German submarine U-486 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II. She was laid down at the Deutsche Werke in Kiel as yard number 321, launched on 12 February 1944 and commissioned on 22 March with Oberleutnant zur See Gerhard Meyer in command.
| History | |
|---|---|
.svg){kind=small} Nazi Germany | |
| Name | U-486 |
| Ordered | 5 June 1941 |
| Builder | Deutsche Werke, Kiel |
| Yard number | 321 |
| Laid down | 8 May 1943 |
| Launched | 12 February 1944 |
| Commissioned | 22 March 1944 |
| Fate | Sunk by HMS Tapir on 12 April 1945 in the North Sea north-west of Bergen, Norway. |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Type VIIC submarine |
| Displacement | |
| Length |
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| Beam |
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| Height | 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in) |
| Draught | 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in) |
| Installed power |
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| Propulsion |
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| Speed |
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| Range | |
| Test depth |
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| Complement | 4 officers, 40–56 enlisted |
| Armament |
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| Service record | |
| Part of: |
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| Identification codes: | M 50 011 |
| Commanders: |
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| Operations: |
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The boat began training on 22 March with the 5th U-boat Flotilla but moved on to the 11th flotilla for operations.
She was one of nine Type VIIs that the Kriegsmarine fitted with an experimental synthetic rubber skin of anechoic tiles known as Alberich, which had been designed to counter the Allies' asdic/sonar devices.[1]
Her remains were positively identified in March 2013 after they were found during oil exploration operations off the coast of Norway, not far from the remains of U-864.
Design
editGerman Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-486 had a displacement of 769 tonnes (757 long tons) when at the surface and 871 tonnes (857 long tons) while submerged.[2] She had a total length of 67.10 m (220 ft 2 in), a pressure hull length of 50.50 m (165 ft 8 in), a beam of 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in), a height of 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in), and a draught of 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in). The submarine was powered by two Germaniawerft F46 four-stroke, six-cylinder supercharged diesel engines producing a total of 2,800 to 3,200 metric horsepower (2,060 to 2,350 kW; 2,760 to 3,160 shp) for use while surfaced, two Siemens-Schuckert GU 343/38–8 double-acting electric motors producing a total of 750 metric horsepower (550 kW; 740 shp) for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 1.23 m (4 ft) propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to 230 metres (750 ft).[2]
The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 17.7 knots (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 7.6 knots (14.1 km/h; 8.7 mph).[2] When submerged, the boat could operate for 80 nautical miles (150 km; 92 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 8,500 nautical miles (15,700 km; 9,800 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). U-486 was fitted with five 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and one at the stern), fourteen torpedoes, one 8.8 cm (3.46 in) SK C/35 naval gun, (220 rounds), one 3.7 cm (1.5 in) Flak M42 and two twin 2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft guns. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.[2]
Service history
editThe submarine moved to Horten Naval Base in Norway between 6 and 9 November 1944 and then Egersund, (also in Norway, on the southwest coast, between Stavanger and Kristiansand), arriving there on 20 November.
First patrol
editShe departed Egersund on her first patrol on 26 November 1944, taking a circuitous route around the British Isles to the Western Approaches. The U-boat claimed her first victim south of the Eddystone Lighthouse by sinking the Silverlaurel on 18 December. She then attacked the 11,509 GRT Leopoldville on 24 December five miles off the coast of Cherbourg, France. This resulted in the death of over 750 Allied soldiers (819 total deaths). The Leopoldville sank about two hours later.[3] She crippled the US-built but British manned frigate HMS Affleck on the 26th. She also sank HMS Capel, another frigate, on the same day.[4]
She was unsuccessfully attacked by a Canadian Vickers Wellington of 407 Squadron, RCAF on 30 December.
She returned to Norway, this time to Bergen, on 15 January 1945.
Second patrol
editThe boat departed Bergen on 9 April 1945, but was sunk by torpedoes from the British submarine HMS Tapir on 12 April.
Summary of raiding history
edit| Date | Ship Name | Nationality | Tonnage[Note 1] |
Fate[5] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 December 1944 | Silverlaurel |  United Kingdom
|
6,142 | Sunk |
| 24 December 1944 | Leopoldville |  Belgium
|
11,509 | Sunk |
| 26 December 1944 | HMS Affleck |  Royal Navy
|
1,085 | Total loss |
| 26 December 1944 | HMS Capel | Royal Navy
|
1,085 | Sunk |
Discovery of wreck
editIn early 2013, the wreck of U-486 was discovered by the Norwegian petroleum company Statoil at a depth of 250 metres (820 ft), off the coast of Western Norway. The wreck of U-486 is located c. 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) from that of the fellow German submarine U-864.[6]
See also
editReferences
editNotes
edit- ^ Merchant ship tonnages are in gross register tons. Military vessels are listed by tons displacement.
Citations
edit- ^ Hamilton, Aaron S. (30 May 2020). "Acoustic camouflage". Total Undersea War: The Evolutionary Role of the Snorkel in Dönitz's U-Boat Fleet, 1944-1945. Seaforth Publishing. pp. 104–118. ISBN 978-1-5267-7883-3.
- ^ a b c d Gröner 1991, pp. 43–46.
- ^ History.com Accessed February 10, 2009.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-486". German U-boats of WWII – uboat.net. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-486". German U-boats of WWII – uboat.net. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
- ^ "Nazi submarine wreck found off Norway". TheLocal.no. Agence France-Presse. Retrieved 6 April 2013.
Bibliography
edit- Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (1999). German U-boat commanders of World War II : a biographical dictionary. Translated by Brooks, Geoffrey. London, Annapolis, Md: Greenhill Books, Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-186-6.
- Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (1999). Deutsche U-Boot-Verluste von September 1939 bis Mai 1945 [German U-boat losses from September 1939 to May 1945]. Der U-Boot-Krieg (in German). Vol. IV. Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn: Mittler. ISBN 3-8132-0514-2.
- Gröner, Erich; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. German Warships 1815–1945. Vol. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4.
External links
edit- Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-486". German U-boats of WWII – uboat.net. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
- [1]
60°44′N 4°39′E / 60.733°N 4.650°E