German submarine U-459
U-459 sinking after being attacked by Vickers Wellington aircraft
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History | |
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Nazi Germany | |
Name | U-459 |
Ordered | 14 May 1940 |
Builder | Deutsche Werke, Kiel |
Yard number | 290 |
Laid down | 22 November 1940 |
Launched | 13 September 1941 |
Commissioned | 15 November 1941 |
Fate | Scuttled on 24 July 1943[1] |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Type XIV ocean-going submarine tanker |
Displacement | |
Length |
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Beam |
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Height | 11.70 m (38 ft 5 in) |
Draught | 6.51 m (21 ft 4 in) |
Installed power |
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Propulsion |
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Speed |
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Range |
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Test depth | 240 m (790 ft) |
Complement | 6 officers and 47 enlisted |
Armament |
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Service record | |
Part of: |
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Identification codes: | M 42 590 |
Commanders: |
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Operations: |
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Victories: | None |
German submarine U-459 was a
Her keel was laid down on 22 November 1940 by Deutsche Werke in Kiel as yard number 290. The submarine was launched on 13 September 1941 and commissioned on 15 November, with Kapitänleutnant Georg von Wilamowitz-Moellendorff in command; he remained in charge until the boat was lost, receiving promotion to Korvettenkapitän in the process.[2]
Design
The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 14.4–14.9 knots (26.7–27.6 km/h; 16.6–17.1 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 6.2 knots (11.5 km/h; 7.1 mph).
Operational career
U-459 conducted six patrols, but as a supply boat, she avoided combat.[4] The submarine initially served in the 4th U-boat Flotilla, for training, before moving on to the 10th (in April 1942) and the 12th flotillas (in November of the same year), for operations.
First and second patrols
Having moved from Kiel to
Her second patrol began on 6 June 1942. It was at about this time that von Wilamowitz-Moellendorf was promoted to Korvettenkapitän.
Third and fourth patrols
Her third foray saw the boat sail into the south Atlantic, as far as Namibia. She departed St. Nazaire on 18 August 1942 and returned on 4 November.
Her fourth patrol was her longest, from 20 December 1942 to 7 March 1943, a total of 78 days. She started in St. Nazaire and finished in Bordeaux. This voyage included sailing toward Cameroon, the boat's nearest position to that country was reached on 18 January 1943. On 4 September 1942 U-459 shared rations with the survivors in a lifeboat from the sunken freighter SS California which had been torpedoed by Italian sub Reginaldo Giuliani 13 August 1942[5]
Fifth and sixth patrols and loss
Her fifth patrol began when she left Bordeaux on 20 April 1943. On 30 May, she shot down a British
She returned to her French base on 30 May.
After departing Bordeaux on 22 July 1943, U-459 was attacked on 24 July near
Wolfpacks
U-459 took part in one
- Eisbär(25 August – 1 September 1942)
References
- ^ Kemp 1999, p. 134.
- ^ a b c d Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type XIV boat U-459". German U-boats of WWII – uboat.net. Retrieved 2 December 2009.
- ^ a b c d Gröner 1991, p. 79.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "War Patrols by German U-boat U-459". German U-boats of WWII – uboat.net. Retrieved 2 December 2009.
- ^ U-Boat archive
- ISBN 978-1442232853. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
Bibliography
- 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.
- Kemp, Paul (1999). U-Boats Destroyed – German Submarine Losses in the World Wars. London: Arms & Armour. ISBN 1-85409-515-3.
External links
- Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type XIV boat U-459". German U-boats of WWII – uboat.net. Retrieved 2 December 2009.