Name U-662 Yard number 811 Commissioned 9 April 1942 Launched 22 January 1942 Draft 4.74 m Builder Deutsche Werft | Ordered 9 October 1939 Laid down 7 May 1941 Construction started 7 May 1941 Length 67 m Beam 6.2 m | |
 | ||
Fate Sunk 21 July 1943 in the South Atlantic in position , by depth charges from US Catalina. Part of 5th U-boat Flotilla, 7th U-boat Flotilla | ||
German submarine U-662 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II. She was laid down on 7 May 1941 by Deutsche Werft, Hamburg as yard number 811, launched on 22 January 1942 and commissioned on 9 April 1942 under Korvettenkapitän Wolfgang Hermann.
Contents
Design
German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-662 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 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).
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-662 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 boat's career began with training at 5th U-boat Flotilla on 9 April 1942, followed by active service on 1 October 1942 as part of the 7th Flotilla for the remainder of her service.
In 4 patrols she sank 3 merchant ships, for a total of 18,609 gross register tons (GRT) and damaged one merchant ship.
Wolfpacks
U-662 took part in eleven wolfpacks, namely
Convoy ONS 154
On the night on 26 December 1942 U-662 reported sighting Convoy ONS 154.
U-662 sunk the crippled and straggling Ville de Rouen which had been attacked earlier by U-225.
July 1943
On 19 July a US Liberator bomber dropped four depth charges, but broke off the attack after sustaining flak damage. U-662 escaped undamaged.
The next day, U-662 was again attacked by US aircraft, this time a Douglas B-18 Bolo aircraft, but again she escaped undamaged. She was sunk the following day.
Fate
U-662 was sunk on 21 July 1943 in the North Atlantic in position 03°56′N 48°46′W, by depth charges from US Catalina from Patrol Squadron VP-94. Apart from the commander and two other crew members, all hands were lost.
Oberleutnant zur See Heinz-Eberhard Müller was so severely injured that he was repatriated to Germany in March 1944 as he was no longer fit for combat.