List of all U-boats

U-479

Type

VIIC

 
Ordered10 Apr 1941
Laid down19 Nov 1942 Deutsche Werke AG, Kiel (werk 310)
Launched14 Aug 1943
Commissioned27 Oct 1943Oblt. Friedrich-Wilhelm Sons
Commanders
Aug, 1943 - Aug, 1943  Oblt. Hans-Joachim Förster (Knights Cross)
27 Oct 1943 - 27 Nov 1944  Oblt. (R) Friedrich-Wilhelm Sons
Career
5 patrols
27 Oct 1943-31 Jul 1944  5. Flottille (training)
1 Aug 1944-27 Nov 1944  8. Flottille (active service)
Successes1 warship damaged, total tonnage 56 tons
Fate

Sunk on or after 27 November 1944 in the Baltic Sea north-west of Odensholm, in position 59.20N, 23.10E, by a Soviet mine. 51 dead (all hands lost). (Axel Niestlé, September 2013).

Loss position

See the 1 ships hit by U-479 - View the 5 war patrols

In the summer of 2013 the wreck of a type VIIC U-boat was discovered by the Estonian Maritime Administration in a depth of 95 meters. It shows damage from mining and was tentatively identified as U-479 by Axel Niestlé.

Previously recorded fate

  • Listed as missing since 15 November 1944 with no explanation for its loss. In some Soviet sources mentioned as being lost after an underwater collision with the Soviet submarine Lembit south of Utö on 14 December 1944. However, the story is very doubtful because the position is far from the operational area of U-479 and an examination of the submarine hull in a dock afterwards showed only light damage, probably from grazing a wreck.

Men lost from U-boats

Unlike many other U-boats, which during their service lost men due to accidents and various other causes, U-479 did not suffer any casualties (we know of) until the time of her loss.


Media links


U-Boat Attack Logs

Daniel Morgan and Bruce Taylor


amazon.co.uk
(£ 38.25)


U-Boat Operations of the Second World War - Vol 1

Wynn, Kenneth


Hitler's U-boat War, Vol II

Blair, Clay


German U-Boat Losses During World War II

Niestle, Axel


Related page:
U-boats Missing in Action.



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