German submarine U-585
History | |
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Nazi Germany | |
Name | U-585 |
Ordered | 8 January 1940 |
Builder | Blohm & Voss, Hamburg |
Yard number | 561 |
Laid down | 1 October 1940 |
Launched | 9 July 1941 |
Commissioned | 28 August 1941 |
Fate | Sunk on 30 March 1942 by a German mine[1] |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Type VIIC submarine |
Displacement | |
Length |
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Beam |
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Height | 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in) |
Draught | 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in) |
Installed power |
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Propulsion |
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Speed |
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Range | |
Test depth |
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Complement | 4 officers, 40–56 enlisted |
Armament |
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Service record[2] | |
Part of: |
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Identification codes: | M 05 506 |
Commanders: |
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Operations: |
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Victories: | None |
German submarine U-585 was a
.She carried out four patrols, but sank no ships. She was a member of one wolfpack.
The boat was sunk by a drifting German
Design
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).
Service history
The submarine was
She served with the 6th U-boat Flotilla from 28 August 1941 for training and stayed with that organization for operations until her loss, from 1 December 1941 until 30 March 1942.
First patrol
U-585's first patrol was preceded by a trip to Trondheim then Neidenfjord [west northwest of Murmansk], both in Norway over Christmas and New Year's Eve 1941–42. The patrol itself started in Neidenfjord on 15 January 1942 and finished in Kirkenes on the 21st.
Second patrol
Her second foray was notable for the loss overboard of Fahnrich zur See [midshipman][4] Eberhard Vollmer on 5 February 1942 in the southern Barents Sea.
Third patrol
The boat was attacked with depth charges by three enemy ships northeast of Kirkenes on 24 March 1942. The damage to the forward torpedo tubes was serious enough to require the submarine to return to her base.
Fourth patrol and loss
While in Varanfjord, the Soviet submarine M-171 fired both of her torpedoes at an unknown, but outbound U-boat. This can only have been U-585, although she did not report any attack.
She was sunk on 30 March 1942 by a German mine that had drifted from the 'Bantos-A' barrage.
Forty-four men died with U-585; there were no survivors.
Previously recorded fate
U-585 was sunk on 29 March 1942 by the British destroyer HMS Fury. It was later ascertained that this attack was against U-378 and caused no damage.
The boat was also claimed to be sunk by the Soviet destroyer Gremyashiy on 30 March 1942. This attack was against U-435 and was also inconclusive.
References
- ^ Kemp 1997, p. 80.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-585". German U-boats of WWII – uboat.net. Retrieved 11 October 2012.
- ^ a b c d Gröner 1991, pp. 43–46.
- ISBN 9781861762900, p. 5
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-585". German U-boats of WWII – uboat.net. Retrieved 29 December 2014.