German submarine U-580

Coordinates: 55°45′00″N 20°40′00″E / 55.7500°N 20.6667°E / 55.7500; 20.6667
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
History
Nazi Germany
NameU-580
Ordered8 January 1940
Builder
Blohm & Voss, Hamburg
Yard number556
Laid down31 August 1940
Launched28 May 1941
Commissioned24 July 1941
FateSunk after a collision in the Baltic Sea on 11 November 1941
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 46 323
Commanders:
  • Oblt.z.S.
    Hans-Günther Kuhlmann
  • 24 July – 11 November 1941
Operations: None
Victories: None

German submarine U-580 was a

.

She carried out no patrols and sank no ships.

She was sunk after a collision in the Baltic Sea on 11 November 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).[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

Blohm & Voss, Hamburg as yard number 556, launched on 28 May 1941 and commissioned on 24 July under the command of Oberleutnant zur See
Hans-Günther Kuhlmann.

She served with the 5th U-boat Flotilla from 24 July 1941.

Fate

U-580 was sunk after a collision with the target ship Angelburg in the Baltic Sea on 11 November 1941.

Twelve men died and there were 32 survivors. Obermaat Walter Sagawe saved three sailors, but he sank with U-580. We have this Information in a Letter from Kommandant Kuhlmann.

U-580 was found in the

Baltic sea near Lithuanian port city of Klaipėda on 1 July 2013 [3] by a Lithuanian diving team.[4]

References

  1. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-580". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 9 October 2012.
  2. ^ a b c d Gröner 1991, pp. 43–46.
  3. ^ "Įspūdingas radinys: ties Klaipėda rastas 800 tonų sveriantis nacių povandeninis laivas". tv.lrytas.lt. 2 July 2013.
  4. ^ "U-580 submarine". Vimeo.

Bibliography

External links

55°45′00″N 20°40′00″E / 55.7500°N 20.6667°E / 55.7500; 20.6667