German submarine U-579

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|Ship country=Nazi Germany

|Ship flag={{shipboxflag|Nazi Germany|naval}}

|Ship name=U-579

|Ship ordered=8 January 1940

|Ship builder=Blohm & Voss, Hamburg

|Ship yard number=555

|Ship laid down=31 August 1940

|Ship launched=28 May 1941

|Ship commissioned=17 July 1941

|Ship decommissioned=12 October 1941

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{{Infobox ship career

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|Ship recommissioned=27 May 1942

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|Ship fate=Sunk in the Kattegat by a British aircraft on 5 May 1945

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{{Infobox ship characteristics

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|Ship class=Type VIIC submarine

|Ship displacement=

{{convert|769|t|LT|0|lk=on}} surfaced
{{convert|871|t|LT|0|abbr=on}} submerged

|Ship length=

{{convert|67.10|m|ftin|abbr=on}} o/a
{{convert|50.50|m|ftin|abbr=on}} pressure hull

|Ship beam=

{{convert|6.20|m|ftin|abbr=on}} o/a
{{convert|4.70|m|ftin|abbr=on}} pressure hull

|Ship height={{convert|9.60|m|ftin|abbr=on}}

|Ship draught={{convert|4.74|m|ftin|abbr=on}}

|Ship power=

{{convert|2800|–|3200|PS|kW bhp|abbr=on}} (diesels)
{{convert|750|PS|kW shp|abbr=on}} (electric)

|Ship propulsion=

2 shafts
2 × diesel engines
2 × electric motors

|Ship speed=

{{convert|17.7|kn}} surfaced
{{convert|7.6|kn}} submerged

|Ship range=

{{convert|8,500|nmi|abbr=on|lk=on}} at {{convert|10|kn}} surfaced
{{convert|80|nmi|abbr=on}} at {{convert|4|kn}} submerged

|Ship test depth=

{{convert|230|m|ft|abbr=on}}
Crush depth: {{convert|250|–|295|m|ft|abbr=on}}

|Ship complement=4 officers, 40–56 enlisted

|Ship sensors=

|Ship EW=

|Ship armament=

5 × {{convert|53.3|cm|in|0|abbr=on}} torpedo tubes (four bow, one stern)
14 × torpedoes or 26 TMA mines
1 × 8.8 cm SK C/35 naval gun (220 rounds)
1 x 2 cm Flak 30, Flak 38 and Flakvierling 38 AA gun

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{{Infobox service record

|is_ship=yes

|label=Service record{{cite web

|url=http://uboat.net/boats/u579.html

|title=The Type VIIC boat U-579

|last=Helgason

|first=Guðmundur

|website=German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net

|access-date=9 October 2012

}}

|partof=

5th U-boat Flotilla
17 July – 12 October 1941
24th U-boat Flotilla
27 May 1942 – 31 August 1943
23rd U-boat Flotilla
1 September 1943 – 28 February 1945
4th U-boat Flotilla
1 March – 5 May 1945

|codes=M 46 268

|commanders=

Kptlt. Dietrich Lohmann
17 July – 12 October 1941
Oblt.z.S. Günther Ruppett
27 May 1942 – October 1942
Oblt.z.S. Gerhard Linder
October 1942 – September 1944
Oblt.z.S. Hans-Dietrich Schwarzenberg
September 1944 – 5 May 1945

|operations=None

|victories=None

}}

German submarine U-579 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

She carried out no patrols and sank no ships.

She was sunk in the Kattegat by a British aircraft on 5 May 1945.

Design

German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-579 had a displacement of {{convert|769|t|LT}} when at the surface and {{convert|871|t|LT}} while submerged.{{sfn|Gröner|1991|pp=43-46}} She had a total length of {{convert|67.10|m|ftin|abbr=on}}, a pressure hull length of {{convert|50.50|m|ftin|abbr=on}}, a beam of {{convert|6.20|m|ftin|abbr=on}}, a height of {{convert|9.60|m|ftin|abbr=on}}, and a draught of {{convert|4.74|m|ftin|abbr=on}}. The submarine was powered by two Germaniawerft F46 four-stroke, six-cylinder supercharged diesel engines producing a total of {{convert|2800 to 3200|PS|kW shp|-1}} for use while surfaced, two Brown, Boveri & Cie GG UB 720/8 double-acting electric motors producing a total of {{convert|750|PS|kW shp}} for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two {{convert|1.23|m|ft|abbr=on|0}} propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to {{convert|230|m}}.{{sfn|Gröner|1991|pp=43-46}}

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of {{convert|17.7|kn}} and a maximum submerged speed of {{convert|7.6|kn}}.{{sfn|Gröner|1991|pp=43-46}} When submerged, the boat could operate for {{convert|80|nmi}} at {{convert|4|kn}}; when surfaced, she could travel {{convert|8500|nmi}} at {{convert|10|kn}}. U-579 was fitted with five {{convert|53.3|cm|in|0|abbr=on}} torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and one at the stern), fourteen torpedoes, one 8.8 cm SK C/35 naval gun, 220 rounds, and a 2 cm FlaK 30 anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.{{sfn|Gröner|1991|pp=43-46}}

Service history

The submarine was laid down on 31 August 1940 at Blohm & Voss, Hamburg as yard number 555, launched on 28 May 1941 and commissioned on 17 July under the command of Kapitänleutnant Dietrich Lohmann.

She served with the 5th U-boat Flotilla from 17 July 1941, the 24th flotilla from 27 May 1942, the 23rd flotilla from 1 September 1943 and the 4th flotilla from 1 March 1945, all for training.

The boat was decommissioned on 12 October 1941 after a fire in the forward torpedo compartment. She was recommissioned on 27 May 1942 after repair.

Fate

U-579 was sunk in the Kattegat east of Aarhus in Denmark on 5 May 1945 by depth charges from a British B-24 Liberator of No. 224 Squadron RAF, piloted by Mick Ensor.

Twenty-four men died with U-579; the number of survivors is not known.

References

Bibliography

{{cite book | last1 = Busch | first1 = Rainer | last2 = Röll | first2 = Hans-Joachim | translator-last = Brooks | translator-first = Geoffrey | title = German U-boat commanders of World War II : a biographical dictionary | publisher = Greenhill Books, Naval Institute Press | location = London, Annapolis, Md | year = 1999 | isbn = 1-55750-186-6 }}
{{cite book

|last1=Busch

|first1=Rainer

|last2=Röll

|first2=Hans-Joachim

|title=Deutsche U-Boot-Verluste von September 1939 bis Mai 1945

|trans-title=German U-boat losses from September 1939 to May 1945

|series=Der U-Boot-Krieg

|volume=IV

|publisher=Mittler

|location=Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn

|year=1999

|isbn=3-8132-0514-2