German submarine U-484

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History
Nazi Germany
NameU-484
Ordered5 June 1941
BuilderDeutsche Werke, Kiel
Yard number319
Laid down27 March 1943
Launched20 November 1943
Commissioned19 January 1944
FateSunk by British warships northwest of Ireland on 9 September 1944[1][2]
General characteristics
Class and type
Type VIIC submarine
Displacement
Length
  • 67.23 m (220 ft 7 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 49 010
Commanders:
  • K.Kapt.
    Wolf-Axel Schaefer
  • 19 January – 9 September 1944
Operations:
  • 1 patrol:
  • 14 August – 9 September 1944
Victories: None

German submarine U-484 was a

.

She carried out one patrol. She sank no ships.

She was sunk by British warships northwest of Ireland on 9 September 1944.[2]

Design

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).[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).

2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft guns. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.[3]

Service history

The submarine was laid down on 27 March 1943 at the Deutsche Werke in Kiel as yard number 319, launched on 20 November and commissioned on 19 January 1944 under the command of Korvettenkapitän Wolf-Axel Schaefer.

She served with the 5th U-boat Flotilla from 19 January 1944 for training and the 3rd flotilla from 1 August for operations.

Patrol and loss

U-484's only patrol was preceded by a short trip from Kiel in Germany to Horten Naval Base (south of Oslo), in Norway. The patrol itself began with the boat's departure from Horten on 14 August 1944. She passed through the gap separating Iceland and the Faroe Islands and was shortly afterwards attacked and sunk by depth charges dropped by two British warships, the corvette HMS Portchester Castle and the frigate HMS Helmsdale on 9 September 1944.

Fifty-two men went down with U-484; there were no survivors.[1][2]

Previously recorded fate

Sunk on 9 September 1944 by depth charges from two Canadian warships, the corvette HMCS Dunver and the frigate HMCS Hespeler. This attack was on a non-submarine target.

References

  1. ^ a b c Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-477". German U-boats of WWII – uboat.net. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
  2. ^ a b c Kemp 1999, p. 217.
  3. ^ a b c d Gröner 1991, pp. 43–46.

Bibliography

External links