German submarine U-857 was a Type IXC/40 U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine built for service during the Second World War. She was ordered on 5 June 1941, laid down on 16 November 1942, and launched on 25 May 1943. For her operational lifespan, she was commanded by Kapitänleutnant Rudolf Premauer and had a crew complement of 59.
Design
German Type IXC/40 submarines were slightly larger than the original Type IXCs. U-857 had a displacement of 1,144 tonnes (1,126 long tons) when at the surface and 1,257 tonnes (1,237 long tons) while submerged.[1] The U-boat had a total length of 76.76 m (251 ft 10 in), a pressure hull length of 58.75 m (192 ft 9 in), a beam of 6.86 m (22 ft 6 in), a height of 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in), and a draught of 4.67 m (15 ft 4 in). The submarine was powered by two MAN M 9 V 40/46 supercharged four-stroke, nine-cylinder diesel engines producing a total of 4,400 metric horsepower (3,240 kW; 4,340 shp) for use while surfaced, two Siemens-Schuckert 2 GU 345/34 double-acting electric motors producing a total of 1,000 shaft horsepower (1,010 PS; 750 kW) for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 1.92 m (6 ft) propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to 230 metres (750 ft).[1]
The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 18.3 knots (33.9 km/h; 21.1 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 7.3 knots (13.5 km/h; 8.4 mph).[1] When submerged, the boat could operate for 63 nautical miles (117 km; 72 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 13,850 nautical miles (25,650 km; 15,940 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). U-857 was fitted with six 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and two at the stern), 22 torpedoes, one 10.5 cm (4.13 in) SK C/32 naval gun, 180 rounds, and a 3.7 cm (1.5 in) Flak M42 as well as two twin 2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft guns. The boat had a complement of forty-eight.[1]
Service history
She undertook three patrols, the first was for training. She sank two ships for a total tonnage of 15,259 gross register tons (GRT), and damaged one other ship on her last two patrols.[2] She sank Belgian Airman on 14 April 1945, Swiftscout on 18 April 1945 and damaged Katy on 23 April 1945.
Fate
U-857 went missing since 30 April 1945 in the North Atlantic Ocean off the east coast of the United States. All hands were lost, and no wreckage was found.
The U-boat had been claimed to have been sunk by depth charge hedgehogs off the coast of Massachusetts on 7 April 1945 by USS Gustafson and was also thought to have been possibly sunk by USS Coffman.[3] However more recent commentary surmised that Gustafson had not hit her, and her loss is currently unexplained.[4][5] U-857 was considered as a possible identity for the wreck that was ultimately determined to be U-869.[6]
Summary of raiding history
| Date | Ship Name | Nationality | Tonnage (GRT) | Fate[7] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 April 1945 | Belgian Airman |  Belgium
|
6,959 | Sunk |
| 18 April 1945 | Swiftscout |  United States
|
8,300 | Sunk |
| 23 April 1945 | Katy |  Norway
|
6,825 | Damaged |
References
- ^ a b c d Gröner 1991, p. 68.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type IXC/40 boat U-857". German U-boats of WWII – uboat.net. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
- ^ Sinking of U 548
- ^ Niestlé, Axel "German U-boat Losses During World War II: Details of Destruction" (Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 1998)
- ^ "U-857". U.S. Coast Guard History. 26 January 2012. Archived from the original on 4 December 2012.
- ^ Yurga, John; Kohler, Richie; Chatterton, John (2009). "The Fate of U-869 Reexamined" (PDF). Wreck Diving Magazine. No. 17. p. 18.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-857". German U-boats of WWII – uboat.net. Retrieved 13 February 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). Der U-Boot-Krieg, 1939-1945: Deutsche U-Boot-Verluste von September 1939 bis Mai 1945 [German U-boat losses from September 1939 to May 1945] (in German). Vol. IV. Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn: Mittler. ISBN 3-8132-0514-2.
- Gröner, Eric; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). German Warships 1815-1945: U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. Vol. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4.
External links
- Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type IXC/40 boat U-857". German U-boats of WWII – uboat.net. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
Recent Comments