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German submarineU-444

Coordinates:51°14′N29°18′W / 51.233°N 29.300°W /51.233; -29.300
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
German World War II submarine

History
Nazi Germany
NameU-444
Ordered13 April 1940
BuilderSchichau-Werke,Danzig
Yard number1499
Laid down10 February 1941
Launched26 February 1942
Commissioned9 May 1942
FateSunk on 11 March 1943[1]
General characteristics
Class & typeType VIICsubmarine
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
  • 17.7knots (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 46 179
Commanders:
  • Oblt.z.S. Albert Langfeld
  • 9 May 1942 – 11 March 1943
Operations:
  • 2 patrols:
  • 1st patrol:
  • 17 December 1942 – 3 February 1943
  • 2nd patrol:
  • 1 – 11 March 1943
Victories:None

German submarineU-444 was aType VIICU-boat ofNazi Germany'sKriegsmarine duringWorld War II.

She carried out two patrols, and was a member of threewolfpacks, but sank no ships.

She was sunk by Allied warships in mid-Atlantic on 11 March 1943.[1]

Design

[edit]

German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorterType VIIB submarines.U-444 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), apressure hull length of 50.50 m (165 ft 8 in), abeam of 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in), a height of 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in), and adraught of 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in). The submarine was powered by twoGermaniawerft F46 four-stroke, six-cylindersuperchargeddiesel 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, twoAEG GU 460/8–27double-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-444 was fitted with five 53.3 cm (21 in)torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and one at the stern), fourteentorpedoes, one8.8 cm (3.46 in) SK C/35 naval gun, 220 rounds, and a2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft gun. The boat had acomplement of between forty-four and sixty.[3]

Service history

[edit]

The submarine waslaid down on 10 February 1941 atSchichau-Werke inDanzig (now Gdansk) as yard number 1499,launched on 26 February 1942 andcommissioned on 9 May under the command ofOberleutnant zur See Albert Langfeld.

She served with the8th U-boat Flotilla from 9 May 1942 for training, during which timeU-444 accidentally rammed and sankU-612, and the3rd flotilla from 1 January 1943 for operations.

First patrol

[edit]

U-444's first patrol began fromKiel in Germany on 17 December 1942. She headed for the Atlantic Ocean, via thegap separating theFaroe andShetland Islands. She arrived atLa Pallice in occupied France on 3 February 1943.

Second patrol and loss

[edit]

U-444 left La Pallice on 1 March 1943; on the 11th she was sunk in mid-Atlantic by a combination ofdepth charges and ramming by the British destroyerHMS Harvester and the FreeFrench corvette Aconit.

Forty-one men went down withU-444; there were four survivors.[1][2]

Wolfpacks

[edit]

U-444 took part in threewolfpacks, namely:

  • Falke (28 December 1942 – 19 January 1943)
  • Landsknecht (19 – 24 January 1943)
  • Neuland (8 – 11 March 1943)

References

[edit]
  1. ^abcKemp 1999, p. 106.
  2. ^abHelgason, Guðmundur."The Type VIIC boat U-444".German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved21 September 2012.
  3. ^abcdGröner 1991, pp. 43–46.

Bibliography

[edit]
  • Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (1999).German U-boat commanders of World War II : a biographical dictionary. Translated by Brooks, Geoffrey. London, Annapolis, Md: Greenhill Books, Naval Institute Press.ISBN 1-55750-186-6.
  • Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (1999).Deutsche U-Boot-Verluste von September 1939 bis Mai 1945 [German U-boat losses from September 1939 to May 1945]. Der U-Boot-Krieg (in German). Vol. IV. Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn: Mittler.ISBN 3-8132-0514-2.
  • Gröner, Erich; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991).U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. German Warships 1815–1945. Vol. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press.ISBN 0-85177-593-4.
  • Kemp, Paul (1999).U-Boats Destroyed - German Submarine Losses in the World Wars. London: Arms & Armour.ISBN 1-85409-515-3.

External links

[edit]
Type VIIA
Type VIIB
Type VIIC
Type VIIC/41
Type VIID
Type VIIF
Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in August 1942
Shipwrecks
Other incidents
Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in March 1943
Shipwrecks
Other incidents

51°14′N29°18′W / 51.233°N 29.300°W /51.233; -29.300

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