German Submarine U-559

Ah, U-559. Another footnote in a war that ran on like a poorly edited film. You want the details? Fine. Just try not to get lost in the sheer, overwhelming pointlessness of it all.

German World War II submarine

This particular submersible, designated U-559, was one of countless metal coffins churned out by Nazi Germany ’s Kriegsmarine for their futile campaign during World War II . It’s a rather grim lineage, really.

History

The genesis of U-559 began on 16 October 1939, when the order was placed. The shipyards of Blohm & Voss in Hamburg were tasked with its construction, bearing the yard number 535. The keel was laid down on 1 February 1940, a rather unremarkable beginning for a vessel destined for such a violent end. It was launched on 8 January 1941, a sleek silhouette against the grim industrial backdrop, and officially commissioned into service on 27 February 1941. The commander at its helm was Kapitänleutnant Hans Heidtmann , a man whose fate became inextricably linked with this doomed vessel.

Its operational life, tragically, was cut short. On 30 October 1942, U-559 met its end, sunk by a barrage of depth charges . A rather unspectacular way to go, considering the grandiosity of the war it served.

General characteristics

U-559 belonged to the ubiquitous Type VIIC class of submarines . These were the workhorses of the Kriegsmarine , designed for mass production rather than groundbreaking innovation.

• Displacement: When knifing through the surface, it displaced 769 tonnes , or 757 long tons . Submerged, this increased to a more substantial 871 tonnes (857 long tons). A significant difference, indicating the sheer volume of water it displaced to maintain its hidden presence beneath the waves.

• Length: The overall length of the hull was 67.10 meters (220 feet 2 inches), or o/a . However, the critical pressure hull , the vessel’s vital organ, measured a mere 50.50 meters (165 feet 8 inches). This distinction is crucial; the integrity of that inner hull was all that stood between the crew and the crushing embrace of the deep.

• Beam: The widest point of the vessel, the beam , measured 6.20 meters (20 feet 4 inches) overall, narrowing to 4.70 meters (15 feet 5 inches) at the pressure hull. Not exactly spacious, was it? One can only imagine the claustrophobia.

• Height: Standing tall, it reached 9.60 meters (31 feet 6 inches).

• Draught: When fully laden and submerged, it drew 4.74 meters (15 feet 7 inches) of water.

• Installed power: The beast was powered by diesel engines that churned out between 2,800 and 3,200 PS (2,100–2,400 kW; 2,800–3,200 bhp) when operating on the surface, and by electric motors that provided a more modest 750 PS (550 kW; 740 shp) when running silent and deep.

• Propulsion: Two shafts drove two propellers , the mechanical heart of its underwater movement.

• Speed: On the surface, it could manage a respectable 17.7 knots (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph). Submerged, however, its speed dropped to a mere 7.6 knots (14.1 km/h; 8.7 mph). A significant vulnerability, that. The difference between swift evasion and becoming a sitting duck.

• Range: Its operational reach was considerable. Surfaced, it could cover an astonishing 8,500 nautical miles (15,700 km; 9,800 mi) at a leisurely 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). Submerged, this range plummeted to just 80 nmi (150 km; 92 mi) at a crawl of 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph). The trade-off for stealth, I suppose.

• Test depth: It was designed to withstand depths of up to 230 meters (750 ft). Beyond that, the risk of crush depth – a terrifying 250–295 meters (820–968 ft) – loomed. A thin line between operational capability and catastrophic implosion.

• Complement: A crew of 4 officers and anywhere from 40 to 56 enlisted personnel crammed into its metallic confines. Forty to fifty-six souls packed into a metal tube, living, breathing, and dying together. A grim intimacy.

• Armament:

  • Five 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes , four facing forward and one at the stern. The primary instruments of its destructive purpose.
  • Carried 14 torpedoes or could be fitted with 26 TMA mines . Plenty of ways to make a mess.
  • One 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun with 220 rounds. A relic of a bygone era of naval warfare, but still capable of delivering a sting.
  • One 2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft gun. For fending off aerial threats, though its effectiveness against determined air power was always questionable.

Service record

U-559 found its place within the 1st U-boat Flotilla from its commissioning on 27 February 1941 until 31 October 1941. It then moved to the 23rd U-boat Flotilla for a brief stint from 1 November 1941 to 14 April 1942, before finally settling with the 29th U-boat Flotilla from 15 April until its demise on 30 October 1942.

The command was held by Kptlt. Hans Heidtmann for the entirety of its operational career, from 27 February 1941 until its sinking. A man who, one assumes, bore the weight of that command with a certain grim resolve.

Operations

U-559 undertook 10 patrols. Ten voyages into the dark, cold waters, each one a gamble with fate.

