Unterseeboot 413
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Unterseeboot 413 was a Type VIIC submarine of the Kriegsmarine. Her keel was laid down on April 25, 1941 by Danziger Werft, of Danzig (Gdansk ). She was commissioned on June 3, 1942, with Oberleutnant zur See Gustav Poel in command. Poel commanded her (receiving a promotion to Kapitänleutnant) until April 19, 1944, when he was relieved by Oblt. Dietrich Sachse who commanded her until her loss.
[edit] Career
U-413 conducted eight patrols in World War II, sinking six ships totaling of 37,985 tons.
- On November 14, 1942, she sank the 20,107-ton troop transport ship Warwick Castle(one of the largest sunk in World War II).
At 8:44 am, the ship, under Master Henry Richard Leepman-Shaw in Convoy MKF-1X was hit by one of two torpedoes fired, about 200 miles northwest of Cape Espichel, Portugal. The U-boat hit her with two coups de grâce at 8:57 am that caused the ship to sink about one hour later. The master, 61 crew members and 34 service personnel died. 201 crew members, 29 gunners and 5 naval and 131 service personnel were rescued by HMS Achates(H 12), HMS Vansittart(D 64), HMCS Louisburg (K 143), and the British motor merchant Leinster. The ship had been in convoy KMF-1 for Operation Torch.
- On November 19, 1942, U-413 was attacked by a British Lockheed Hudson aircraft with five bombs and was damaged so severely that she had to return to base.
[edit] Fate
U-413 did not suffer any casualties until August 20, 1944, when she was sunk in the English Channel by depth charges from the British escort destroyer Wensleydale and the destroyers Forester and Vidette. 45 of her crew were killed; there was one survivor.
Neal Stephenson's novel Cryptonomicon features a fictitious U-413, a milchkuh.
See also: List of U-boats
