German submarine U-487
| Career (Nazi Germany) |  |
|---|---|
| Name: | U-487 |
| Ordered: | 17 July 1941 |
| Builder: | Germaniawerft, Kiel |
| Yard number: | 556 |
| Laid down: | 31 December 1941 |
| Launched: | 17 October 1942 |
| Commissioned: | 21 December 1942 |
| Fate: | Sunk, 13 July 1943[1] |
| General characteristics [2] | |
| Class and type: | German Type XIV submarine |
| Displacement: | 1,688 t (1,661 long tons) surfaced 1,932 t (1,901 long tons) submerged |
| Length: | 67.1 m (220 ft 2 in) o/a 48.51 m (159 ft 2 in) pressure hull |
| Beam: | 9.35 m (30 ft 8 in) o/a 4.9 m (16 ft 1 in) pressure hull |
| Height: | 11.7 m (38 ft 5 in) |
| Draft: | 6.51 m (21 ft 4 in) |
| Propulsion: | 2 × Germaniawerft F46 supercharged 6-cylinder diesel engines, 3,200 hp (2,400 kW) 2 × SSW Gu343/388-8 double-acting electric motors 750 hp (560 kW) |
| Speed: | 14.9 knots (27.6 km/h; 17.1 mph) surfaced 6.2 knots (11.5 km/h; 7.1 mph) submerged |
| Range: | 12,350 nmi (22,870 km; 14,210 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced 55 nautical miles (102 km; 63 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged |
| Test depth: | 240 m (790 ft) |
| Complement: | 53–60 men |
| Armament: | 2 × 37 mm AA guns 2 × 20 mm AA guns |
| Service record[3][4] | |
|---|---|
| Part of: |
4th U-boat Flotilla (21 December 1942–31 March 1943) 12th U-boat Flotilla (1 April 1943–13 July 1943) |
| Commanders: |
Oblt.z.S. Helmut Metz (21 December 1942–13 July 1943) |
| Operations: |
1st patrol: 27 March–12 May 1943 2nd patrol: 15 June–13 July 1943 |
| Victories: | None |
German submarine U-487 was a Type XIV supply and replenishment U-boat ("Milchkuh") of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.
Her keel was laid down 31 December 1941 by Germaniawerft in Kiel as yard number 556. She was launched on 17 October 1942 and commissioned on 21 December 1942 with Oberleutnant zur See Helmut Metz in command. Metz commanded the boat for its entire career.[3]
Her service began with training as part of the 4th U-boat Flotilla. She then joined the 12th flotilla for operations.
Operational career
U-487 conducted two patrols. As a supply boat, she avoided combat.[3]
1st patrol
The U-boat departed Kiel on 27 March 1943, heading for the mid-Atlantic. She arrived in Bordeaux, in occupied France on 12 May.
2nd patrol and loss
Her second patrol saw her leave Bordeaux on 15 June 1943. On 13 July, U-487 was attacked in the central Atlantic by five United States Navy TBF Avengers and F4F Wildcats from the escort carrier USS Core. The U-boat's crew were taken by surprise, so much so that sunbathers were seen on the casing.[1] One Wildcat was shot down, but 31 men were killed and the U-boat sunk. The 33 survivors were taken prisoner onboard USS Barker.[3]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Kemp 1999, pp. 130-1.
- ↑ Gröner 1985, pp. 118-9.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type XIV boat U-487". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 2009-12-07.
- ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "War Patrols by German U-boat U-487". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 2009-12-07.
Bibliography
- Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (1999). Deutsche U-Boot-Verluste von September 1939 bis Mai 1945. Der U-Boot-Krieg (in German) IV (Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn: Mittler). ISBN 3-8132-0514-2.
- Gröner, Erich (1985). U-Boote, Hilfskreuzer, Minenschiffe, Netzleger, Sperrbrecher. Die deutschen Kriegsschiffe 1815-1945 (in German) III (Koblenz: Bernard & Graefe). ISBN 3-7637-4802-4.
- Kemp, Paul (1999). U-Boats Destroyed - German Submarine Losses in the World Wars. London: Arms & Armour. ISBN 1-85409-515-3.
External links
- Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type XIV boat U-487". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
- U-487 at ubootwaffe.net