German submarineU-549

History
Nazi Germany
Name	U-549
Ordered	5 June 1941
Builder	Deutsche Werft,Hamburg
Yard number	370
Laid down	28 September 1942
Launched	28 April 1943
Commissioned	14 July 1943
Fate	Sunk on 29 May 1944
General characteristics
Class and type	Type IXC/40submarine
Displacement	1,144t(1,126long tons) surfaced 1,257 t (1,237 long tons) submerged
Length	76.76 m (251 ft 10 in)o/a 58.75 m (192 ft 9 in)pressure hull
Beam	6.86 m (22 ft 6 in) o/a 4.44 m (14 ft 7 in) pressure hull
Height	9.60 m (31 ft 6 in)
Draught	4.67 m (15 ft 4 in)
Installed power	4,400 PS (3,200 kW; 4,300 bhp) (diesels) 1,000 PS (740 kW; 990 shp) (electric)
Propulsion	2 shafts 2 ×diesel engines 2 ×electric motors
Speed	18.3 knots (33.9 km/h; 21.1 mph) surfaced 7.3 knots (13.5 km/h; 8.4 mph) submerged
Range	13,850nmi(25,650 km; 15,940 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced 63 nmi (117 km; 72 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth	230 m (750 ft)
Complement	4 officers, 44 enlisted
Armament	6 ×torpedo tubes(4 bow, 2 stern) 22 × 53.3 cm (21 in)torpedoes 1 ×10.5 cm (4.1 in) SK C/32deck gun(180 rounds) 1 ×3.7 cm (1.5 in) SK C/30AA gun 1 × twin2 cm FlaK 30AA guns
Service record
Part of:	4th U-boat Flotilla 14 July – 31 December 1943 10th U-boat Flotilla 1 January – 29 May 1944
Identification codes:	M 53 434
Commanders:	Kptlt.Detlev Krankenhagen 14 July 1943 – 29 May 1944
Operations:	2 patrols: 1st patrol: 11 January – 26 March 1944 2nd patrol: 14 – 29 May 1944
Victories:	1 warship sunk (9,393 tons) 1 warship damaged (1,300 tons)

German submarineU-549was aType IXC/40U-boatofNazi Germany'sKriegsmarineduringWorld War II.The submarine waslaid downon 28 September 1942 at theDeutsche Werftyard inHamburg,launchedon 28 April 1943, andcommissionedon 14 July 1943 under the command ofKapitänleutnantDetlev Krankenhagen. After training with the4th U-boat FlotillaatStettin,the U-boat was transferred to the10th U-boat Flotillafor front-line service on 1 January 1944.

Design

German Type IXC/40 submarineswere slightly larger than the originalType IXCs.U-549had a displacement of 1,144 tonnes (1,126 long tons) when at the surface and 1,257 tonnes (1,237 long tons) while submerged.The U-boat had a total length of 76.76 m (251 ft 10 in), apressure hulllength of 58.75 m (192 ft 9 in), abeamof 6.86 m (22 ft 6 in), a height of 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in), and adraughtof 4.67 m (15 ft 4 in). The submarine was powered by twoMANM 9 V 40/46superchargedfour-stroke, nine-cylinderdiesel enginesproducing a total of 4,400 metric horsepower (3,240 kW; 4,340 shp) for use while surfaced, twoSiemens-Schuckert2 GU 345/34double-acting electric motorsproducing a total of 1,000 shaft horsepower (1,010 PS; 750 kW) for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 1.92 m (6 ft)propellers.The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to 230 metres (750 ft).

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 18.3 knots (33.9 km/h; 21.1 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 7.3 knots (13.5 km/h; 8.4 mph).When submerged, the boat could operate for 63 nautical miles (117 km; 72 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 13,850 nautical miles (25,650 km; 15,940 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph).U-549was fitted with six 53.3 cm (21 in)torpedo tubes(four fitted at the bow and two at the stern), 22torpedoes,one10.5 cm (4.13 in) SK C/32 naval gun,180 rounds, and a3.7 cm (1.5 in) SK C/30as well as a2 cm (0.79 in) C/30anti-aircraft gun. The boat had acomplementof forty-eight.

Service history

First patrol

U-549departedKielon 11 January 1944, and sailed out into the mid-Atlantic, via thegapbetweenIcelandand theFaroe Islands,but had no success. The U-boat arrived atLorientin occupied France on 26 March after 76 days at sea.

Second patrol and loss

The U-boat left Lorient on 14 May 1944 and sailed to the waters north-west of theCanary Islands.At 20:13 on 29 May 1944,U-549slipped through the anti-submarine screen of the hunter-killer group TG 21.11, and fired threeT-3 torpedoesat theescort carrierUSSBlock Island,hitting her with two, and severely damaging the ship which later sank.At 20.40 hours the U-boat fired a salvo ofT-5 acoustic torpedoes,badly damaging thedestroyer escortBarr(DE-576),and missing theEugene E. Elmore(DE-686).A counter-attack withdepth chargeswas launched byAhrens(DE-575)andEugene E. Elmorewhich sank the U-boat, in position31°13′N23°03′W.All 57 hands were lost.

Wolfpacks

U-549took part in threewolfpacks,namely:

• Igel 1 (3 – 17 February 1944)
• Hai 1(17 – 22 February 1944)
• Preussen (22 February – 22 March 1944)

Summary of raiding history

Date	Ship Name	Nationality	Tonnage	Fate
29 May 1944	USSBarr	United States Navy	1,300	Damaged
29 May 1944	USSBlock Island	United States Navy	9,393	Sunk

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.ISBN1-55750-186-6.
• 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.ISBN3-8132-0514-2.
• Gröner, Erich; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991).U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels.German Warships 1815–1945. Vol. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press.ISBN0-85177-593-4.
• Kemp, Paul (1999).U-Boats Destroyed - German Submarine Losses in the World Wars.London: Arms & Armour.ISBN1-85409-515-3.

External links

• Helgason, Guðmundur."The Type IXC/40 boat U-549".German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net.Retrieved7 December2014.
• Hofmann, Markus."U 549".Deutsche U-Boote 1935-1945 - u-boot-archiv.de(in German).Retrieved7 December2014.