• 1st patrol: 4 June – 5 July 1941. A shakedown cruise, perhaps.
• 2nd patrol: 26 July – 22 August 1941.
• 3rd patrol: 20 September – 20 October 1941. This one marked a significant shift, as it ventured into the Mediterranean Sea .
• 4th patrol: 24 November – 4 December 1941.
• 5th patrol: 8 – 31 December 1941.
• 6th patrol: 16 – 26 February 1942.
• 7th patrol: This was a fragmented affair: a. 4 – 21 March 1942, b. 24 – 27 March 1942, c. 10 – 12 May 1942. A rather disjointed period.
• 8th patrol: Also split: a. 18 May – 22 June 1942, b. 15 – 21 August 1942.
• 9th patrol: 29 August – 21 September 1942.
• 10th patrol: 29 September – 30 October 1942. Its final, fatal voyage.

Victories

In its relatively short career, U-559 managed to sink 4 merchant ships, totaling 11,811 GRT . It also claimed 1 warship, the Australian sloop HMAS Parramatta, weighing in at 1,060 tons. Furthermore, it was responsible for the total loss of 2 other merchant vessels, amounting to 6,117 GRT. Not an insignificant tally, but hardly the stuff of legends.

German submarine U-559, a vessel of the Type VIIC class, was built for Nazi Germany ’s Kriegsmarine to participate in the devastating conflict of World War II . The journey from conception to watery grave began on 1 February 1940, with its laying down at the Blohm & Voss yards in Hamburg , identified by its construction number “535”. It was officially launched on 8 January 1941, a tangible manifestation of a nation’s martial ambition, and subsequently commissioned on 27 February under the command of Kapitänleutnant Hans Heidtmann .

Its initial assignment was with the 1st U-boat Flotilla , where it underwent rigorous training before being declared operational on 1 June 1941. The flotilla assignments shifted over its short life, moving to the 23rd U-boat Flotilla on 1 November 1941 and then to the 29th U-boat Flotilla on 15 April 1942. While it achieved a respectable number of sinkings, U-559 is perhaps more infamously remembered for the circumstances surrounding its demise in the Mediterranean Sea in 1942. During this final act, British sailors managed to capture vital cryptographic materials from the sinking vessel. This intelligence proved to be a critical asset in the ongoing efforts to decipher the Enigma machine ciphers used by the U-boats, a strategic coup that undoubtedly saved countless Allied lives.

Design

The German Type VIIC submarines represented an evolution from their predecessors, the shorter Type VIIB submarines . U-559 embodied the typical specifications of this widely produced class. Its surface displacement was 769 tonnes (757 long tons), while submerged it displaced 871 tonnes (857 long tons). [4] The overall length of the submarine was 67.10 meters (220 ft 2 in), with its internal pressure hull extending 50.50 meters (165 ft 8 in). The beam, or width, measured 6.20 meters (20 ft 4 in) overall and 4.70 meters (15 ft 5 in) at the pressure hull. Its height reached 9.60 meters (31 ft 6 in), and it had a draught of 4.74 meters (15 ft 7 in).

Propulsion was provided by two Germaniawerft F46 four-stroke, six-cylinder supercharged diesel engines , capable of generating between 2,800 and 3,200 metric horsepower (2,060 to 2,350 kW; 2,760 to 3,160 shp) for surface travel. For submerged operations, two Brown, Boveri & Cie GG UB 720/8 double-acting electric motors delivered a combined 750 metric horsepower (550 kW; 740 shp). These powered two shafts, each fitted with a 1.23-meter (4 ft) propeller . The submarine was designed to operate safely at depths up to 230 meters (750 ft). [4]

In terms of performance, U-559 could achieve a maximum surface speed of 17.7 knots (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph) and a submerged speed of 7.6 knots (14.1 km/h; 8.7 mph). [4] Its operational range was impressive: 8,500 nautical miles (15,700 km; 9,800 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) when surfaced, and 80 nautical miles (150 km; 92 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) when submerged. Its offensive capabilities included five 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes – four in the bow and one in the stern – capable of launching 14 torpedoes . For surface engagements, it carried an 8.8 cm (3.46 in) SK C/35 naval gun with 220 rounds of ammunition, and a 2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft gun. The crew complement typically ranged from forty-four to sixty individuals. [4]

Service history

Initially, U-559 was slated for service in the Atlantic during the Battle of the Atlantic , tasked with preying on Allied convoys in the unforgiving waters of the Western Approaches . However, its operational path would soon diverge.

First and second patrols

The submarine’s maiden voyage commenced from Kiel on 4 June 1941. It navigated the North Sea and successfully transited the GIUK gap between Greenland and Iceland , eventually reaching its base at St. Nazaire in occupied France on 5 July. Its second patrol saw its first taste of success, sinking the vessel Alva approximately 600 nautical miles (1,100 km; 690 mi) west of Ushant . It returned to its French base on 22 August 1941, its crew likely feeling a modicum of satisfaction from their initial kill.

