Editing German submarine U-461 (section)

==Operational career==
''U-461'' conducted six patrols. As a supply boat, she avoided combat.

===First and second patrols===
''U-461''{{'}}s first patrol took her from Kiel to [[St. Nazaire]] in occupied France, via the [[GIUK gap|gap]] between [[Iceland]] and the [[Faeroe Islands]] and out into the mid-Atlantic.

Her second patrol was much like her first; the most westerly point in the Atlantic was reached on 30 September 1942.

===Third and fourth patrols===
''U-461''{{'}}s third sortie commenced with her departure from St. Nazaire on 19 November 1942. Travelling south, she reached the furthest spot in the patrol which was roughly between South America and Africa. There, she spent two days (according to her position reports), before moving a short distance west on 11 December 1942. She returned to her French base on 3 January 1943.

She steamed to a point west of the [[Canary Islands]], which she reached on 2 March 1943. Having departed St. Nazaire on 13 February, she returned there for the last time on 22 March.

===Fifth patrol===
She left St.Nazaire on 20 April 1943, but was attacked on the return leg on 23 April by a Canadian [[Vickers Wellington|Wellington]] of [[No. 172 Squadron RAF|172 squadron]] RAF, equipped with a [[Leigh Light]]. Three bombs were dropped, resulting in slight damage and, more seriously, a trail of oil. She returned to France, but this time to [[Bordeaux]].

===Sixth patrol and loss===
She had left Bordeaux on 27 July 1943, but was hardly out of the [[Bay of Biscay]], north-west of [[Cape Ortegal]], Spain, when she was sunk on 30 July by an Australian [[Short Sunderland|Sunderland]] [[flying boat]] from [[No. 461 Squadron RAAF]] piloted by [[Flight Lieutenant]] Dudley Marrows. Coincidentally this aircraft had the registration "U", also making it known as 'U-461'. As a result of the attack, all 12 Australian crew on the flying boat agreed to drop an inflatable dinghy, fifteen of her crew survived; 53 were killed.<ref name="uboatnet"/>

===Wolfpacks===
''U-461'' took part in three [[Wolfpack (naval tactic)|wolfpack]]s, namely:
* [[Wolfpack Wolf|Wolf]] (26 July – 1 August 1942) 
* [[Wolfpack Vorwärts|Vorwärts]] (16 – 20 September 1942) 
* Rochen (26 February – 1 March 1943)