German submarine U-481 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 6 February 1943 at the Deutsche Werke yard in Kiel, launched on 25 September 1943, and commissioned on 10 November 1943 under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Ewald Pick.
| History | |
|---|---|
 Nazi Germany | |
| Name | U-481 |
| Ordered | 5 June 1941 |
| Builder | Deutsche Werke, Kiel |
| Yard number | 316 |
| Laid down | 6 February 1943 |
| Launched | 25 September 1943 |
| Commissioned | 10 November 1943 |
| Fate |
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| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Type VIIC submarine |
| Displacement | |
| Length |
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| Beam |
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| Height | 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in) |
| Draught | 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in) |
| Installed power |
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| Propulsion |
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| Speed |
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| Range | |
| Test depth |
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| Complement | 4 officers, 40–56 enlisted |
| Armament |
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| Service record[1][2] | |
| Part of: |
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| Identification codes: | M 54 658 |
| Commanders: | |
| Operations: |
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| Victories: |
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Design
editGerman Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-481 had a displacement of 769 tonnes (757 long tons) when at the surface and 871 tonnes (857 long tons) while submerged.[3] 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).[3]
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).[3] 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-481 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 twin 2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft guns. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.[3]
Service history
editFirst patrol
editU-481 left Kiel on 19 June 1944 under the command of Kapitänleutnant Klaus Andersen, and sailed to Reval (now Tallinn, Estonia) via Helsinki.[2] She departed Reval on her first war patrol on 5 July and sailed east into the Gulf of Finland to Soviet waters. On 30 July she attacked a group of Soviet Navy coastal minesweepers with torpedoes, sinking two (KT-804 and KT-807) and damaging another (KT-806). On the same day the U-boat was attacked while in Narva Bay by two Ilyushin Il-2 Shturmovik aircraft from the 35th Assault Air Regiment (35. ShAP), and managed to damage one enough to force the pilot to ditch his aircraft. The U-boat arrived back at Reval on 4 August.[4]
Second patrol
editU-481 sailed again from Reval on 10 August 1944, and patrolled Soviet waters with no success, before arriving at Königsberg in East Prussia, on 21 August.[5]
Third patrol
editDeparting Königsberg on 16 September 1944, the U-boat patrolled the Baltic,[2] and on 15 October sank three small Finnish Galeas sailing barges (Dan, Endla and Maria) off Osmussaar, Estonia, with shell-fire, before arriving at Danzig (now Gdansk) on 26 October.[6]
Fourth patrol
editU-481 sailed from Danzig on 2 November 1944, returning to the Gulf of Finland,[2] and on 9 November off Cape Pakri she torpedoed and shelled the Soviet 1,000 GRT barge 112600, sinking her.[7] On 28 November she sank the Soviet 108 tons coastal minesweeper T-387 in the same area.[8] The U-boat returned to Danzig on 22 December.
Fifth patrol
editAfter returning to Kiel to be fitted with a 'schnorchel' in February 1945,[1] the U-boat sailed for Horten Naval Base in Norway, making her final patrol along the Norwegian coast from 7 April to 4 May, finally arriving at Narvik only a few days before the German surrender. On 12 May all U-boats in the Narvik area were ordered by the Allies to sail to Skjomenfjord. Later transferred to Loch Ryan, U-481 was sunk at position in 56°11′N 10°00′W / 56.183°N 10.000°W as part of "Operation Deadlight" on 30 November 1945.[1]
Summary of raiding history
edit| Date | Ship Name | Nationality | Tonnage[Note 1] | Fate[9] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 July 1944 | KT-804 |  Soviet Navy
|
26 | Sunk |
| 30 July 1944 | KT-806 | Soviet Navy
|
26 | Damaged |
| 30 July 1944 | KT-807 | Soviet Navy
|
26 | Sunk |
| 15 October 1944 | Dan |  Finland
|
47 | Sunk |
| 15 October 1944 | Endla | Finland
|
68 | Sunk |
| 15 October 1944 | Maria | Finland
|
50 | Sunk |
| 19 November 1944 | 112600 |  Soviet Union
|
1,000 | Sunk |
| 28 November 1944 | T-387 | Soviet Navy
|
108 | Sunk |
References
editNotes
edit- ^ Merchant ship tonnages are in gross register tons. Military vessels are listed by tons displacement.
Citations
edit- ^ a b c Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-481". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 22 January 2010.
- ^ a b c d Helgason, Guðmundur. "War Patrols by German U-boat U-481". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 22 January 2010.
- ^ a b c d Gröner 1991, pp. 43–46.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Patrol of U-boat U-481 from 5 Jul 1944 to 4 Aug 1944". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 22 January 2010.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Patrol of U-boat U-481 from 10 August 1944 to 21 August 1944". U-boat patrols - uboat.net. Retrieved 22 January 2010.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Patrol of U-boat U-481 from 16 Sep 1944 to 26 Oct 1944". U-boat patrols - uboat.net. Retrieved 22 January 2010.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "112600 (No 4532) (Barge)". Ships hit by U-boats - uboat.net. Retrieved 22 January 2010.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "T-387 (No 331) (Coastal minesweeper)". Ships hit by U-boats - uboat.net. Retrieved 22 January 2010.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-481". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
Bibliography
edit- 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.
- U-Boat Fact File, Midland Publishing, Great Britain: 1998.
External links
edit- Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-481". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 28 December 2014.