German submarine U-409
| Career (Nazi Germany) |  |
|---|---|
| Name: | U-409 |
| Ordered: | 30 October 1939 |
| Builder: | Danziger Werft, Danzig |
| Yard number: | 110 |
| Laid down: | 26 October 1940 |
| Launched: | 23 September 1941 |
| Commissioned: | 21 January 1942 |
| Fate: | Sunk 12 July 1943 in the Mediterranean in position 37°12′N 04°00′E / 37.200°N 4.000°E, by depth charges from HMS Inconstant. |
| General characteristics [1] | |
| Class and type: | Type VIIC submarine |
| Displacement: | 769 tonnes (757 long tons) surfaced 871 t (857 long tons) submerged |
| Length: | 67.1 m (220 ft 2 in) o/a 50.5 m (165 ft 8 in) pressure hull |
| Beam: | 6.2 m (20 ft 4 in) o/a 4.7 m (15 ft 5 in) pressure hull |
| Draft: | 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in) |
| Propulsion: | 2 × supercharged Germaniawerft 6-cylinder 4-stroke F46 diesel engines, totalling 2,800–3,200 bhp (2,100–2,400 kW). Max rpm: 470-490 2 × BBC GG UB 720/8 electric motors, totalling 750 shp (560 kW) and max rpm: 296 |
| 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) |
| Complement: | 44–52 officers & ratings |
| Armament: | 5 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (4 bow, 1 stern) 14 × torpedoes 1 × 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun (220 rounds) Various AA guns |
| Service record[2] | |
|---|---|
| Part of: |
5th U-boat Flotilla (21 January 1942 - 31 August 1942) - Training 9th U-boat Flotilla (1 September 1942 - 30 June 1943) 29th U-boat Flotilla (1 July 1943 - 12 July 1943) |
| Commanders: |
Oblt.z.S. Hanns-Ferdinand Massmann (21 January 1942 - 12 July 1943) |
| Operations: |
1st patrol: 18 August - 9 September 1942 2nd patrol: 13 October - 5 November 1942 3rd patrol: 7 December 1942 - 5 January 1943 4th patrol: 14 February - 12 April 1943 5th patrol: 18–21 May 1943 6th patrol: 29 June - 12 July 1943 |
| Victories: |
4 merchant ships sunk (24,961 GRT) 1 merchant ship damaged (7,519 GRT) 1 warship sunk (10 tons) – lost aboard transport ship |
German submarine U-409 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II. She was laid down on 26 October 1940 by Danziger Werft, Danzig as yard number 110, launched on 23 September 1941 and commissioned on 31 January 1942 under Oberleutnant zur See Hanns-Ferdinand Massmann.
Service History
The boat's career began with training at 5th U-boat Flotilla on 21 January 1942, followed by active service on 1 September 1942 as part of the 9th Flotilla. The following year, she transferred to 29th Flotilla for operations in the Mediterranean.
In six patrols she sank four merchant ships, for a total of 24,961 gross register tons (GRT), 1 merchant ship damaged 7,519 GRT, and one warship sunk whilst being transported.
Wolfpacks
U-409 took part in six wolfpacks, namely
- Vorwärts (25 August - 2 September 1942)
- Streitaxt (20 October - 1 November 1942)
- Raufbold (11–18 December 1942)
- Sturmbock (21–26 February 1943)
- Wildfang (26 February - 5 March 1943)
- Westmark (6–11 March 1943)
Fate
U-409 was sunk on 12 July 1943 in the Mediterranean NE of Algiers, in position 37°12′N 04°00′E / 37.200°N 4.000°ECoordinates: 37°12′N 04°00′E / 37.200°N 4.000°E, by depth charges from the Royal Navy destroyer HMS Inconstant.
Summary of raiding career
| Date | Name | Nationality | Tonnage (GRT) |
Fate[3] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 October 1942 | Bullmouth |  United Kingdom |
7,519 | Damaged |
| 30 October 1942 | Silverwillow | United Kingdom |
6,373 | Sunk |
| 9 March 1943 | Malantic |  United States |
3,837 | Sunk |
| 9 March 1943 | Rosewood | United Kingdom |
5,989 | Sunk |
| 4 July 1943 | City of Venice | United Kingdom |
8,762 | Sunk |
| 4 July 1943 | HMS LCE-14 |  Royal Navy |
10 | Sunk (transported on board City of Venice) |
See also
References
- ↑ Gröner 1985, pp. 72-74.
- ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-409". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
- ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-409". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
Bibliography
- Edwards, Bernard (1996). Dönitz and the Wolf Packs - The U-boats at War. pp. 117, 123, 171. ISBN 0-304-35203-9.
- Sharpe, Peter (1998). U-Boat Fact File. Great Britain: Midland Publishing. ISBN 1-85780-072-9.
External links
- Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-409". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 26 December 2014.