German submarine U-472


German submarine U-472 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 Swordfish "B" of 816 Squadron FAA by rocket projectiles, and a British warship, southeast of Bear Island on 4 March 1944.

Design

German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-472 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-472 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 15 November 1941 at the Deutsche Werke in Kiel as yard number 303, launched on 6 March 1943 and commissioned on 26 May under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Wolfgang-Friedrich Freiherr von Forstner.
She served with the 5th U-boat Flotilla from 26 May 1943 for training and the 11th flotilla from 1 January 1944 for operations.

Patrol and loss

U-472s only patrol was preceded by short voyages from Kiel in Germany to Hammerfest then Narvik in Norway. Her only sortie began with her departure from Narvik on 24 February 1944. She sailed out into the Norwegian Sea, then northeast towards the Barents Sea. On 4 March, when southeast of Bear Island, she was attacked and sunk by gunfire and rockets from a Fairey Swordfish of 816 Naval Air Squadron FAA and the destroyer. The aircraft had come from.
Twenty-three men died with U-472; there were thirty survivors.

Wolfpacks

U-472 took part in four wolfpacks, namely:
  • Isegrim
  • Werwolf
  • Hartmut
  • Boreas