U-461 was built in the early 1960s and commissioned into the Navy in 1965. This was followed by training and patrol trips with live weapons in the North Atlantic. Units of the 35th U-boat Division undertook many long-term operations far from their home bases, in some cases exceeding the planned autonomy of 90 days at sea by far. The JULIETT class submarines, which carried cruise missiles, had one ship-to-ship missile in each of four containers. Firing them was a daring undertaking, as the submarine had to surface to fire the missiles.