German submarine U-489
| Career (Nazi Germany) |  |
|---|---|
| Name: | U-489 |
| Ordered: | 17 July 1941 |
| Builder: | Germaniawerft, Kiel |
| Yard number: | 558 |
| Laid down: | 28 January 1942 |
| Launched: | 24 December 1942 |
| Commissioned: | 8 March 1943 |
| Fate: | Sunk, 4 August 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 (8 March–31 July 1943) 12th U-boat Flotilla (1–4 August 1943) |
| Commanders: |
Oblt.z.S. Adalbert Schmandt (8 March–4 August 1943) |
| Operations: | 1st patrol: 22 July–4 August 1943 |
| Victories: | None |
German submarine U-489 was a Type XIV supply and replenishment U-boat ("Milchkuh") of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.
Her keel was laid down on 28 January 1942, by Germaniawerft of Kiel as yard number 558. She was launched on 24 December 1942 and commissioned on 8 March 1943, with Leutnant zur See Adalbert Schmandt in command. He remained in command throughout the boat's short career.[3]
The U-boat's service life commenced with the 4th U-boat Flotilla from 8 March 31 July 1943 (for training). She then served, for operations, with the 12th flotilla.
Operational career
U-489 's first patrol began with her departure from Kiel on 2 July 1943. She headed for the Atlantic by way of the so-called Faeroes Gap between Iceland and the Faeroe Islands, north of the British Isles.
She was attacked by a PBY Catalina flying boat of 190 Squadron, RAF on 3 August. During the action, the 'Cat' was hit twice and retired. Her crew were obliged to jettison depth charges and on their return, found the rudder cables almost severed. Her place was taken by a Lockheed Hudson of 269 Squadron, which succeeded in damaging U-489.
Although as a supply boat, she avoided combat, she was lost on her first patrol when on 4 August, she was attacked by a Canadian Sunderland flying boat of 420 Squadron, RCAF southeast of Iceland. The Sunderland was shot down, five of the eleven man crew were killed; U-489 was sunk. 53 of her crew escaped. All the survivors were picked up by the destroyers HMS Castleton and Orwell; they had both observed the attack.[3]
References
- ↑ Kemp 1999, p. 139.
- ↑ Gröner 1985, pp. 118-9.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type XIV boat U-489". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 2009-12-07.
- ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "War Patrols by German U-boat U-489". 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-489". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
- U-489 at ubootwaffe.net