| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | U-483 |
| Ordered | 5 June 1941 |
| Builder | Deutsche Werke,Kiel |
| Yard number | 318 |
| Laid down | 20 March 1943 |
| Launched | 30 October 1943 |
| Commissioned | 22 December 1943 |
| Fate | Surrendered on 9 May 1945; sunk as part of OperationDeadlight on 16 December 1945 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Type VIICsubmarine |
| Displacement | |
| Length |
|
| Beam |
|
| Height | 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in) |
| Draught | 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in) |
| Installed power |
|
| Propulsion |
|
| 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 13 974 |
| Commanders |
|
| Operations |
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| Victories | 1 warship total loss (1,300 tons) |
German submarineU-483 was aType VIICU-boat ofNazi Germany'sKriegsmarine duringWorld War II.
She carried out two patrols. She caused one warship to be declared a total loss.
She surrendered on 9 May 1945; she was sunk as part of OperationDeadlight on 16 December 1945.
German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorterType VIIB submarines.U-483 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), 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).[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-483 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.[2]
The submarine waslaid down on 20 March 1943 atDeutsche Werke inKiel as yard number 318,launched on 30 October andcommissioned on 22 December under the command ofKapitänleutnant Hans-Joachim von Morstein.
She served with the5th U-boat Flotilla from 22 December 1943 for training and the3rd flotilla from 1 August 1944 for operations. She was reassigned to the11th flotilla on 5 September.
U-432's first patrol was preceded by short journeys from Kiel in Germany toHorten Naval Base (south of Oslo) and thenStavanger, both in Norway. The patrol itself began when the boat departed Stavanger on 3 October 1944. ASchnorchel [an underwater engine-functioning and breathing device], failure northwest of Scotland on the 12th resulted in the death of one man.
On 1 November 1944 shetorpedoed the British frigateHMS Whitaker offMalin Head, Ireland. The bows were blown off the US-built ship. The commander, all the other officers and 84 ratings died, but the ship did not sink. The fires were put out and the flooding was stopped. She was eventually towed toLondonderry Port, thenBelfast, but she was declared a total loss.
By now based atBergen, the boat left there for her second foray on 7 February 1945. According to one source, she managed to enter theIrish Sea.[1] She docked atTrondheim on 26 March.
U-483 surrendered in Trondheim on 9 May 1945. She was transferred toScapa Flow thenLoch Ryan in Scotland on 29 May for OperationDeadlight. She was sunk on 16 December by causes unknown.
| Date | Ship Name | Nationality | Tonnage[Note 1] | Fate[3] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 November 1944 | HMS Whitaker | 1,300 | Total loss |