Coordinates: 44°18.6′N 9°02.9′E / 44.3100°N 9.0483°E / 44.3100; 9.0483

German submarine U-455

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U-455 arriving in St. Nazaire after her third patrol on 16 June 1942
History
Nazi Germany
NameU-455
Ordered16 January 1940
BuilderDeutsche Werke AG, Kiel
Yard number286
Laid down3 September 1940
Launched21 June 1941
Commissioned21 August 1941
FateSunk on 5 April 1944 in southeast of Genoa
General characteristics
Class and typeType VIIC submarine
Displacement
Length
Beam
  • 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in) o/a
  • 4.70 m (15 ft 5 in) pressure hull
Height9.60 m (31 ft 6 in)
Draught4.74 m (15 ft 7 in)
Installed power
  • 2,800–3,200 PS (2,100–2,400 kW; 2,800–3,200 bhp) (diesels)
  • 750 PS (550 kW; 740 shp) (electric)
Propulsion
Speed
  • 17.7 knots (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph) surfaced
  • 7.6 knots (14.1 km/h; 8.7 mph) submerged
Range
  • 8,500 nmi (15,700 km; 9,800 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced
  • 80 nmi (150 km; 92 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth
  • 230 m (750 ft)
  • Crush depth: 250–295 m (820–968 ft)
Complement4 officers, 40–56 enlisted
Armament
Service record[1]
Part of:
Identification codes: M 03 850
Commanders:
  • Kptlt. Hans-Heinrich Giessler
  • 21 August 1941 – 22 November 1942
  • Kptlt. Hans-Martin Scheibe
  • 22 November 1942 – 5 April 1944
Operations:
  • 10 patrols:
  • 1st patrol:
  • 15 January – 28 February 1942
  • 2nd patrol:
  • 21 – 30 March 1942
  • 3rd patrol:
  • 16 April – 16 June 1942
  • 4th patrol:
  • 22 August – 28 October 1942
  • 5th patrol:
  • 24 November 1942 – 24 January 1943
  • 6th patrol:
  • 23 March – 23 April 1943
  • 7th patrol:
  • 30 May – 31 July 1943
  • 8th patrol:
  • 20 September – 11 November 1943
  • 9th patrol:
  • 6 January – 3 February 1944
  • 10th patrol:
  • 22 February – 5 April 1944
Victories: 3 merchant ships sunk
(17,685 GRT)

German submarine U-455 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II. She was laid down on 3 September 1940, launched on 21 June 1941 and commissioned on 21 August with Kapitänleutnant Hans-Heinrich Giessler in command of a crew of 51.

Her service began with the 5th U-boat Flotilla, a training outfit. She was transferred to the 7th flotilla for operations at the beginning of 1942 and again to the 29th flotilla in March 1944.

She carried out ten patrols and was a member of six wolfpacks; she sank three ships for a total of 17,685 gross register tons (GRT).

She was lost in the Ligurian Sea (north of Corsica) on 5 April 1944. Her wreck was discovered in 2005 off Genoa. She had previously been thought to be near La Spezia.

Design

German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-455 had a displacement of 769 tonnes (757 long tons) when at the surface and 871 tonnes (857 long tons) while submerged.[2] 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).[2]

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).[2] 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-455 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), one 3.7 cm (1.5 in) Flak M42 and two 2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft guns. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.[2]

Service history

First, second and third patrols

U-455's operational career began when she left Kiel on 15 January 1942. Her first patrol took her to Iceland via Stavanger and Bergen in Norway. She returned to Bergen, empty-handed, on 28 February 1942.

The boat's second patrol was similarly unproductive, leaving Bergen on 21 March 1942 and arriving in St. Nazaire in occupied France on the 30th. She would continue to use this port for most of the rest of her career.

Her third foray was better; on 3 May 1942, she sank the British Workman off Cape Race, Newfoundland, followed by the Geo H. Jones on 11 June northeast of the Azores. Having departed St. Nazaire on 16 April 1942, she returned on 16 June, having spent 62 days at sea.

Fourth and fifth patrols

Her fourth patrol was even longer, it took her as far as the US Georgia coast, southeast of Savannah. She returned to St. Nazaire on 28 October 1942, having commenced the voyage on 22 August, a total of 68 days.

Her fifth patrol started on 24 November 1942; she scoured large swathes of the Atlantic, all to no avail.

Sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth patrols

Success continued to elude her; the only excitement on her sixth patrol was when a crewman was injured by one of the boat's own AA guns.

Things became even more serious on her eighth patrol. With a new captain, Kptlt. Hans-Martin Scheibe, who had assumed command on 22 November 1942, U-455, along with U-264 and U-422, were caught on the surface on 4 October 1943 while re-fuelling from U-460 by Grumman TBF Avengers from USS Card. The smaller boats escaped, but U-460 was sunk.

Her ninth foray saw the U-boat transit the heavily defended Strait of Gibraltar into the Mediterranean Sea, leaving St. Nazaire on 6 January 1944 and arriving in Toulon on 3 February.

Tenth patrol and loss

On 5 April 1944, U-455 was lost with all hands, sunk by a mine. The German navy did not provide the sub's captain with their latest minefield maps and U-455 was driven straight into a German minefield. A mine exploded near the stern section - possibly during a turn - ripping off about 10 m (33 ft) of the boat's stern, leaving the crew without any chance of survival. The boat was likely at periscope depth, since the observation mast was deployed. The wreck is lying about 120 m (390 ft) depth 2 nmi (3.7 km; 2.3 mi) off Camogli, Italy, vertically with her fore section up. Her diesel mechanic Luke Brauer, who had served on-board up to patrol 9 but transferred to the naval academy before her last mission, confirmed her identity during a sea exploration in 2008. Her last transmission was on 2 April 1944, four days prior to her disappearance, when she radioed-in while on patrol off the coast of Algiers.[1]

Wolfpacks

U-455 took part in six wolfpacks, namely:

  • Hecht (27 January – 4 February 1942)
  • Pfadfinder (21 – 27 May 1942)
  • Draufgänger (29 November – 11 December 1942)
  • Ungestüm (11 – 30 December 1942)
  • Without name (11 – 23 July 1943)
  • Schlieffen (14 October 1943)

Summary of raiding history

Date Ship Name Nationality Tonnage
(GRT) 		Fate[3]
3 May 1942 British Workman  United Kingdom 6,994 Sunk
11 June 1942 Geo H. Jones  United Kingdom 6,914 Sunk
25 July 1943 Rouenais  Free France 3,777 Sunk (mine)

References

  1. ^ a b Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-455". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
  2. ^ a b c d Gröner 1991, pp. 43–46.
  3. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-455". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 26 December 2014.

Bibliography

  • Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (1999). German U-boat commanders of World War II : a biographical dictionary. Translated by Brooks, Geoffrey. London, Annapolis, Md: Greenhill Books, Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-186-6.
  • Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (1999). Deutsche U-Boot-Verluste von September 1939 bis Mai 1945 [German U-boat losses from September 1939 to May 1945]. Der U-Boot-Krieg (in German). Vol. IV. Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn: Mittler. ISBN 3-8132-0514-2.
  • Gröner, Erich; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. German Warships 1815–1945. Vol. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4.

External links

44°18.6′N 9°02.9′E / 44.3100°N 9.0483°E / 44.3100; 9.0483

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