Unterseeboot 549

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U-549 was a Type IXC/40 submarine operated by Germany during World War II.

Career (Germany) Kriegsmarine Jack
Name: U-549
Ordered: 5 Jun 1941
Builder: Deutsche Werft AG, Hamburg-Finkenwärder
Laid down: 28 Sep 1942
Launched: 28 Apr 1943
Commissioned: 14 Jul 1943
Fate: Sunk 29 May 1944 off the Canary Islands
General characteristics
Class and type: Type IXC/40
Type: submarine
Tonnage: surfaced 1120 t, submerged 1232 t
Length: overall 76.8 m, pressure hull 58.7 m
Beam: overall 6.9 m, pressure hull 4.4 m
Height: 9.6 m
Draft: 4.7 m
Ice class: Diesel/Electric, 2x MAN M9V40/46 supercharged 9 cylinder diesel engines, 4,400 hp (3,300kW), 2xSSW GU345/34 double acting electric motors, 1000 hp (740kW)
Speed: surfaced 19 knots (35 km/h), submerged 7.3 knots (13.5 km/h)
Range: surfaced 13,850 miles at 10 knots (25,620 km at 19 km/h), submerged 63 miles at 4 knots (117 km at 7 km/h)
Crew: 48 to 56 men
Armament: Torpedo tubes: 4 bow, 2 stern (22 x 55 cm {21.7in} torpedoes), Deck gun: Utof 105/45 with 110 rounds


On 29 May 1944 U-549 damaged the destroyer escort USS Barr and then sank the escort carrier USS Block Island. Later that same day U-549 was sunk by USS Eugene E. Elmore (DE-686) and USS Ahrens (DE-575). Commanded by Detlev Krankenhagen.

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