History | |
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Name | U-476 |
Ordered | 10 April 1941 |
Builder | Deutsche Werke,Kiel |
Yard number | 307 |
Laid down | 19 September 1942 |
Launched | 5 June 1943 |
Commissioned | 28 July 1943 |
Fate | Damaged by a British aircraft, northeast ofTrondheim on 24 May 1944; then scuttled by a German U-boat on 25 May 1944[1][2] |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Type VIICsubmarine |
Displacement | |
Length |
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Beam |
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Height | 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in) |
Draught | 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in) |
Installed power |
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Propulsion |
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Speed |
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Range | |
Test depth |
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Complement | 4 officers, 40–56 enlisted |
Armament |
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Service record[1] | |
Part of: |
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Identification codes: | M 54 252 |
Commanders: |
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Operations: |
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Victories: | None |
German submarineU-476 was aType VIICU-boat ofNazi Germany'sKriegsmarine duringWorld War II.
She carried out one patrol. She sank no ships.
She was damaged by a British aircraft northwest ofTrondheim on 24 May 1944, then scuttled by a German U-boat on 25 May 1944.[1][2]
German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorterType VIIB submarines.U-476 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, twoSiemens-Schuckert GU 343/38–8double-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-476 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), one3.7 cm (1.5 in) Flak M42 and two twin2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft guns. The boat had acomplement of between forty-four and sixty.[3]
The submarine waslaid down on 19 September 1942 at theDeutsche Werke inKiel as yard number 307,launched on 5 June 1943 andcommissioned on 28 July under the command ofOberleutnant zur See Otto Niethmann.
She served with the5th U-boat Flotilla from 28 July 1943 for training and the3rd flotilla from 1 April 1944 for operations.
U-476's only patrol was preceded by a short trip fromKiel in Germany toBergen in Norway. The patrol itself began with the boat's departure from Bergen on 20 May 1944.
On the 24th she was attacked by a BritishPBY Catalina flying boat ofNo. 210 Squadron RAF. The damage inflicted was so serious thatU-990 scuttled the boat with atorpedo the following day.U-990 had also rescued the survivors, but salvation was short-lived; she was sunk later-on, on the 25th.
Thirty-four men went down withU-476; there were twenty-one survivors.[1]