Halifax of No. 58 Squadron RAF in the western Bay of Biscay on 2 January 1944. No damage was sustained.

6th patrol
She fired at what her crew thought was a destroyer west of Ireland on 14 February 1944. Retaliation was swift; the Third Support Group caused severe damage, but the U-boat escaped.

7th and 8th patrols
U-445's seventh outing was relatively short, from 6–15 June 1944. She did not leave the Bay of Biscay, but she did move to La Pallice, south of St. Nazaire.

Her eighth patrol was also brief and entailed another move; this time to Lorient.

9th patrol and loss
U-445 was sunk in the Bay of Biscay by depth charges dropped by the British frigate HMS Louis on 24 August 1944.

Fifty-two men died; there were no survivors.