Name U-579 Yard number 555 Commissioned 17 July 1941 Launched 28 May 1941 Draft 4.74 m Builder Blohm + Voss | Ordered 8 January 1940 Laid down 31 August 1940 Construction started 31 August 1940 Length 67 m Beam 6.18 m | |
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German submarine U-579 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.
Contents
She carried out no patrols and sank no ships.
She was sunk in the Kattegat by a British aircraft, in May 1945.
Design
German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-579 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 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).
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-579 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 31 August 1940 at Blohm & Voss, Hamburg as yard number 555, launched on 28 May 1941 and commissioned on 17 July under the command of Kapitänleutnant Dietrich Lohmann.
She served with the 5th U-boat Flotilla from 17 July 1941, the 24th flotilla from 27 May 1942, the 23rd flotilla from 1 September 1943 and the 4th flotilla from 1 March 1945, all for training.
The boat had been sunk in the Baltic Sea in October 1941. She was raised and returned to service in April 1942.
Fate
U-579 was sunk in the Kattegat east of Aarhus in Denmark on 5 May 1945 by depth charges from a British B-24 Liberator of No. 547 Squadron RAF.
Twenty-four men died with U-579; the number of survivors is not known.