History | |
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Name | U-679 |
Ordered | 5 June 1941 |
Builder | Howaldtswerke,Hamburg |
Yard number | 828 |
Laid down | 3 September 1942 |
Launched | 18 September 1943 |
Commissioned | 29 November 1943 |
Fate | Sunk on or 9 January 1945 in theBaltic Sea at59°26′N24°07′E / 59.433°N 24.117°E /59.433; 24.117 by depth charges from Soviet A/S vesselMO-124 |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Type VIICsubmarine |
Displacement | |
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Beam |
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Draught | 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in) |
Installed power |
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Propulsion |
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Speed |
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Test depth |
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Complement | 4 officers, 40–56 enlisted |
Armament |
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Service record | |
Part of: |
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Identification codes: | M 53 677 |
Commanders: | |
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German submarineU-679 was aType VIICU-boat built forNazi Germany'sKriegsmarine for service duringWorld War II.She waslaid down on 3 September 1942 byHowaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft,Hamburg as yard number 828,launched on 18 September 1943 andcommissioned on 29 November 1943 underLeutnant zur See Friedrich Breckwoldt.
German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorterType VIIB submarines.U-679 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, 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).[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-679 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 boat's career began with training at31st Flotilla on 29 November 1943, followed by active service on 1 August 1944 as part of the8th Flotilla.U-679 took part in nowolfpacks.U-679 was presumed sunk on 9 January 1945 in theBaltic Sea at59°26′N24°07′E / 59.433°N 24.117°E /59.433; 24.117 by depth charges from Soviet anti-submarine vesselMO-124. However, the wreckage was located in August 2015 and initial reports suggest that actually U-679 had run into a mine and sank after that. Wreckage lies at depth of 90 metres at a location, which is somewhat different from the information given earlier.[4][5]
Date | Ship Name | Nationality | Tonnage[Note 1] | Fate[6] |
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15 July 1944 | TK-57 | ![]() | 36 | Damaged |
18 November 1944 | SK-62 | ![]() | 39 | Sunk |