Behr, Baron von, Helmuth (U-546)

Date of birth:: September 24th, 1919 (Forstei Rönnen)
Date of death:: April 24th, 1945 (North West of Azores, North Atlantic)
Buried on:: German Submarines Memorial
Nationality:: German

Biography

OLt.ing Max Adolph Hellmuth Baron von Behr
24.04.1945: Oberleutnant zur See (Ing.), Leitender Ingenieur, U-546, KIA with 23 other crew members when U-546 made contact with the destroyer escort USS Frederick C. Davis and proceeded to attack, firing a stern torpedo. The destroyer turned into it and was hit, which tore the DE apart and sent her down with heavy loss of life.
The U-boat was in turn pursued by other destroyer escorts; Flaherty (DE-135), Varian (DE-798), Neunzer (DE-150), Hubbard (DE-211), Keith (DE-241), Chatelain (DE-149) , Janssen (DE-396), and Pillsbury (DE-133).[11] Neunzer and Hayter (DE-212) conducted a search while Pillsbury circled the area and Flaherty picked up survivors. Flaherty made contact in less than an hour and with Pillsbury proceeded to attack. The U-boat went to 600 feet (180 m). Contact was lost from 10:45 until 12:01 when Varian, Janssen and Hubbard began another attack. Neunzer got into the fight after several attacks by the other DE's, delivering a creeping attack with Varian and Hubbard while Chatelain directed. Contact was lost once more at about 16:00, so Chatelain and Neunzer were ordered to return to the scouting line.

The line was expanded, the ships began a sweep through the area, determined to prevent the submarine's escape. Varian made contact once more at 17:31 and Flaherty was ordered to attack. She fired at 18:10. Four minutes later a small oil slick began coming to the surface. Flaherty made another Hedgehog attack at 18:28, and at 18:38 the U-boat broke the surface.
Every ship in the line within range began firing. At 18:44, after more than ten and a half hours of attacks, U-546 rolled under and sank (in position 43°53′N 40°07′WCoordinates: 43°53′N 40°07′W, south-south-east of Cape Farewell, Greenland). Her captain and 33 pax of her crew were rescued by US vessels, and taken to Argentia Naval Station, Newfoundland.

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