German submarine U-598

German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-598 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-598 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}}

The submarine was laid down on 11 January 1941 at Blohm & Voss, Hamburg as yard number 574, launched on 2 October 1941 and commissioned on 27 November under the command of Korvettenkapitän Gottfried Holtorf.

She served with the 8th U-boat Flotilla from 27 November 1941 for training and the 6th flotilla for operations from 1 July 1942 until her loss.

U-598{{'}}s first patrol began from Kiel on 7 July 1942. She headed for the Atlantic Ocean via the gap separating Iceland and the Faroe Islands. One man drowned while carrying out maintenance on hydroplanes and propellers in mid-Atlantic on 5 August.

She damaged the Standella, sank the Michael Jebsen and the Empire Corporal, all on 14 August northwest of Barlovento Point, Cuba. The Empire Corporal had, as the {{SS|British Corporal||2}}, been damaged by a torpedo and bombs in the English Channel in 1940. She had been repaired and returned to service in 1942.

The boat arrived at St. Nazaire, in occupied France on 13 September.

U-598{{'}}s second sortie was to the south of Greenland; it was relatively uneventful.

Her third foray also started and finished in St. Nazaire between March and May 1943.

The boat departed St. Nazaire for the last time on 26 June 1943. On 23 July she was sunk by depth charges dropped by two US Navy PB4Y-1 Liberators of VB-107 near Natal (on the Brazilian coast) at position {{coord|04|05|S|33|23|W|display=inline,title}}.

Forty-three men died with U-598; there were two survivors.

U-598 took part in four wolfpacks, namely:

• Jaguar (18 – 31 January 1943)
• Stürmer (11 – 20 March 1943)
• Seeteufel (23 – 30 March 1943)
• Meise (11 – 27 April 1943)

{{reflist}}

{{Refbegin}}

• {{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=Der U-Boot-Krieg, 1939-1945: Deutsche U-Boot-Verluste von September 1939 bis Mai 1945|trans-title=German U-boat losses from September 1939 to May 1945 |date=1999|volume=IV |publisher=Mittler|location=Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn |isbn=3-8132-0514-2 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vXKwAAAAIAAJ |language=de}}
• {{cite book |last1=Gröner |first1=Eric |last2=Jung |first2=Dieter |last3=Maass |first3=Martin |translator-last1=Thomas|translator-first1=Keith|translator-last2=Magowan|translator-first2=Rachel |title=German Warships 1815-1945: U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels |date=1991 |publisher=Conway Maritime Press |location=London |volume=2 |isbn=0-85177-593-4 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Udg-0AEACAAJ|ref=CITEREFGröner1991}}
• {{cite book

|last=Kemp

|first=Paul

|title=U-Boats Destroyed – German Submarine Losses in the World Wars

|year=1997

|publisher=Arms & Armour

|isbn=1-85409-515-3

}}

{{Refend}}

• {{Cite web

|url=http://uboat.net/boats/u598.html

|title=The Type VIIC boat U-598

|last=Helgason

|first=Guðmundur

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

|access-date=29 December 2014

}}

{{German Type VII submarines}}

{{July 1943 shipwrecks}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:U0598}}

Category:German Type VIIC submarines

Category:U-boats commissioned in 1941

Category:U-boats sunk in 1943

Category:U-boats sunk by US aircraft

Category:U-boats sunk by depth charges

Category:1941 ships

Category:Ships built in Hamburg

Category:World War II submarines of Germany

Category:World War II shipwrecks in the Atlantic Ocean

Category:World War II shipwrecks in the South Atlantic

Category:Maritime incidents in July 1943