Name U-597 Yard number 573 Commissioned 20 November 1941 Launched 1 October 1941 Draft 4.74 m Builder Blohm + Voss | Ordered 16 January 1940 Laid down 13 January 1941 Construction started 13 January 1941 Length 67 m Beam 6.18 m | |
Fate Sunk southwest of Iceland by a British aircraft, October 1942 Part of 8th U-boat Flotilla, 1st U-boat Flotilla | ||
German submarine U-597 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.
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She was a member of eight wolfpacks, carried out two patrols but sank no ships.
She was sunk southwest of Iceland by a British aircraft, in October 1942.
Design
German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-597 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-597 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 13 January 1941 at Blohm & Voss, Hamburg as yard number 573, launched on 1 October and commissioned on 20 November under the command of Kapitänleutnant Eberhard Bopst.
She served with the 8th U-boat Flotilla from 20 November 1941 for training and the 1st flotilla from 1 July 1942 for operations.
1st patrol
U-597 departed Kiel on 12 October 1942 and headed for the Atlantic Ocean. Her route took her through the gap between Iceland and the Faroe Islands toward Newfoundland
She arrived in Brest in occupied France on 16 August.
2nd patrol and loss
She departed Brest on 16 September and was sunk less than a month later on 12 October by depth charges dropped by a British B-24 Liberator of No. 120 Squadron RAF piloted by Squadron Leader Terry Bulloch.
Forty-nine men died in U-597; there were no survivors.
Wolfpacks
U-597 took part in eight wolfpacks, namely.