German submarine U-590

Last updated

History
War ensign of Germany (1938-1945).svg Nazi Germany
NameU-590
Ordered16 January 1940
Builder Blohm & Voss, Hamburg
Yard number566
Laid down31 October 1940
Launched6 August 1941
Commissioned2 October 1941
FateSunk by a US aircraft on 9 July 1943 [1]
General characteristics
Class and type Type VIIC submarine
Displacement
Length
Beam
  • 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in) o/a
  • 4.70 m (15 ft 5 in) pressure hull
Height9.60 m (31 ft 6 in)
Draught4.74 m (15 ft 7 in)
Installed power
  • 2,800–3,200 PS (2,100–2,400 kW; 2,800–3,200 bhp) (diesels)
  • 750 PS (550 kW; 740 shp) (electric)
Propulsion
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)
Complement4 officers, 40–56 enlisted
Armament
Service record [2]
Part of:
Identification codes: M 23 773
Commanders:
  • Kptlt. Heinrich Müller-Edzards
  • 2 October 1941 – 7 June 1943
  • Oblt.z.S. Werner Kruer
  • 8 June – 9 July 1943
Operations:
  • 5 patrols:
  • 1st patrol:
  • 4 – 17 April 1942
  • 2nd patrol:
  • 3 May – 25 June 1942
  • 3rd patrol:
  • 11 August – 24 November 1942
  • 4th patrol:
  • 31 January – 12 April 1943
  • 5th patrol:
  • 8 June – 9 July 1943
Victories:
  • 1 merchant ship sunk
    (5,228  GRT)
  • 1 merchant ship damaged
    (5,464  GRT)

German submarine U-590 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

Contents

She carried out five patrols, was a member of six wolfpacks, sank one ship of 5,228  GRT and damaged one other of 5,464  GRT.

The boat was sunk by depth charges from a US aircraft on 9 July 1943.

Design

German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-590 had a displacement of 769 tonnes (757 long tons) when at the surface and 871 tonnes (857 long tons) while submerged. [3] 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 Brown, Boveri & Cie GG UB 720/8 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). [3]

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). [3] 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-590 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 a 2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty. [3]

Service history

The submarine was laid down on 31 October 1940 at Blohm & Voss, Hamburg as yard number 566, launched on 6 August 1941 and commissioned on 2 October under the command of Heinrich Müller-Edzards.

She served with the 6th U-boat Flotilla from 2 October 1941 for training and stayed with that organization for operations from 1 April 1942 until her loss.

First and second patrols

U-590's first patrol was from Kiel on 4 April 1942. She headed for the Atlantic Ocean via the gap separating the Faroe and Shetland Islands. The boat arrived in St. Nazaire (from where she would be based for the rest of her career), in occupied France on the 17th.

Her second sortie was to mid-Atlantic but was relatively uneventful.

Third patrol

U-590 left St. Nazaire on 11 August 1942 for what was, at 106 days, her longest patrol. By the 28th she had still not left the Bay of Biscay. The boat headed west on 1 September. She steamed south, so that on 14 September she was off Western Sahara. She reached the most southerly point of the patrol (off Sierra Leone and Liberia), on 9 October. The return journey saw her southeast of the Cape Verde Islands on 1 November. She returned to St. Nazaire without any success on 24 November.

Fourth patrol

The boat had left St. Nazaire on 31 January 1943, but it was not until 11 March that she encountered and damaged the Jamaica Producer. Although believed sunk, the ship managed to reach port; she was repaired and returned to service in May 1943. This ship survived the war.

Eleven days later (21 March), a crew member broke an arm in mid-Atlantic.

Fifth patrol and loss

The submarine sank the Pelotaslóide near the mouth of the Amazon in Brazil on 4 July 1943. The ship had been waiting for tugs before entering Salinas.

U-590 was sunk by depth charges, in position 03°22′N48°38′W / 3.367°N 48.633°W / 3.367; -48.633 , dropped from a US PBY Catalina amphibian from VP-94 on 9 July 1943 near the Amazon Estuary. Forty-five men died with U-590; there were no survivors.

Wolfpacks

U-590 took part in six wolfpacks, namely:

Summary of raiding history

DateShip NameNationalityTonnage
(GRT)
Fate [4]
11 March 1943 Jamaica Producer Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 5,464Damaged
4 July 1943 Pelotaslóide Flag of Brazil (1889-1960).svg  Brazil 5,228Sunk

Related Research Articles

German submarine U-98 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II, operating from March 1941 until she was sunk in November 1942.

German submarine U-268 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II.

German submarine U-340 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

German submarine U-438 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

German submarine U-759 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 15 November 1940 at the Kriegsmarinewerft yard at Wilhelmshaven, launched on 30 May 1942, and commissioned on 15 August 1942 under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Rudolf Friedrich.

German submarine U-338 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 4 April 1941 at the Nordseewerke yard at Emden, launched on 20 April 1942, and commissioned on 25 June 1942 under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Manfred Kinzel.

German submarine <i>U-751</i> German World War II submarine

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-758 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II. Commissioned on 5 May 1942, she served with the 6th U-boat Flotilla until 1 November as a training boat, and as a front boat until 14 October 1944 mostly under the command of Kapitänleutnant Helmut Manseck before joining the 33rd U-boat Flotilla as a training boat for the remainder of her service in the war.

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-442 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

German submarine U-226 was a Type VIIC U-boat that served with the Kriegsmarine during World War II. Laid down on 1 August 1941 as yard number 656 at F. Krupp Germaniawerft in Kiel, she was launched on 18 June 1942 and commissioned on 1 August under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Albrecht Gänge.

German submarine U-264 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 21 June 1941 at the Bremer-Vulkan-Vegesacker Werft (yard) in Bremen as yard number 29. She was launched on 2 April 1942 and commissioned on 22 May under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Hartwig Looks.

German submarine U-266 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 1 August 1941 at Bremer-Vulkan-Vegesacker Werft in Bremen as yard number 31. She was launched on 11 May 1942 and commissioned on 24 June under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Hannes Leinemann.

German submarine U-302 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 2 April 1941 at the Flender Werke yard at Lübeck as yard number 302, launched on 25 April 1942 and commissioned on 16 June under the command of Kapitänleutnant Herbert Sackel.

German submarine U-306 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 16 September 1941 at the Flender Werke yard at Lübeck as yard number 306, launched on 29 August 1942 and commissioned on 21 October under the command of Oberleutnant Claus von Trotha.

German submarine U-358 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

German submarine U-390 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

German submarine U-465 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

German submarine U-578 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

German submarine U-598 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

References

  1. Kemp 1997, p. 129.
  2. Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-589". German U-boats of WWII – uboat.net. Retrieved 13 October 2012.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Gröner 1991, pp. 43–46.
  4. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-590". German U-boats of WWII – uboat.net. Retrieved 3 February 2014.

Bibliography