German submarine U-469
German submarine U-469 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.
She carried out one patrol. She sank no ships.
She was sunk by a British aircraft south of Iceland on 25 March 1943.
Design
German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-469 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 Siemens-Schuckert GU 343/38–8 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-469 was fitted with five torpedo tubes, fourteen torpedoes, one SK C/35 naval gun, 220 rounds, and one twin C/30 anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.
Service history
The submarine was laid down on 1 October 1941 at the Deutsche Werke in Kiel as yard number 300, launched on 8 August 1942 and commissioned on 7 October under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Emil Claussen.She served with the 5th U-boat Flotilla from 7 October 1942 for training and the 3rd flotilla from 1 March 1943 for operations.
Patrol and loss
U-469s only patrol began with her departure from Kiel on 16 March 1943. She had just negotiated the gap between Iceland and the Faroe Islands, when she was sunk by a British B-17 Flying Fortress of No. 206 Squadron RAF – FK195/L, under Flight Lieutenant William Roxburgh – south of Iceland on the 25th.Forty-seven men went down with U-469; there were no survivors.