German submarine U-589
| History | |
|---|---|
 Nazi Germany
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| Name: | U-589 |
| Ordered: | 16 January 1940 |
| Builder: | Blohm & Voss, Hamburg |
| Yard number: | 565 |
| Laid down: | 31 October 1940 |
| Launched: | 6 August 1941 |
| Commissioned: | 25 September 1941 |
| Fate: | Sunk in the Arctic Ocean by a British warship, September 1942[1] |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type: | Type VIIC submarine |
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| Height: | 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in) |
| Draught: | 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in) |
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| Complement: | 4 officers, 40–56 enlisted |
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German submarine U-589 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.
She carried out seven patrols, was a member of ten wolfpacks, sank one ship of 417 gross register tons (GRT) and damaged one other of 2,847 GRT.
The boat was sunk by depth charges from a British warship assisted by a British aircraft, in September 1942.
Design
German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-589 had a displacement of 769 tonnes (757 long tons) when at the surface and 871 tonnes (857 long tons) while submerged.[3] 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 Brown, Boveri & Cie GG UB 720/8 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).[3]
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).[3] 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-589 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, and an anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.[3]
Service history
The submarine was laid down on 31 October 1940 at Blohm & Voss, Hamburg as yard number 565, launched on 6 August 1941 and commissioned on 25 September under the command of Korvettenkapitän Hans-Joachim Horrer.
She served with the 6th U-boat Flotilla from 26 June 1941 for training and stayed with that organization for operations from 1 February 1942. She was reassigned to the 11th flotilla on 1 July.
1st and 2nd patrols
U-589's first patrol was preceded by a short trip from Kiel to the German-controlled island of Helgoland, (also known as Heligoland), in February 1942. The patrol itself commenced on the 28th. She steamed through the Norwegian Sea and arrived at Kirkenes in the far north of Norway on 21 March.
For her second foray, she was involved in firing four torpedoes at the minesweeper HMS Niger; but the tracks were seen, evasive action was carried out, followed by an unsuccessful depth charge attack which caused no damage to the U-boat.
3rd patrol
She left Kirkenes on 8 April 1942 and covered the Barents Sea. She returned to her start point on the 20th.
4th patrol
U-589 damaged the Soviet merchant vessel Tsiolkovskij on 1 May 1942. This ship was later sunk by the German destroyers Z-24 and Z-25.
5th patrol
After more short voyages from Kirkenes to Skjomenfjord (south of Narvik), then Narvik itself and Bergen in May 1942, she carried out a relatively uneventful patrol which culminated in her arrival at Skjomenfjord on 12 August.
6th patrol
The boat set out for her sixth sortie on 23 August 1942. She travelled as far east as Nova Zemlya[4] and returned to Narvik on 1 September.
7th patrol and loss
U-589 set out from Narvik on 9 September 1942. On the 14th, she was sunk by depth charges, first from a Fairey Swordfish of 825 Naval Air Squadron from HMS Avenger, then the British destroyer HMS Onslow.
Forty-four men died with U-589; there were no survivors.
Wolfpacks
U-589 took part in ten wolfpacks, namely.
- Aufnahme (9–11 March 1942)
- Blücher (11–18 March 1942)
- Eiswolf (28–31 March 1942)
- Bums (8–10 April 1942)
- Robbenschlag (10–14 April 1942)
- Blutrausch (15–19 April 1942)
- Strauchritter (29 April - 5 May 1942)
- Greif (16–22 May 1942)
- Nebelkönig (27 July - 11 August 1942)
- Trägertod (12–14 September 1942)
Summary of raiding history
| Date | Name | Nationality | Tonnage (GRT) |
Fate[5] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 May 1942 | Tsoilkovskij |  Soviet Union |
2,847 | Damaged |
| 11 October 1942 | Musson (No 23) |  Soviet Navy |
417 | Sunk (Mine) |
References
- ↑ Kemp 1997, pp. 89-90.
- ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-589". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 12 October 2012.
- 1 2 3 4 Gröner 1991, pp. 43-46.
- ↑ The Times Atlas of the World - Third edition, revised 1995, ISBN 0 7230 0809 4, p. 24
- ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-589". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
Bibliography
- Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (1999). Deutsche U-Boot-Verluste von September 1939 bis Mai 1945. Der U-Boot-Krieg (in German) 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 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel (London: Conway Maritime Press). ISBN 0-85177-593-4.
- Kemp, Paul (1997). U-Boats Destroyed - German Submarine Losses in the World Wars. Arms & Armour. ISBN 1-85409-515-3.
External links
- Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-589". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 29 December 2014.