German submarine U-450
Encyclopedia
The German submarine U-450 was a Type VIIC U-boat
in the service of Nazi Germany
during World War II
. The submarine was laid down on 22 July 1940 at the F Schichau GmbH yard at Danzig, Germany (now Poland). She was launched on 4 July 1941 and commissioned on 12 September that year. During her career with the Kriegsmarine
, U-450 never sank any ships.
U-450 was ordered by the Kriegsmarine on 21 November 1940. She was laid down about eight months later at F Schichau GmbH, Danzig on 22 July 1941. Just under a year later, U-450 was launched on 4 July 1942. She was formally commissioned on 12 September. U-450 carried five × 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tube
s (four located in the bow, one in the stern) and had one C35 88mm/L45 deck gun
with 220 rounds. She could also carry 14 G7e torpedo
es or 26 TMA mines and had a crew of 44-52 men. Her emblem was a laughing sawfish, similar to that of U-96.
, the home base of the 9th U-boat Flotilla under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Kurt Böhme. As the boat surfaced off the coast of Iceland on 6 June, she came under attack from a British B-17 squadron, which wounded seven men. 16 days later, (with assistance from other boats due to the damage caused by the attack), she arrived at Brest
in France. The patrol lasted 27 days, the longest of her career.
On 17 October 1943, U-450 left Brest for Toulon
. She arrived at the port city 23 days later.
On 10 February 1944, ten days after a fire in her engine room had swept one man overboard and forced her to return to base, U-450 left Toulon for the Italian coast, presumably to attack support ships coming to reinforce Allied troops which had just landed at Anzio
. Exactly one month later, she came under depth charge attack by the British escort destroyers , , and and the American escort destroyer . The submarine sank, but all 42 crew members were rescued by the destroyers and became prisoners of war.
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
in the service of Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The submarine was laid down on 22 July 1940 at the F Schichau GmbH yard at Danzig, Germany (now Poland). She was launched on 4 July 1941 and commissioned on 12 September that year. During her career with the Kriegsmarine
Kriegsmarine
The Kriegsmarine was the name of the German Navy during the Nazi regime . It superseded the Kaiserliche Marine of World War I and the post-war Reichsmarine. The Kriegsmarine was one of three official branches of the Wehrmacht, the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany.The Kriegsmarine grew rapidly...
, U-450 never sank any ships.
Construction and Design
Torpedo tube
A torpedo tube is a device for launching torpedoes. There are two main types of torpedo tube: underwater tubes fitted to submarines and some surface ships, and deck-mounted units installed aboard surface vessels...
s (four located in the bow, one in the stern) and had one C35 88mm/L45 deck gun
Deck gun
A deck gun is a type of artillery cannon mounted on the deck of a ship or submarine.The deck gun was used as a defensive weapon against smaller boats or ships and in certain cases where torpedo use was limited. Typically a crew of three; gunner, loader, and layer, operated the gun, while others...
with 220 rounds. She could also carry 14 G7e torpedo
G7e torpedo
The G7e or more appropriately the G7e/T2, G7e/T3, and G7e/T4 Falke torpedoes were, with the exception of the T4 model, the standard torpedoes for Germany during World War II...
es or 26 TMA mines and had a crew of 44-52 men. Her emblem was a laughing sawfish, similar to that of U-96.
Patrols
On 27 May 1943, three days after she was redesignated from a training ship to a front-line service vessel, U-450 set out for her first patrol from KielKiel
Kiel is the capital and most populous city in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 238,049 .Kiel is approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the north of Germany, the southeast of the Jutland peninsula, and the southwestern shore of the...
, the home base of the 9th U-boat Flotilla under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Kurt Böhme. As the boat surfaced off the coast of Iceland on 6 June, she came under attack from a British B-17 squadron, which wounded seven men. 16 days later, (with assistance from other boats due to the damage caused by the attack), she arrived at Brest
Brest, France
Brest is a city in the Finistère department in Brittany in northwestern France. Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Breton peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French military port after Toulon...
in France. The patrol lasted 27 days, the longest of her career.
On 17 October 1943, U-450 left Brest for Toulon
Toulon
Toulon is a town in southern France and a large military harbor on the Mediterranean coast, with a major French naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur region, Toulon is the capital of the Var department in the former province of Provence....
. She arrived at the port city 23 days later.
On 10 February 1944, ten days after a fire in her engine room had swept one man overboard and forced her to return to base, U-450 left Toulon for the Italian coast, presumably to attack support ships coming to reinforce Allied troops which had just landed at Anzio
Anzio
Anzio is a city and comune on the coast of the Lazio region of Italy, about south of Rome.Well known for its seaside harbour setting, it is a fishing port and a departure point for ferries and hydroplanes to the Pontine Islands of Ponza, Palmarola and Ventotene...
. Exactly one month later, she came under depth charge attack by the British escort destroyers , , and and the American escort destroyer . The submarine sank, but all 42 crew members were rescued by the destroyers and became prisoners of war.