German submarine U-482

German submarine U-482 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. She was laid down on 13 February 1942 at Deutsche Werke in Kiel as yard number 317 and went into service on 1 December 1943 under the command of Hartmut Graf von Matuschka, Freiherr von Toppolczan und Spaetgen.[1]

History
Nazi Germany
NameU-482
Ordered5 June 1941
BuilderDeutsche Werke, Kiel
Yard number317
Laid down13 February 1942
Launched25 September 1943
Commissioned1 December 1943
FateSunk by HMS Ascension on 25 November 1944.
General characteristics
Class and typeType VIIC submarine
Displacement
  • 769 tonnes (757 long tons) surfaced
  • 871 t (857 long tons) submerged
Length
Beam
  • 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in) o/a
  • 4.70 m (15 ft 5 in) pressure hull
Height9.60 m (31 ft 6 in)
Draught4.74 m (15 ft 7 in)
Installed power
  • 2,800–3,200 PS (2,100–2,400 kW; 2,800–3,200 bhp) (diesels)
  • 750 PS (550 kW; 740 shp) (electric)
Propulsion
Speed
  • 17.7 knots (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph) surfaced
  • 7.6 knots (14.1 km/h; 8.7 mph) submerged
Range
  • 8,500 nmi (15,700 km; 9,800 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced
  • 80 nmi (150 km; 92 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth
  • 230 m (750 ft)
  • Crush depth: 250–295 m (820–968 ft)
Complement4 officers, 40–56 enlisted
Armament
Service record[1][2]
Part of:
Commanders:
  • Kptlt. Hartmut Graf von Matuschka, Freiherr von Toppolczan und Spaetgen
  • 1 December 1943 – 25 November 1944
Operations:
  • 2 patrols:
  • 1st patrol:
  • 16 August – 26 September 1944
  • 2nd patrol:
  • 18 – 25 November 1944
Victories:
  • 4 merchant ships sunk
    (31,611 GRT)
  • 1 warship sunk
    (1,010 tons)

U-482 began her service by training with the 5th U-boat Flotilla. She then transferred to the 9th, followed by the 11th flotillas.

Design

German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-482 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), 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 Siemens-Schuckert GU 343/38–8 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).[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-482 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), one 3.7 cm (1.5 in) Flak M42 and two twin 2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft guns. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.[3]

Service history

U-482 carried out two war patrols from Bergen in Norway, having sailed briefly to Horten Naval Base (also in Norway), both under Matuschka's command. The first, which began on 14 August 1944, took U-482 off the coast of Ireland. Over a nine-day period, she sank two freighters, the two tankers Jacksonville and Empire Heritage as well as the British corvette HMS Hurst Castle for a total of 31,611 gross register tons (GRT) and 1,010 tons. It was the single most successful war patrol by a Type VII U-boat in 1944.[2][4]

U-482 mounted a second patrol beginning 18 November, but was sunk with all hands a week later by the British frigate HMS Ascension

Fate

During the war it was thought that the U-482 was not sunk until 16 January 1945, and that she had damaged the escort carrier HMS Thane (later determined to be the work of U-1172). Credit for her sinking was given to the ships of British Support Group 22. In the 1990s the British Admiralty revised that assessment and declared that U-482 had possibly struck a mine in the North Channel, off Malin Head, in early December 1944.[4] In 2005 U-boat researcher Axel Niestlé determined that U-482 was probably sunk by the British frigate HMS Ascension west of the Shetland Islands on 25 November 1944.[1]

Summary of raiding history

Between August and November 1944 U-482 sailed on two combat patrols, sinking four merchant ships totalling 31,611 GRT and 1,010 tons Castle-class corvette HMS Hurst Castle.

Ships attacked by U-482[5]
Date Ship Name Nationality Tonnage[Note 1] Convoy Fate and location
30 August 1944 Jacksonville  United States 10,448 CU-36 Sunk at 55°30′N 07°38′W
1 September 1944 HMS Hurst Castle  Royal Navy 1,010 Sunk at 55°27′N 08°12′W
3 September 1944 Fjordheim  Norway 4,115 ONF-251 Sunk at 55°55′N 09°28′W
8 September 1944 Empire Heritage  United Kingdom 15,702 HX 305 Sunk at 55°27′N 08°01′W
8 September 1944 Pinto  United Kingdom 1,346 HX 305 Sunk at 55°27′N 08°01′W

References

Notes
  1. Merchant ship tonnages are in gross register tons. Military vessels are listed by tons displacement.

Citations
  1. Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-482". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 12 December 2010.
  2. Helgason, Guðmundur. "War Patrols by German U-boat U-482". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 12 December 2010.
  3. Gröner 1991, pp. 43–46.
  4. Blair (2000), 630-631.
  5. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-482". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 12 December 2010.

Bibliography
  • 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). Deutsche U-Boot-Verluste von September 1939 bis Mai 1945 [German U-boat losses from September 1939 to May 1945]. Der U-Boot-Krieg (in German). Vol. IV. Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn: Mittler. ISBN 3-8132-0514-2.
  • Gröner, Erich; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. German Warships 1815–1945. Vol. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4.
  • Blair, Clay (2000). Hitler's U-Boat War: The Hunted 1942–1945. New York: Modern Library. ISBN 0-679-64033-9.
  • John Petersen: Darkest Before Dawn: U-482 and the Sinking of Empire Heritage 1944. The History Press, 2011. ISBN 978-0752458830
  • Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-482". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
  • Hofmann, Markus. "U 482". Deutsche U-Boote 1935-1945 - u-boot-archiv.de (in German). Retrieved 28 December 2014.
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