⚓ Shipwrecks Map

U-861 1945

U-861: Captured German U-boats outside their pen at Trondheim in Norway, 19 May 1945. BU6382
Image: No 5 Army Film & Photographic Unit, Tanner (Lt), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Marker: recorded wreck position (Second World War).

Key facts

NameU-861Wikidata label
Year lost1945Wikidata P793 significant event, point-in-time qualifier
EraSecond World Warderived from year
Ship typeU-boatWikidata P31 instance of
Cause of lossWar actionKeyword match in English Wikipedia lead sentence
Nationality / flagNazi GermanyWikidata P8047 country of registry
OperatorKriegsmarineWikidata P137 operator
ConflictBattle of the AtlanticWikidata P607 conflict
Sea / oceanInner SeasNatural Earth marine areas (public domain), point-in-polygon
Nearest coastIrelandNatural Earth (public domain); approx. 7 km from land
Position55.4200, -7.2500Wikidata P793 significant event, coordinate qualifier (CC0)

About the wreck

German submarine U-861 was a long-range Type IXD2 U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. Laid down in Bremen and launched on 29 April 1943. She was equipped with two stern torpedo tubes and 24 mines.

She was commanded throughout her service life by Korvettenkapitän Jürgen Oesten (Knight's Cross).

This ship is best known for sinking Vital de Oliveira, the only Brazilian military vessel lost during combat in World War II.

Location

  • Recorded position: 55.4200, -7.2500 (Wikidata P793 significant event, coordinate qualifier (CC0); may be approximate)
  • Sea / ocean: Inner Seas
  • Nearest coast: Ireland

Wreck positions on this site are for interest only and are not for navigation. Many wrecks are war graves or legally protected: never disturb human remains or remove artefacts, and check local law before diving.

OpenStreetMap

Text adapted from the Wikipedia article German submarine U-861 (revision 1367748027), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: excerpted from the article lead section; condensed by selecting paragraphs; citations and formatting removed. No text added. This excerpt is available under the same licence.

Wreck facts from Wikidata (CC0).

Nearby wrecks

Other wrecks of the Battle of the Atlantic

All 704 wrecks of the Battle of the Atlantic →

Browse more: UK & Ireland wrecks · wrecks off Ireland · Inner Seas · Second World War

Further reading