German submarine U-543


German submarine U-543 was a Type IXC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.
She was laid down at the Deutsche Werft in Hamburg as yard number 364 on 3 July 1942, launched on 3 February and commissioned on 21 April with Kapitänleutnant Hans-Jürgen Hellriegel in command.
U-543 began her service career with training as part of the 4th U-boat Flotilla from 21 April 1943. She was reassigned to the 10th flotilla for operations on 1 November.
She carried out two patrols, but did not sink any ships. She was a member of three wolfpacks.
She was sunk on 2 July 1944 southwest of Tenerife by a Grumman TBM Avenger piloted by Ensign Frederick L. Moore, which flew off of American escort carrier USS Wake Island.

Design

German Type IXC/40 submarines were slightly larger than the original Type IXCs. U-543 had a displacement of when at the surface and while submerged. The U-boat had a total length of, a pressure hull length of, a beam of, a height of, and a draught of. The submarine was powered by two MAN M 9 V 40/46 supercharged four-stroke, nine-cylinder diesel engines producing a total of for use while surfaced, two Siemens-Schuckert 2 GU 345/34 double-acting electric motors producing a total of for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to.
The submarine had a maximum surface speed of and a maximum submerged speed of. When submerged, the boat could operate for at ; when surfaced, she could travel at. U-543 was fitted with six torpedo tubes, 22 torpedoes, one SK C/32 naval gun, 180 rounds, and a SK C/30 as well as a C/30 anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of forty-eight.

Service history

First patrol

The boat departed Kiel on 9 November 1943, moved through the North Sea, negotiated the gap between Iceland and the Faroe Islands and into the Atlantic Ocean. She entered Lorient, on the French Atlantic coast, on 24 January 1944.

Second patrol and loss

Her second foray took her west of Portugal where she found a small convoy on 9 April 1944, but she was driven off by depth charges from the escorts.
After refuelling from, the boat was attacked on 19 April by a TBM Avenger with rockets and a FIDO homing torpedo. The aircraft had come from the. The submarine escaped undamaged and sailed to the west coast of Africa, then across the central Atlantic to the waters off Brazil.
She was sunk on 2 July 1944 on the return leg west of Portugal by an Avenger, this time from. The same mix of rockets and a FIDO were used, but were successful.
Fifty-eight men died; there were no survivors.

Wolfpacks

U-543 took part in three wolfpacks, namely:
  • Coronel
  • Coronel 2
  • Coronel 3