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German submarine U-679

{{Short description|German World War II submarine}}

{{Infobox ship begin}}

{{Infobox ship image

|Ship image=

|Ship caption=

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{{Infobox ship career

|Hide header=

|Ship country=Nazi Germany

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

|Ship name=U-679

|Ship ordered=5 June 1941

|Ship builder=Howaldtswerke, Hamburg

|Ship yard number=828

|Ship laid down=3 September 1942

|Ship launched=18 September 1943

|Ship commissioned=29 November 1943

|Ship fate=Sunk on or 9 January 1945 in the Baltic Sea at {{coord|59|26|N|24|07|E|type:event}} by depth charges from Soviet A/S vessel MO-124

}}

{{Infobox ship characteristics

|Hide header=

|Header caption=

|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 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=

|Ship speed=

  • {{convert|17.7|kn|lk=in}} surfaced
  • {{convert|7.6|kn}} submerged

|Ship range=

  • {{convert|8500|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 armament=

}}

{{Infobox service record

|is_ship=yes

|label=

|partof=

|codes=M 53 677

|commanders=

|url=http://uboat.net/men/commanders/127.html

|title=Friedrich Breckwoldt

|last=Helgason

|first=Guðmundur

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

|access-date=30 March 2015

}}

  • 29 November 1943 – 20 October 1944
  • Oblt.z.S. Eduard Aust{{cite web

|url=http://uboat.net/men/commanders/23.html

|title=Eduard Aust

|last=Helgason

|first=Guðmundur

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

|access-date=30 March 2015

}}

  • 21 October 1944 – 9 January 1945

|operations=*3 patrols:

  • 1st patrol:
  • 11 – 16 July 1944
  • 2nd patrol:
  • 18 July – 10 September 1944
  • 3rd patrol:
  • 2 November 1944 – 9 January 1945

|victories=

  • 1 warship sunk
    (39 tons)
  • 1 warship damaged
    (36 tons)

}}

German submarine U-679 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II.

She was laid down on 3 September 1942 by Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft, Hamburg as yard number 828, launched on 18 September 1943 and commissioned on 29 November 1943 under Leutnant zur See Friedrich Breckwoldt.

Design

German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-679 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 Siemens-Schuckert GU 343/38-8 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-679 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), one 3.7 cm Flak 18/36/37/43 and two twin 2 cm FlaK 30 anti-aircraft guns. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.{{sfn|Gröner|1991|pp=43-46}}

Service history

The boat's career began with training at 31st Flotilla on 29 November 1943, followed by active service on 1 August 1944 as part of the 8th Flotilla. U-679 took part in no wolfpacks. U-679 was presumed sunk on 9 January 1945 in the Baltic Sea at {{coord|59|26|N|24|07|E|type:event|display=inline, title}} by depth charges from Soviet anti-submarine vessel MO-124. However, the wreckage was located in August 2015 and initial reports suggest that actually U-679 had run into a mine and sank after that. Wreckage lies at depth of 90 metres at a location, which is somewhat different from the information given earlier.Suunto: [http://www.suunto.com/sports/News-Articles-container-page/U-boat-U679/ www.suunto.com/sports/News-Articles-container-page/U-boat-U679/], accessdate: 17. September 2015yle.fi: [http://yle.fi/uutiset/finnish_diver_finds_sub_from_wwii/8312584 Finnish diver finds sub from WWII | Yle Uutiset | yle.fi], accessdate: 17. September 2015

Summary of raiding history

class="wikitable sortable"
width="160px"|Date

! width="180px"|Ship Name

! width="160px"|Nationality

! width="25px" |TonnageMerchant ship tonnages are in gross register tons. Military vessels are listed by tons displacement.

! width="80px" |Fate{{cite web

|url=http://uboat.net/boats/successes/u679.html

|title=Ships hit by U-679

|last=Helgason

|first=Guðmundur

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

|access-date=30 March 2015

}}

align="right"|15 July 1944

|align="left" |TK-57

|align="left" |{{navy|Soviet Union}}

|align="right"|36

|align="left" |Damaged

align="right"|18 November 1944

|align="left" |SK-62

|align="left" |{{navy|Soviet Union}}

|align="right"|39

|align="left" |Sunk

References

=Notes=

{{Reflist|group=Note}}

=Citations=

{{Reflist}}

Bibliography

{{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=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

|publisher=Arms and Armour Press

|year=1997

|page=228

|isbn=1-85409-321-5

}}

  • {{cite book

|last=Sharpe

|first=Peter

|title=U-Boat Fact File

|publisher=Midland Publishing

|location=Great Britain

|year=1998

|isbn=1-85780-072-9

}}

{{Refend}}

External links

  • {{cite web

|url=http://uboat.net/boats/u679.htm

|title=The Type VIIC U-boat U-679

|last=Helgason

|first=Guðmundur

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

|access-date=30 March 2015

}}

{{German Type VII submarines}}

{{January 1945 shipwrecks}}

{{use dmy dates|date=April 2015}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:U0679}}

Category:German Type VIIC submarines

Category:1943 ships

Category:U-boats commissioned in 1943

Category:U-boats sunk in 1945

Category:World War II submarines of Germany

Category:Ships built in Hamburg

Category:U-boats sunk by Soviet warships

Category:U-boats sunk by depth charges

Category:Submarines lost with all hands

Category:World War II shipwrecks in the Baltic Sea

Category:Maritime incidents in January 1945