During a training exercise on November 20, 1943 near the base at Pilau (Baltiysk), occupied Russia the U-768 was rammed and sunk by the U-745. The boat was lost but the entire 44 man crew escaped safely. U-768 was under the command of Oblt. Johann Buttjer who later commanded another training boat, U-774. He remained at the training school for the remainder of the war possibly until his death on Aug. 12, 1945. The commander of the U-745, Kptlt. Wilhelm von Trotha took his boat on four war patrols sinking two small Soviet minesweepers. His boat went missing after leaving Danzig on Dec. 23, 1944. It is thought the U-745 was sunk by a mine on or around Feb. 5, 1945. Trotha's body was found by fishermen on Feb. 10, 1945 near Aland Island, Finland. Blood was found in his mouth and throat but no other visible trauma was seen on his body, it is suspected that he died from the bends after escaping his sunken submarine. |
