History | |
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Name | U-604 |
Ordered | 22 May 1940 |
Builder | Blohm & Voss, Hamburg |
Yard number | 580 |
Laid down | 27 February 1941 |
Launched | 16 November 1941 |
Commissioned | 8 January 1942 |
Fate | Scuttled on 11 August 1943 at position 04°30′S 21°20′W / 4.500°S 21.333°W in the South Atlantic after being depth charged by two US aircraft, a Ventura and a Liberator. |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Type VIIC submarine |
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 27 582 |
Commanders: |
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Operations: |
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Victories: |
6 merchant ships sunk (39,891 GRT) |
German submarine U-604 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II. She was laid down on 27 February 1941 by Blohm & Voss in Hamburg as yard number 580, launched on 16 November 1941 and commissioned on 8 January 1942 under Kapitänleutnant Horst Höltring (German Cross in Gold).
Design
[edit]German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-604 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), a pressure hull length of 50.50 m (165 ft 8 in), a beam of 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in), a height of 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in), and a draught of 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in). The submarine was powered by two Germaniawerft F46 four-stroke, six-cylinder supercharged diesel 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, two Brown, Boveri & Cie GG UB 720/8 double-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-604 was fitted with five 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and one at the stern), fourteen torpedoes, one 8.8 cm (3.46 in) SK C/35 naval gun, 220 rounds, and a 2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.[2]
Service history
[edit]The boat's service began on 8 January 1942 for training as part of the 5th U-boat Flotilla. After training was completed she transferred to the 9th flotilla on 1 August 1942 for active service.
In 6 patrols she sank 6 ships for a total of 39,891 gross register tons (GRT).
Wolfpacks
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/18/U-604_30-6-43.jpg/290px-U-604_30-6-43.jpg)
She took part in five wolfpacks, namely:
- Vorwärts (25 August – 1 September 1942)
- Streitaxt (20 – 31 October 1942)
- Draufgänger (1 – 11 December 1942)
- Ungestüm (11 – 22 December 1942)
- Knappen (19 – 25 February 1943)
Fate
[edit]She was scuttled on 11 August 1943 at position 04°30′S 21°20′W / 4.500°S 21.333°W in the South Atlantic after being depth charged by two US aircraft, a Ventura and a Liberator. Her crew was rescued by U-185.
Summary of raiding history
[edit]Date | Ship Name | Nationality | Tonnage (GRT) |
Fate[3] |
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25 August 1942 | Abbekerk | ![]() |
7,906 | Sunk |
27 October 1942 | Anglo Maersk | ![]() |
7,705 | Sunk |
30 October 1942 | Président Doumer | ![]() |
11,898 | Sunk |
30 October 1942 | Baron Vernon | ![]() |
3,642 | Sunk |
2 December 1942 | Coamo | ![]() |
7,057 | Sunk |
23 February 1943 | Stockport | ![]() |
1,683 | Sunk |
References
[edit]- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-604". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 30 April 2014.
- ^ a b c d Gröner 1991, pp. 43–46.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-604". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 30 April 2014.
Bibliography
[edit]- Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (1999). German U-boat commanders of World War II : a biographical dictionary. Translated by Brooks, Geoffrey. London, Annapolis, Md: Greenhill Books, Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-186-6.
- Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (1999). Der U-Boot-Krieg, 1939-1945: Deutsche U-Boot-Verluste von September 1939 bis Mai 1945 [German U-boat losses from September 1939 to May 1945] (in German). Vol. IV. Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn: Mittler. ISBN 3-8132-0514-2.
- Edwards, Bernard (1996). Dönitz and the Wolf Packs – The U-Boats at War. London, UK: Cassell Military Classics. pp. 104, 117, 119, 124, 159. ISBN 0-304-35203-9.
- Gröner, Eric; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). German Warships 1815-1945: U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. Vol. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4.
External links
[edit]- Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-604". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 29 December 2014.