History | |
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Name | U-683 |
Ordered | 25 August 1941 |
Builder | Howaldtswerke,Hamburg |
Yard number | 832 |
Laid down | 23 December 1942 |
Launched | 7 March 1944 |
Commissioned | 30 May 1944 |
Fate | Missing in the North Atlantic since 20 February 1945 |
General characteristics | |
Class and 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 |
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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 00 375 |
Commanders: | |
Operations: |
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Victories: | None |
German submarineU-683 was aType VIICU-boat ofNazi Germany'sKriegsmarine duringWorld War II. The submarine waslaid down on 23 December 1942 at theHowaldtswerke yard atHamburg,launched on 7 March 1944, andcommissioned on 30 May 1944 under the command ofOberleutnant zur See Günter Keller.
Attached to31st U-boat Flotilla based atWesermünde,U-683 completed her training period on 31 December 1944 and was assigned to front-line service.
German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorterType VIIB submarines.U-683 had a displacement of 769 tonnes (757 long tons) when at the surface and 871 tonnes (857 long tons) while submerged.[1] 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).[1]
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).[1] 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-683 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.[1]
On the first and final war patrol,U-683 was last heard from on 20 February 1945 en route to the assigned patrol area off Cherbourg. The U-boat was declared missing on 3 April 1945.[2]
TheU-683 was recorded missing on 12 March 1945 after it was sunk in the English Channel the same day by depth charges from British frigate HMSLoch Ruthven and British sloop HMSWild Goose. This attack was probably against the wreck ofU-247.