Deathcard of U-Boot Crewmember – U-Boot “U-460” (Sunk by US Avenger & Wildcraft Aircraft)

Original WWII death card (Sterbebild) for Anton Bergbauer, a crew member of the German submarine U-460.

Service & Fate:
Bergbauer served aboard U-460, a Type XIV “Milchkuh” supply submarine of the Kriegsmarine. On 4 October 1943, the boat was sunk in the North Atlantic north of the Azores, at position 43.18N, 28.58W, by depth charges from Avenger and Wildcat aircraft (VC-9) of the American escort carrier USS Card. Of the crew, 62 men were killed and only 2 survived.

Item Details:

• Original wartime Sterbebild memorial card.

• Commemorates a sailor lost with his boat in one of the rare supply U-boat sinkings.

• Condition: As seen, with natural age wear and patina.

Historical Context – U-460:

• Type: Type XIV U-boat (nicknamed Milchkuh or “Milk Cow”), designed to resupply other U-boats at sea.

• Role: These boats carried fuel, torpedoes, food, and provisions, greatly extending the range of attack submarines during the Battle of the Atlantic.

• Loss: The sinking of U-460 was part of the concerted Allied effort to hunt down and destroy Milchkuh U-boats, severely weakening German U-boat endurance in the Atlantic.

• Casualties: The destruction of U-460 with 62 dead illustrates the high risks faced by even non-combatant support submarines.

Collector’s Note:
Sterbebilder from supply U-boats are especially scarce due to the limited number of these vessels built and their strategic importance. This death card for Anton Bergbauer offers a rare memorial to one of the sailors lost in the sinking of U-460, making it a significant and poignant addition for collectors of Kriegsmarine and Battle of the Atlantic relics.