Third patrol

The third patrol, beginning on 20 September 1941, marked a significant strategic shift. U-559 was assigned to the ‘Goeben’ group, becoming one of the first U-boats to penetrate the Mediterranean Sea by navigating the heavily defended Strait of Gibraltar . After a reconnaissance mission along the Libyan /Egyptian border, it reached its new base at Salamis in Greece. This Mediterranean theatre was a different beast entirely, characterized by shallower waters and a greater concentration of Allied naval and air power.

Fourth patrol

During its fourth patrol, U-559 encountered and sank the Australian sloop HMAS Parramatta off the Libyan coast. While the majority of the crew were rescued by other vessels, a grim testament to the brutality of naval warfare, three sailors managed to reach shore and were subsequently rescued by advancing British troops. [5] This incident underscores the desperate struggles for survival that often followed such engagements.

Fifth, sixth and seventh patrols

The fifth patrol, commencing on 8 December 1941, resulted in the sinking of the Shuntien on the 23rd. This vessel was carrying a significant number of prisoners of war – between 850 and 1,100 German and Italian captives – and its sinking resulted in a horrific loss of life, with an estimated 800 to 1,000 individuals perishing, including at least 700 PoWs. [6] The subsequent sixth and seventh patrols, both conducted from Salamis to the Libyan coast, yielded no further successes, highlighting the inherent unpredictability and often fruitless nature of these patrols.

Eighth and ninth patrols

In March 1942, U-559 relocated its base to Pula in Croatia . From there, it launched its eighth patrol on 18 May. This patrol proved more fruitful, as it managed to sink the tanker Athene and damage the oiler Brambleleaf during a convoy attack on 10 June. However, its ninth patrol was entirely unsuccessful, a stark reminder of the ebb and flow of fortune in wartime.

Wolfpacks

U-559 participated in at least one wolfpack operation, known as ‘Goeben’, which was active from 20 September to 5 October 1941. These coordinated attacks, where multiple U-boats would converge on a convoy, were a terrifyingly effective tactic.

Fate

It was U-559’s final patrol that cemented its place in history, not for its military achievements, but for the intelligence gained from its destruction. At approximately 05:00 on 30 October 1942, a Royal Air Force Sunderland flying boat from 201 Squadron spotted the U-boat at coordinates 31°47′N 33°24′E, roughly 70 miles north of the Nile Delta . The destroyer HMS Hero was vecthed to intercept, while a formidable group of destroyers – HMS Petard, Pakenham, Dulverton, and Hurworth – were dispatched from Port Said , Egypt .

Later that morning, at about 12:34, a Wellesley patrol aircraft from 47 Squadron , designated F, detected the periscope of the submerged U-559 and launched a devastating attack with depth charges . [7] [2] [8] The subsequent hunt by the destroyer flotilla lasted a grueling 16 hours, with continuous depth charge attacks. As night fell, U-559, its pressure hull compromised, struggling to maintain trim, and with four crew members already dead from the explosions and flooding, was forced to surface. It surfaced perilously close to HMS Petard, which immediately opened fire with its Oerlikon 20 mm cannon . [1] [9]

In a moment of desperate, perhaps futile, action, the German crew abandoned ship, but critically, they failed to destroy their codebooks or their Enigma machine . Furthermore, they neglected to fully open the sea-water vents required to scuttle the vessel properly. Seizing this extraordinary opportunity, three Royal Navy personnel – Lieutenant Anthony Fasson , Able Seaman Colin Grazier , and NAAFI canteen assistant Tommy Brown – boarded the listing submarine. Accounts differ on the exact method of boarding; some suggest they “swam naked” [10] to the slowly sinking vessel, while others state they leapt from HMS Petard or a whaler . Regardless of the precise method, their objective was clear: retrieve the intelligence. They succeeded in securing the U-boat’s Enigma key setting sheets, containing the current operational codes for the U-boat network. Two surviving German crew members, plucked from the sea, witnessed this transfer but were deterred from interfering by an armed guard. Tragically, Grazier and Fasson were still inside the submarine, attempting to exit, when it finally foundered ; both men drowned. [11]

Aftermath

The bravery displayed in this desperate act of salvage was recognized, though not without controversy. Grazier and Fasson were posthumously awarded the George Cross , while Brown received the George Medal . The Victoria Cross , Britain’s highest award for gallantry, was considered but ultimately not awarded. The official reason cited was that the bravery was not demonstrated “in the face of the enemy.” However, it’s widely believed that a more practical concern was the desire to avoid drawing undue attention from German intelligence to the capture of such vital material. There was also the inconvenient fact that Tommy Brown had lied about his age to enlist, making him a mere 16 years old at the time – one of the youngest recipients of the George Medal. [13] He was discharged and returned home, only to die two years later in a tragic house fire while attempting to rescue his younger sister. [13]

