German submarine U-609
| Career (Nazi Germany) |  |
|---|---|
| Name: | U-609 |
| Ordered: | 22 May 1940 |
| Builder: | Blohm & Voss, Hamburg |
| Yard number: | 585 |
| Laid down: | 7 April 1941 |
| Launched: | 23 December 1941 |
| Commissioned: | 12 February 1942 |
| Fate: | Sunk 7 February 1943 in the North Atlantic in position 55°17′N 26°38′W / 55.283°N 26.633°WCoordinates: 55°17′N 26°38′W / 55.283°N 26.633°W, by depth charges from FFNF Lobelia. |
| 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: |
|
| Service record[2] | |
|---|---|
| Part of: |
5th U-boat Flotilla (12 February 1942 - 31 July 1942) - Training 6th U-boat Flotilla (1 August 1942 - 7 February 1943) |
| Commanders: |
Oblt.z.S. Klaus Rudloff (12 February 1942 - 7 February 1943) |
| Operations: |
1st patrol: 16 July - 10 September 1942 2nd patrol: 6–22 October 1942 3rd patrol: 30 November - 23 December 1942 4th patrol: 16 January - 7 February 1943 |
| Victories: | 2 merchant ships sunk (10,288 GRT) |
German submarine U-609 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II. She was laid down on 7 April 1941 by Blohm & Voss, Hamburg as yard number 585, launched on 23 December 1941 and commissioned on 12 February 1942 under Oberleutnant zur See Klaus Rudloff.
Service History
The boat's career began with training at 5th U-boat Flotilla on 12 February 1942, followed by active service on 1 December 1942 as part of the 1st Flotilla for the remainder of her service.
In four patrols she sank two merchant ships, for a total of 10,288 gross register tons (GRT).
Wolfpacks
U-609 took part in six wolfpacks, namely
- Vorwärts (25 August – 1 September 1942)
- Panther (13–16 October 1942)
- Draufgänger (6–11 December 1942)
- Raufbold (11–18 December 1942)
- Landsknecht (19–28 January 1943)
- Pfeil (1–7 February 1943)
Fate
U-609 was sunk on 7 February 1943 in the North Atlantic in position 55°17′N 26°38′W / 55.283°N 26.633°W, by depth charges from the Free French corvette FFNF Lobelia. All hands were lost.
Summary of raiding career
| Date | Name | Nationality | Tonnage (GRT) |
Fate[3]|- | 31 August 1942 | Capira |  Panama |
5,625 | Sunk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 August 1942 | Bronxville |  Norway |
4,663 | Sunk |
References
- ↑ Gröner 1985, pp. 72-74.
- ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-609". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 23 August 2014.
- ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-609". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 23 August 2014.
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.
- Edwards, Bernard (1996). Dönitz and the Wolf Packs - The U-boats at War. pp. 103, 104, 144, 148, 149. 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-609". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 29 December 2014.