German submarine U-389
German submarine U-389 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.
She carried out one patrol. She did not sink or damage any ships.
She was sunk by a British aircraft southwest of Iceland on 4 October 1943.
Design
German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-389 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-389 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.
Service history
The submarine was laid down on 3 December 1941 at the Howaldtswerke at Flensburg as yard number 20, launched on 19 December 1942 and commissioned on 6 February 1943 under the command of Kapitänleutnant Siegfried Heilmann.The boat was a member of one wolfpack.
She served with the 5th U-boat Flotilla from 6 February 1943 and the 9th flotilla from 1 August of the same year.
Patrol and loss
After moving briefly between Kiel, Bergen and Trondheim, U-389 set-off from the latter on 18 September 1943. Passing through the gap that separates Iceland and the Faroe Islands, she was attacked and sunk by depth charges dropped from a British Liberator of No. 120 Squadron RAF on 4 October 1943.50 men died in the U-boat; there were no survivors.