The intelligence retrieved from U-559 was invaluable to the codebreakers at Bletchley Park . For ten months, since the introduction of the 4-rotor U-boat Enigma cipher by the German Kriegsmarine in early 1942, they had been unable to read the transmissions. The captured materials from U-559 provided the key, allowing them to decipher the codes for several critical weeks and, ultimately, to break the U-boat Enigma for the remainder of the war. This single act of bravery, born from a moment of disaster, had a profound impact on the course of the conflict.

The capture of U-559’s codebooks, along with similar events such as the earlier capture of U-110, served as inspiration for the fictionalized submarine capture depicted in the 2000 film U-571 . It’s a peculiar twist of fate that a real act of desperate courage, performed by ordinary sailors, would be transmuted into Hollywood fiction, often misattributing the bravery to American forces.

Summary of raiding history

Note 1: Merchant ship tonnages are given in gross register tons . Military vessels are listed by tons displacement .

See also

• Mediterranean U-boat Campaign (World War II)
• German submarine U-505
• German submarine U-110

References

Notes

• ^ Merchant ship tonnages are in gross register tons . Military vessels are listed by tons displacement .

Citations

• ^ a b Kemp 1999, p. 94.
• ^ a b Helgason, Guðmundur. “The Type VIIC boat U-559”. German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net . Retrieved 26 August 2009.
• ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. “War Patrols by German U-boat U-559”. German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net . Retrieved 26 August 2009.
• ^ a b c d Gröner 1991, pp. 43–46.
• ^ Paterson, Lawrence - U-Boats in the Mediterranean 1941-1944 , 2007, Chatham Publishing, ISBN 9781861762900 , p. 43.
• ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. “Ships hit by U-559”. German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net . Retrieved 28 December 2014.
• ^ Busch & Röll 1999, pp. 63–64.
• ^ Shores et al. 2012, pp. 612–613
• ^ West, Nigel (1986). GCHQ : The Secret Wireless War 1900-1986 (1987 ed.). Coronet. pp. 270–271. ISBN 0-340-41197-X .
• ^ Kahn, David Seizing The Enigma: The Race to Break The German U-boat Codes, 1939-1943 . 1991. p. 224. Souvenir Press ISBN 0-285-63066-0
• ^ Sebag-Montefiore, Hugh (2001). Enigma; the battle for the Code . London: Phoenix. pp. 259–262. ISBN 0-7538-1130-8 .
• ^ Kahn, p. 226.
• ^ West, Nigel (1986). GCHQ : The Secret Wireless War 1900-1986 (1987 ed.). Coronet. p. 272. ISBN 0-340-41197-X .
• ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. “Ships hit by U-559”. German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net . Retrieved 30 October 2020.

Bibliography

• Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (1999). German U-boat commanders of World War II: a biographical dictionary. Translated by Brooks, Geoffrey. London, Annapolis, Md: Greenhill Books, Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-186-6 .
• Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (1999). Deutsche U-Boot-Verluste von September 1939 bis Mai 1945 [German U-boat losses from September 1939 to May 1945]. Der U-Boot-Krieg (in German). Vol. IV. Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn: Mittler. ISBN 3-8132-0514-2 .
• Stephen Harper (1999). Capturing Enigma: How HMS Petard Seized the German Naval Codes. Sutton. ISBN 978-0-7509-2316-3 .
• Gröner, Erich; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). German Warships 1815–1945, U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. Vol. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4 .
• Kahn, David; Seizing the Enigma: The Race to Break the German U-Boats Codes, 1939-1943, (1991)
• Kemp, Paul (1999). U-Boats Destroyed - German Submarine Losses in the World Wars. London: Arms & Armour. ISBN 1-85409-515-3 .
• Sharpe, Peter (1998). U-Boat Fact File. Great Britain: Midland Publishing. ISBN 1-85780-072-9 .
• Shores, Christopher; Massimello, Giovanni; Guest, Russell; Olynyk, Frank; Bock, Winfried (2012). A History of the Mediterranean Air War 1940–1945: Volume Two: North African Desert February 1952 – March 1943. London: Grub Street. ISBN 978-1-909166-12-7 .

External links

• Helgason, Guðmundur. “The Type VIIC boat U-559”. German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net . Retrieved 28 December 2014.
• Memorial page for Fasson and Grazier {reference only}

Type VII submarines Type II submarines • Type IX submarines • List of U-boats of Germany

Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in October 1942 Shipwrecks • 1941 1942 1943 • September 1942 November 1942

Authority control databases • GND