| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | U-597 |
| Ordered | 16 January 1940 |
| Builder | Blohm & Voss,Hamburg |
| Yard number | 573 |
| Laid down | 13 January 1941 |
| Launched | 1 October 1941 |
| Commissioned | 20 November 1941 |
| Fate | Sunk southwest ofIceland by a British aircraft on 12 October 1942[1] |
| 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 |
|
| Range | |
| Test depth |
|
| Complement | 4 officers, 40–56 enlisted |
| Armament |
|
| Service record[2] | |
| Part of: |
|
| Identification codes: | M 42 993 |
| Commanders: |
|
| Operations: |
|
| Victories: | None |
German submarineU-597 was aType VIICU-boat ofNazi Germany'sKriegsmarine duringWorld War II.
She was a member of eightwolfpacks, carried out two patrols but sank no ships.
She was sunk southwest ofIceland by a British aircraft on 12 October 1942.
German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorterType VIIB submarines.U-597 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, twoBrown, Boveri & Cie GG UB 720/8double-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-597 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]
The submarine waslaid down on 13 January 1941 atBlohm & Voss,Hamburg as yard number 573,launched on 1 October andcommissioned on 20 November under the command ofKapitänleutnantEberhard Bopst.
She served with the8th U-boat Flotilla from 20 November 1941 for training and the1st flotilla from 1 July 1942 for operations.
U-597 departedKiel on 27 June 1942 and headed for the Atlantic Ocean. Her route took her through thegap between Iceland and theFaroe Islands towardNewfoundland[4]
She arrived inBrest in occupied France on 16 August.
She departed Brest on 16 September and was sunk less than a month later on 12 October bydepth charges dropped by a BritishB-24 Liberator ofNo. 120 Squadron RAF piloted by Squadron Leader Terry Bulloch.[5]
Forty-nine men died inU-597; there were no survivors.
U-597 took part in eightwolfpacks, namely: