| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | U-475 |
| Ordered | 10 April 1941 |
| Builder | Deutsche Werke,Kiel |
| Yard number | 306 |
| Laid down | 5 September 1942 |
| Launched | 28 May 1943 |
| Commissioned | 7 July 1943 |
| Fate | Scuttled on 3 May 1945. Broken up in 1947 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Type VIICsubmarine |
| Displacement | |
| Length |
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| Beam |
|
| 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 53 401 |
| Commanders: |
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| Operations: |
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| Victories: | 1 warship damaged (56 tons) |
German submarineU-475 was aType VIICU-boat ofNazi Germany'sKriegsmarine duringWorld War II.
She carried out four patrols. She damaged one warship.
She was scuttled on 3 May 1945 andbroken up in 1947.
German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorterType VIIB submarines.U-475 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-475 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]
U-475 was mounted with two2cm Flak C38 in a M 43UZwilling mount with short folding shield on the upperWintergarten.[3] The M 43U mount was used on a number of U-boats (U-190,U-249,U-250,U-278,U-337,U-853,U-1058,U-1109,U-1023,U-1105,U-1165 andU-1306).
The submarine waslaid down on 5 September 1942 in theDeutsche Werke,Kiel as yard number 306,launched on 28 May 1943 andcommissioned on 7 July under the command ofKapitänleutnant Otto Stoeffler.
She served with the5th U-boat Flotilla from 7 July 1943 for training and was transferred to the8th flotilla from 1 August 1944 for operations. She was reassigned to the4th flotilla on 16 February 1945.
U-475's first patrol was preceded by a short journey fromKiel in Germany toHelsinki in Finland. The patrol itself, split into four parts, commenced with her departure from Helsinki on 11 July 1944. On the 28th she damaged the Soviet patrol craftMO-107 inViborg Bay.
Her second foray was relatively uneventful – starting inDanzig (now Gdansk) on 14 October 1944. She returned toDanzig on 17 November.
The submarine steamed as far north as a point east ofStockholm before returning to Danzig (on 4 December 1944).
The boat's fourth sortie also started and finished in Danzig and at 54 days duration, was her longest.
U-475 had moved from Danzig to Kiel in March 1945. She was scuttled on 3 May 1945 at Kiel-Wik. The wreck wasbroken up in 1947.
| Date | Ship Name | Nationality | Tonnage[Note 1] | Fate[4] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 July 1944 | MO-107 | 56 | Damaged |