German submarine U-450

Coordinates: 41°11′N 12°27′E / 41.183°N 12.450°E / 41.183; 12.450
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
U-995, a Type VIIC U-boat at the German navy memorial at Laboe. U-450 was almost identical
History
Nazi Germany
NameU-450
Ordered21 November 1940[1]
Builder
Danzig[1]
Yard number1521
Laid down22 July 1941[1]
Launched4 July 1942[1]
Commissioned12 September 1942[1]
FateSunk on 10 March 1944 in the western Mediterranean Sea south of Ostia[1]
General characteristics
Class and type
Type VIIC submarine
Displacement
Length
  • 67.10 m (220 ft 2 in)
    o/a
  • 50.50 m (165 ft 8 in)
    pressure hull
Beam
  • 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in) o/a
  • 4.70 m (15 ft 5 in) pressure hull
Height9.60 m (31 ft 6 in)
Draught4.74 m (15 ft 7 in)
Installed power
  • 2,800–3,200 PS (2,100–2,400 kW; 2,800–3,200 bhp) (diesels)
  • 750 PS (550 kW; 740 shp) (electric)
Propulsion
Speed
  • 17.7 knots (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph) surfaced
  • 7.6 knots (14.1 km/h; 8.7 mph) submerged
Range
  • 8,500 nmi (15,700 km; 9,800 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced
  • 80 nmi (150 km; 92 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth
  • 230 m (750 ft)
  • Crush depth: 250–295 m (820–968 ft)
Complement4 officers, 40–56 enlisted
Armament
Service record[1]
Part of:
Identification codes: M 49 679
Commanders:
  • Oblt.z.S.
    Kurt Böhme
  • 12 September 1942 – 10 March 1944
Operations:
  • 3 patrols:
  • 1st patrol:
  • a. 27 May – 22 June 1943
  • b. 18 – 19 September 1943
  • c. 29 – 30 September 1943
  • d. 7 – 8 October 1943
  • 2nd patrol:
  • a. 14 – 15 October 1943
  • b. 17 October – 8 November 1943
  • 3rd patrol:
  • 14 February – 10 March 1944
Victories: None

German submarine U-450 was a

Type VIIC U-boat in the service of Nazi Germany during World War II
.

Design

A cross-section of a Type VIIC submarine

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 AEG GU 460/8–27 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 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.[2]

Service history

The submarine was

Danzig, Germany (now Poland). She was launched on 4 July 1942 and commissioned on 12 September that year.[1] During her career with the Kriegsmarine, U-450 never sank any ships.[3]

Patrols

On 27 May 1943, three days after she was redesignated from a training vessel to a front-line service boat,

B-17 Flying Fortress squadron, which wounded seven men. 16 days later, (with assistance from other boats due to the damage caused by the attack), she arrived at Brest in France. The patrol lasted 27 days, the longest of her career.[4]

On 17 October 1943, U-450 left Brest for

Toulon. She arrived at the port city 23 days later.[5]

On 10 February 1944, ten days after a fire in her engine room had swept one man overboard and forced her to return to base,[1] U-450 left Toulon for the Italian coast, presumably to attack support ships coming to reinforce Allied troops which had just landed at Anzio.[6]

Fate

On 10 March 1944, exactly one month later, she came under depth charge attack by the British escort destroyers HMS Blankney, HMS Blencathra, HMS Brecon and HMS Exmoor and the American escort destroyer USS Madison. The submarine sank, at position 41°11′N 12°27′E / 41.183°N 12.450°E / 41.183; 12.450, but all 51 crew members were rescued by the destroyers and became prisoners of war.[1]

See also

  • Mediterranean U-boat Campaign (World War II)

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-450". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 17 April 2010.
  2. ^ a b c d Gröner 1991, pp. 43–46.
  3. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-450". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 18 April 2010.
  4. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Patrol info for U-450 (First patrol)". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 18 April 2010.
  5. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Patrol info for U-450 (Second patrol)". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 18 April 2010.
  6. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Patrol info for U-450 (Third patrol)". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 23 May 2010.

Bibliography

External links

Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-450". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 26 December 2014.