German submarine U-385

German submarine U-385 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.
She carried out two patrols. She did not sink or damage any ships.
She was sunk by a British warship and an Australian aircraft in the Bay of Biscay on 11 August 1944.

Design

German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-385 had a displacement of when at the surface and while submerged. She had a total length of, a pressure hull length of, a beam of, a height of, and a draught of. The submarine was powered by two Germaniawerft F46 four-stroke, six-cylinder supercharged diesel engines producing a total of for use while surfaced, two Garbe, Lahmeyer & Co. RP 137/c double-acting electric motors producing a total of for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to.
The submarine had a maximum surface speed of and a maximum submerged speed of. When submerged, the boat could operate for at ; when surfaced, she could travel at. U-385 was fitted with five torpedo tubes, fourteen torpedoes, one SK C/35 naval gun, 220 rounds, and two twin C/30 anti-aircraft guns. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.

The submarine was laid down on 16 May 1941 at the Howaldtswerke yard at Kiel as yard number 16, launched on 8 July 1942 and commissioned on 29 August under the command of Kapitänleutnant Hans-Guido Valenter.
She served with the 5th U-boat Flotilla from 29 August 1942 and the 6th flotilla from 1 March 1944.
The boat was moved from Kiel to Marviken in March 1944.

U-385s first patrol took her from Marviken to St. Nazaire, in occupied France via the gap between Iceland and the Faroe Islands.

The boat left St. Nazaire on 9 August 1944. On the 11th, whilst still in the Bay of Biscay, she was sunk by depth charges dropped by an Australian Sunderland flying boat of No. 461 Squadron RAAF and the British sloop captained by Cdr. NW Duck.
One man died in the U-boat; there were 42 survivors.