| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | U-591 |
| Ordered | 16 January 1940 |
| Builder | Blohm & Voss,Hamburg |
| Yard number | 567 |
| Laid down | 30 October 1940 |
| Launched | 20 August 1941 |
| Commissioned | 9 October 1941 |
| Fate | Sunk on 30 July 1943 in theSouth Atlantic nearPernambuco in position08°36′S34°34′W / 8.600°S 34.567°W /-8.600; -34.567, by depth charges from a USLockheed Ventura aircraft. |
| 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[1] | |
| Part of |
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| Identification codes | M 37 230 |
| Commanders | |
| Operations |
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| Victories | |
German submarineU-591 was aType VIICU-boat built forNazi Germany'sKriegsmarine for service duringWorld War II.She waslaid down on 30 October 1940 byBlohm & Voss,Hamburg as yard number 567,launched on 20 August 1941 andcommissioned on 9 October 1941 underKapitänleutnant Hans-Jürgen Zetzsche.
German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorterType VIIB submarines.U-591 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, 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).[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-591 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.[2]
The boat's service began on 9 October 1941 with training, followed by active service as part of the6th U-boat Flotilla. She was transferred to the11th Flotilla on 1 July 1942 for active service in theNorth Atlantic operating out ofBergen. The following year, on 1 June 1943, she transferred to9th Flotilla operating ofBrest, France.
In 8 patrols she sank four merchant ships, for a total of 19,932 gross register tons (GRT), plus one merchant ship damaged.
The first victim ofConvoy ONS 154 was the 5,701-GRT Norwegian freighterNorse King, the second in column eleven, on 28 December 1942.U-591 torpedo hit her at 20:04. Badly damaged,Norse King attempted to limp to theAzores but was found byU-435 and sent to the bottom.
U-591’s second success was the badly damaged and abandoned 4,871-GRTUnited Africa Company freighterZarian with a single torpedo, although she missed theBaron Cochrane
Having recently returned to sea after a long recovery from gunshot wounds, Hans-Jürgen Zetzsche was on target withConvoy SC 121 when he sighted theEmpire Impala, hove-to picking up survivors from the torpedoedEgyptian, on 7 March 1943. Of the combined crew of 80 men, from bothEgyptian andEmpire Impala, only 3 survived.
U-591 was sunk on 30 July 1943 in theSouth Atlantic nearPernambuco in position08°36′S34°34′W / 8.600°S 34.567°W /-8.600; -34.567; depth charged by a USLockheed Ventura aircraft ofVB-127. There were 19 dead and 28 survivors.
U-591 took part in ninewolfpacks, namely:
| Date | Ship Name | Nationality | Tonnage (GRT) | Fate[3] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 December 1942 | Montreal City | 3,066 | Sunk | |
| 28 December 1942 | Norse King | 5,701 | Damaged | |
| 29 December 1942 | Zarian | 4,871 | Sunk | |
| 7 March 1943 | Empire Impala | 6,116 | Sunk | |
| 8 March 1943 | Vojvoda Putnik | 5,879 | Sunk |