German submarine U-597
| History | |
|---|---|
 Nazi Germany
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| Name: | U-597 |
| Ordered: | 16 January 1940 |
| Builder: | Blohm & Voss, Hamburg |
| Yard number: | 573 |
| Laid down: | 13 January 1941 |
| Launched: | 1 October 1941 |
| Commissioned: | 20 November 1941 |
| Fate: | Sunk southwest of Iceland by a British aircraft, October 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 |
| Armament: |
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| Victories: | None |
German submarine U-597 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.
She was a member of eight wolfpacks, carried out two patrols but sank no ships.
She was sunk southwest of Iceland by a British aircraft, in October 1942.
Design
German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-597 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-597 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 13 January 1941 at Blohm & Voss, Hamburg as yard number 573, launched on 1 October and commissioned on 20 November under the command of Kapitänleutnant Eberhard Bopst.
She served with the 8th U-boat Flotilla from 20 November 1941 for training and the 1st flotilla from 1 July 1942 for operations.
1st patrol
U-597 departed Kiel on 12 October 1942 and headed for the Atlantic Ocean. Her route took her through the gap between Iceland and the Faroe Islands toward Newfoundland[4]
She arrived in Brest in occupied France on 16 August.
2nd patrol and loss
She departed Brest on 16 September and was sunk less than a month later on 12 October by depth charges dropped by a British B-24 Liberator of No. 120 Squadron RAF piloted by Squadron Leader Terry Bulloch.[5]
Forty-nine men died in U-597; there were no survivors.
Wolfpacks
U-597 took part in eight wolfpacks, namely.
- Wolf (13–30 July 1942)
- Pirat (30 July - 3 August 1942)
- Steinbrinck (3–11 August 1942)
- Blitz (22–26 September 1942)
- Tiger (26–30 September 1942)
- Luchs (1–6 October 1942)
- Panther (6–12 October 1942)
- Leopard (12 October 1942)
References
- ↑ Kemp 1997, p. 92.
- ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-597". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 14 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. 55
- ↑ "Squadron Leader Terry Bulloch - obituary". Daily Telegraph. 23 Nov 2014. Retrieved 23 Nov 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.
- Edwards, Bernard (1996). Dönitz and the Wolf Packs - The U-boats at War. Cassell Military Classics. p. 91. ISBN 0-304-35203-9.
- 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-597". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 29 December 2014.