German submarine U-484

History
Nazi Germany
Name	U-484
Ordered	5 June 1941
Builder	Deutsche Werke, Kiel
Yard number	319
Laid down	27 March 1943
Launched	20 November 1943
Commissioned	19 January 1944
Fate	Sunk by British warships northwest of Ireland on 9 September 1944
General characteristics
Class and type	Type VIIC submarine
Displacement	769 tonnes (757 long tons) surfaced; 871 t (857 long tons) submerged;
Length	67.23 m (220 ft 7 in) o/a; 50.50 m (165 ft 8 in) pressure hull;
Beam	6.20 m (20 ft 4 in) o/a; 4.70 m (15 ft 5 in) pressure hull;
Height	9.60 m (31 ft 6 in)
Draught	4.74 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	2 shafts; 2 × diesel engines; 2 × electric motors.;
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);
Complement	4 officers, 40–56 enlisted
Armament	5 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four bow, one stern); 14 × torpedoes or 26 TMA mines; 1 × 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun (220 rounds); 1 × 3.7 cm (1.5 in) Flak M42 AA gun ; 2 × twin 2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft guns;
Service record
Part of:	5th U-boat Flotilla; 19 January – 31 July 1944; 3rd U-boat Flotilla; 1 August – 9 September 1944;
Identification codes:	M 49 010
Commanders:	K.Kapt. Wolf-Axel Schaefer; 19 January – 9 September 1944;
Operations:	1 patrol:; 14 August – 9 September 1944;
Victories:	None

German submarine U-484 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

She carried out one patrol. She sank no ships.

She was sunk by British warships northwest of Ireland on 9 September 1944.^[2]

Design

German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-484 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-484 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

The submarine was laid down on 27 March 1943 at the Deutsche Werke in Kiel as yard number 319, launched on 20 November and commissioned on 19 January 1944 under the command of Korvettenkapitän Wolf-Axel Schaefer.

She served with the 5th U-boat Flotilla from 19 January 1944 for training and the 3rd flotilla from 1 August for operations.

Patrol and loss

U-484's only patrol was preceded by a short trip from Kiel in Germany to Horten Naval Base (south of Oslo), in Norway. The patrol itself began with the boat's departure from Horten on 14 August 1944. She passed through the gap separating Iceland and the Faroe Islands and was shortly afterwards attacked and sunk by depth charges dropped by two British warships, the corvette HMS Portchester Castle and the frigate HMS Helmsdale on 9 September 1944.

Fifty-two men went down with U-484; there were no survivors.^[1]^[2]

Previously recorded fate

Sunk on 9 September 1944 by depth charges from two Canadian warships, the corvette HMCS Dunver and the frigate HMCS Hespeler. This attack was on a non-submarine target.

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-477". German U-boats of WWII – uboat.net. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
^ ^a ^b ^c Kemp 1999, p. 217.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Gröner 1991, pp. 43–46.

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.
Kemp, Paul (1999). U-Boats Destroyed – German Submarine Losses in the World Wars. London: Arms & Armour. ISBN 1-85409-515-3.