History | |
---|---|
Nazi Germany | |
Name | U-413 |
Ordered | 15 August 1940 |
Builder | Danziger Werft, Danzig |
Yard number | 114 |
Laid down | 25 April 1941 |
Launched | 15 January 1942 |
Commissioned | 3 June 1942 |
Fate | Sunk on 20 August 1944 in the Cornish corridor, 15 miles off the coast near Padstow, by a naval mine. 45 dead and one survivor [1] |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Type VIIC submarine |
Displacement | |
Length |
|
Beam |
|
Height | 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in) |
Draught | 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in) |
Installed power |
|
Propulsion |
|
Speed |
|
Range | |
Test depth |
|
Complement | 4 officers, 40–56 enlisted |
Armament |
|
Service record | |
Part of: |
|
Identification codes: | M 03 918 |
Commanders: |
|
Operations: |
|
Victories: |
|
German submarine U-413 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II.
She was laid down on 25 April 1941 at the Danziger Werft (as yard number 114), launched on 15 January 1942 and commissioned on 3 June, with Oberleutnant zur See Gustav Poel in command. Poel commanded her (receiving promotion to Kapitänleutnant ), until 19 April 1944, when he was relieved by Oberleutnant zur See Dietrich Sachse who commanded her until her loss. She conducted seven patrols in World War II, sinking six ships totalling 36,885 gross register tons (GRT) and 1,100 tons.
German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-413 had a displacement of 769 tonnes (757 long tons) when at the surface and 871 tonnes (857 long tons) while submerged. [2] She had a total length of 67.10 m (220 ft 2 in), a pressure hull length of 50.50 m (165 ft 8 in), a beam of 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in), a height of 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in), and a draught of 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in). The submarine was powered by two Germaniawerft F46 four-stroke, six-cylinder supercharged diesel engines producing a total of 2,800 to 3,200 metric horsepower (2,060 to 2,350 kW; 2,760 to 3,160 shp) for use while surfaced, two Siemens-Schuckert GU 343/38–8 double-acting electric motors producing a total of 750 metric horsepower (550 kW; 740 shp) for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 1.23 m (4 ft) propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to 230 metres (750 ft). [2]
The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 17.7 knots (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 7.6 knots (14.1 km/h; 8.7 mph). [2] When submerged, the boat could operate for 80 nautical miles (150 km; 92 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 8,500 nautical miles (15,700 km; 9,800 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). U-413 was fitted with five 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and one at the stern), fourteen torpedoes, one 8.8 cm (3.46 in) SK C/35 naval gun, 220 rounds, and one 2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty. [2]
The U-boat departed Kiel on 22 October 1942, on her first patrol.
On 14 November 1942, she sank the 20,107 GRT troop transport ship MV Warwick Castle (one of the largest sunk in World War II).
At 08:44, the ship, under the command of Henry Richard Leepman-Shaw in Convoy MKF-1X was hit by one of two torpedoes fired, about 200 nautical miles (370 km; 230 mi) NW of Cape Espichel, Portugal. The U-boat hit her again at 08:57, causing the ship to sink about one hour later. The master, 61 crew members and 34 service personnel died. 201 crew members, 29 gunners and five naval and 131 service personnel were rescued by HMS Achates, HMS Vansittart, HMCS Louisburg, and the British MV Leinster. The latter ship had been in Convoy KMF-1 for Operation Torch (the invasion of North Africa).
On 19 November 1942, U-413 was attacked by a British Lockheed Hudson aircraft with five bombs and was damaged so severely that she had to return to a new base - Brest in occupied France.
Her second patrol was marked by sinking the American ship West Portal in mid-Atlantic on 5 February 1943; there were no survivors. She also attacked and sank the Greek Mount Mycale on 22 January 1943, northeast of Newfoundland.
Her third patrol saw her leave Brest on 29 March 1943, once more for the Atlantic. There, she sank the British vessel Wanstead south of Greenland, whose survivors were picked up by the corvette HMS Poppy and the ASW (anti-submarine warfare) HMS Northern Gift.
Her fourth sortie was a frustrating one; it was split into three parts, but she failed to sink any ships.
On 20 February 1944, she sank the British 1,100 tons destroyer HMS Warwick about 15 miles off Trevose Head, north Cornwall. This was Poel's last patrol. He moved to the Naval Academy Mürwik in Flensburg.
Her last victory was when she sank Saint Enogat on 19 August 1944 in the English Channel.
