Name U-385 Yard number 16 Class and type Type VIIC submarine Length 67 m Beam 6.18 m | Ordered 15 August 1940 Commissioned 29 August 1942 Launched 8 July 1942 Draft 4.74 m | |
Fate Sunk by a British warship and an Australian aircraft in August 1944, in the Bay of Biscay Builder Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft Part of 5th U-boat Flotilla, 6th U-boat Flotilla | ||
German submarine U-385 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.
Contents
She carried out two patrols. She did not sink or damage any ships.
She was sunk by a British warship and an Australian aircraft in the Bay of Biscay in August 1944.
Design
German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-385 had a displacement of 769 tonnes (757 long tons) when at the surface and 871 tonnes (857 long tons) while submerged. 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 Garbe, Lahmeyer & Co. RP 137/c 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).
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). 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-385 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 an anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.
Service history
The submarine was laid down on 16 May 1941 at the Howaldtswerke yard at Kiel as yard number 16, launched on 8 July 1942 and commissioned on 29 August under the command of Kapitänleutnant Hans-Guido Valenter.
She served with the 5th U-boat Flotilla from 29 August 1942 and the 6th flotilla from 1 March 1944.
The boat was moved from Kiel to Marviken in March 1944.
1st patrol
U-385's first patrol took her from Marviken to St. Nazaire, in occupied France via the gap between Iceland and the Faroe Islands.
2nd patrol and loss
The boat left St. Nazaire on 9 August 1944. On the 11th, whilst still in the Bay of Biscay, she was sunk by depth charges dropped by an Australian Sunderland flying boat of No. 461 Squadron RAAF and the British sloop HMS Starling.
One man died in the U-boat; there were 42 survivors.