German submarine U-574
| History | |
|---|---|
 Nazi Germany | |
| Name | U-574 |
| Ordered | 24 October 1939 |
| Builder | Blohm & Voss, Hamburg |
| Yard number | 550 |
| Laid down | 15 June 1940 |
| Launched | 12 April 1941 |
| Commissioned | 12 June 1941 |
| Fate | Sunk by a British warship on 19 December 1941[1] |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Type VIIC submarine |
| Displacement | |
| Length |
|
| Beam |
|
| Height | 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in) |
| Draught | 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in) |
| Installed power |
|
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed |
|
| Range | |
| Test depth |
|
| Complement | 4 officers, 40–56 enlisted |
| Armament |
|
| Service record[2] | |
| Part of: |
|
| Identification codes: | M 43 973 |
| Commanders: |
|
| Operations: |
|
| Victories: |
1 warship sunk (1,190 tons) |
German submarine U-574 was a
Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. She carried out one war patrol (partaking in two wolfpacks
) and sank one warship of 1,190 tons. The U-boat was sunk west of Portugal on 19 December 1941.
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 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).2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.[3]
Service history
The submarine was
Blohm & Voss, Hamburg as yard number 550, launched on 12 April 1941 and commissioned on 12 June under the command of Oberleutnant zur See
Dietrich Gengelbach.
She served with the 1st U-boat Flotilla from 12 June 1941 for training and stayed with that organization for operations until her loss, from 1 November 1941 until 19 December.
Operational career
Patrol and loss
The boat departed Kiel on 8 November 1941, moved through the North Sea, negotiated the gap between Iceland and the Faroe Islands and entered the Atlantic Ocean.
Just after sinking her only victim, the
Punta Delgada by depth charges and ramming by the British sloop HMS Stork, the lead ship of the escort under the command of Frederic John Walker
, on 19 December 1941. The boat was scuttled; the captain, Dietrich Gengelbach, refused to leave the submarine and went down with her.
Twenty-eight men died; there were 16 survivors.
Wolfpacks
U-574 took part in two wolfpacks, namely:
- Steuben (14 November – 1 December 1941)
- Seeräuber (14 – 19 December 1941)
Summary of raiding history
| Date | Ship Name | Nationality | Tonnage[Note 1] | Fate[4] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 December 1941 | HMS Stanley |  Royal Navy
|
1,190 | Sunk |
References
Notes
- gross register tons. Military vessels are listed by tons displacement.
Citations
- ^ Kemp 1997, p. 76.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-574". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 7 October 2012.
- ^ a b c d Gröner 1991, pp. 43–46.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-574". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 3 February 2014.
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). Der U-Boot-Krieg, 1939-1945: Deutsche U-Boot-Verluste von September 1939 bis Mai 1945 [German U-boat losses from September 1939 to May 1945] (in German). Vol. IV. Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn: Mittler. ISBN 3-8132-0514-2.
- Gröner, Eric; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). German Warships 1815-1945: U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. Vol. 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-574". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