U-413 did not suffer any casualties until 20 August 1944, when she was sunk, by one of the 115 strategically placed Naval Mines in the Cornish corridor 15 miles off the coast from Padstow. 45 of her crew were killed; there was one survivor.
The wreck of U-413 was located and identified by marine archaeologist Innes McCartney in 2000 close to the official sinking position.
U-413 took part in 15 wolfpacks, namely:
Neal Stephenson's novel Cryptonomicon features a fictitious U-413, a milchkuh (supply boat).
Date | Ship Name | Nationality | Tonnage [Note 1] | Fate [3] |
---|---|---|---|---|
14 November 1942 | Warwick Castle | United Kingdom | 20,107 | Sunk |
22 January 1943 | Mount Mycale | Greece | 3,556 | Sunk |
5 February 1943 | West Portal | United States | 5,376 | Sunk |
21 April 1943 | Wanstead | United Kingdom | 5,486 | Sunk |
21 April 1944 | HMS Warwick | Royal Navy | 1,100 | Sunk |
19 August 1944 | Saint Enogat | United Kingdom | 2,360 | Sunk |
German submarine U-566 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 30 March 1940 at the Blohm & Voss yard in Hamburg as yard number 542, launched on 20 February 1941 and commissioned on 17 April under the command of Kapitänleutnant Dietrich Borchert.
German submarine U-86 was a Type VIIB U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.
German submarine U-596 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II. She was laid down on 4 January 1941 by Blohm & Voss in Hamburg as yard number 572, launched on 17 September 1941 and commissioned on 13 November under Kapitänleutnant Gunter Jahn. He was replaced on 28 July 1943 by Oberleutnant zur See Victor-Whilhelm Nonn who was superseded by Oblt.z.S. Hans Kolbus in July 1944.
German submarine U-443 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II.
German submarine U-89 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.
German submarine U-515 was a Type IXC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine built for service during World War II. She was commissioned on 21 February 1942 and sunk on 9 April 1944. U-515 completed seven operational patrols and sank 23 ships, badly damaged two ships which later sank, and damaged two additional ships.
German submarine U-564 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during the Second World War. The RAF sank her in the Bay of Biscay on 14 June 1943.
German submarine U-82 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.
German submarine U-751 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II. Built as yard number 134 of the Kriegsmarinewerft shipyard in Wilhelmshaven, she was commissioned on 31 January 1941. She served with 7th U-boat Flotilla until 1 June as a training boat, and as an operational boat until 17 July 1942, under the command of Kapitänleutnant Gerhard Bigalk. U-751 served in seven patrols with the 7th U-boat Flotilla, sinking the escort carrier HMS Audacity. The U-boat was attacked with depth charges from aircraft on 17 July 1942 and sank with the loss of all 48 crew members.
German submarine U-203 was a German Type VIIC submarine U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II.
German submarine U-482 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. She was laid down on 13 February 1942 at Deutsche Werke in Kiel as yard number 317 and went into service on 1 December 1943 under the command of Hartmut Graf von Matuschka, Freiherr von Toppolczan und Spaetgen.
German submarine U-410 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II, operating mainly in the Mediterranean. Her insignia was a sword & shield, she did not suffer any casualties until she was sunk.
German submarine U-97 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during the Second World War. She carried out thirteen patrols during her career, sinking sixteen ships and damaging a seventeenth. She was a member of two wolfpacks.
German submarine U-435 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II. She was laid down on 11 April 1940 by F Schichau GmbH in Danzig as yard number 1477, launched on 31 May 1941 and commissioned on 30 August 1941 under Korvettenkapitän Siegfried Strelow.
German submarine U-108 was a Type IXB U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine that operated during World War II. She was laid down at DeSchiMAG AG Weser in Bremen as yard number 971 on 27 December 1938, launched on 15 July 1940 and commissioned on 22 October under Korvettenkapitän Klaus Scholtz.
German submarine U-305 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 30 August 1941 at the Flender Werke yard at Lübeck as yard number 305, launched on 25 July 1942 and commissioned on 17 September under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Rudolf Bahr.
German submarine U-334 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 16 March 1940 at the Nordseewerke yard at Emden as yard number 206, launched on 15 August 1941 and commissioned on 9 October under the command of Kapitänleutnant Hilmar Siemon. During her career, the U-boat sailed on four combat patrols, sinking two ships of 14,372 gross register tons (GRT), before she was sunk on 14 June 1943.
German submarine U-358 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.
German submarine U-432 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.
German submarine U-436 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.