Name U-446 Yard number 1506 Commissioned 20 June 1942 Launched 11 April 1942 Draft 4.74 m Builder Schichau-Werke | Ordered 6 August 1940 Laid down 9 April 1941 Construction started 9 April 1941 Length 67 m Beam 6.18 m Part of 8th U-boat Flotilla | |
Fate Sunk, September 1942 by a mine. Raised in November; scuttled, May 1945. Broken up, 1947 | ||
German submarine U-446 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.
Contents
She carried out no patrols. She did not sink or damage any ships.
She was sunk in September 1942 by a mine. She was raised in November and scuttled in May 1945. She was broken up in 1947.
Design
German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-446 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 AEG GU 460/8–27 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-446 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 9 April 1941 at F Schichau in Danzig (now Gdansk), as yard number 1506, launched on 11 April 1942 and commissioned on 20 June under Oberleutnant zur See Hellmuth-Bert Richard.
She served with the 8th U-boat Flotilla from 20 June 1942 to 21 September.
Fate
The submarine was sunk on 21 September 1942 by a mine near Kahlberg (now Krynica Morska in Poland) in the Gulf of Danzig. She was raised on 8 November and scuttled near Kiel on 3 May 1945. She was broken up in 1947.
Twenty-three men died in the mine sinking; there were eighteen survivors.