| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | U-399 |
| Ordered | 25 August 1941 |
| Builder | Howaldtswerke,Kiel |
| Yard number | 31 |
| Laid down | 12 November 1942 |
| Launched | 4 December 1943 |
| Commissioned | 22 January 1944 |
| Fate | Sunk in theEnglish Channel on 26 March 1945[1] |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & 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[2] | |
| Part of: |
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| Identification codes: | M 46 386 |
| Commanders: |
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| Operations: |
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| Victories: | |
German submarineU-399 was aType VIICU-boat ofNazi Germany'sKriegsmarine duringWorld War II.
She carried out one patrol. She sank one ship and caused another to be declared a total loss.
She was sunk in theEnglish Channel on 26 March 1945.
German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorterType VIIB submarines.U-399 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, twoGarbe, Lahmeyer & Co. RP 137/cdouble-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-399 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 12 November 1942 at theHowaldtswerke (yard) atKiel as yard number 31,launched on 4 December 1943 andcommissioned on 22 January 1944 under the command ofOberleutnant zur See Kurt van Meteren.
She served with the5th U-boat Flotilla from 22 January 1944 and the11th flotilla from 1 February 1945.
The boat's first patrol was preceded by the short journey fromKiel in Germany toHorten Naval Base (south of Oslo), arriving at the Norwegian port on 28 January 1945.
U-399 departed Horten on 6 February 1945. On 21 March, she torpedoed theLiberty shipJames Eagan Layne "about twelve miles offPlymouth". The ship was beached at nearbyWhitesand Bay but settled on the bottom; at high water, only her masts and funnel showed. She was declared a total loss.
The boat sank the Dutch-registeredPacific on 26 March 1945. This ship had taken part in OperationDynamo, the Dunkirk evacuation, in 1940.
U-399 was sunk later on the same day bydepth charges from the BritishfrigateHMS Duckworth.[2]
Forty-six men died inU-399; there was one survivor.
| Date | Ship Name | Nationality | Tonnage (GRT) | Fate[4] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 March 1945 | James Eagan Layne | 7,176 | Total loss | |
| 26 March 1945 | Pacific | 362 | Sunk |