German submarine U-448

History
Nazi Germany
Name:	U-448
Ordered:	6 August 1940
Builder:	Schichau-Werke, Danzig
Yard number:	1508
Laid down:	1 July 1941
Launched:	23 May 1942
Commissioned:	1 August 1942
Fate:	Sunk by Allied warships, northeast of the Azores, April 1944
General characteristics
Class & type:	Type VIIC submarine
Displacement:	769 tonnes (757 long tons) surfaced 871 t (857 long tons) submerged
Length:	67.10 m (220 ft 2 in) o/a 50.50 m (165 ft 8 in) pressure hull
Beam:	6.20 m (20 ft 4 in) o/a 4.70 m (15 ft 5 in) pressure hull
Height:	9.60 m (31 ft 6 in)
Draught:	4.74 m (15 ft 7 in)
Installed power:	2,800–3,200 PS (2,100–2,400 kW; 2,800–3,200 bhp) (diesels) 750 PS (550 kW; 740 shp) (electric)
Propulsion:	2 shafts 2 × diesel engines 2 × electric motors
Speed:	17.7 knots (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph) surfaced 7.6 knots (14.1 km/h; 8.7 mph) submerged
Range:	8,500 nmi (15,700 km; 9,800 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced 80 nmi (150 km; 92 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth:	230 m (750 ft) Crush depth: 250–295 m (820–968 ft)
Complement:	4 officers, 40–56 enlisted
Armament:	5 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four bow, one stern) 14 × torpedoes 1 × 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun (220 rounds) various AA guns
Service record
Part of:	8th U-boat Flotilla 1 August 1942 – 31 January 1943 7th U-boat Flotilla 1 February 1943 – 14 April 1944
Commanders:	Oblt.z.S. Helmut Dauter 1 August 1942 – 14 April 1944
Operations:	1st patrol: a. 30 January – 4 February 1943 b. 6 February – 25 March 1943 2nd patrol: 17 April – 26 May 1943 3rd patrol: a. 6–12 September 1943 b. 14 September – 3 November 1943 4th patrol: 14 February – 14 April 1944
Victories:	None

German submarine U-448 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

She carried out four patrols. She sank no ships.

She was a member of ten wolfpacks.

She was sunk by Allied warships, northeast of the Azores, in April 1944.

Design

German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-448 had a displacement of 769 tonnes (757 long tons) when at the surface and 871 tonnes (857 long tons) while submerged. She had a total length of 67.10 m (220 ft 2 in), a pressure hull length of 50.50 m (165 ft 8 in), a beam of 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in), a height of 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in), and a draught of 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in). The submarine was powered by two Germaniawerft F46 four-stroke, six-cylinder supercharged diesel engines producing a total of 2,800 to 3,200 metric horsepower (2,060 to 2,350 kW; 2,760 to 3,160 shp) for use while surfaced, two AEG GU 460/8–27 double-acting electric motors producing a total of 750 metric horsepower (550 kW; 740 shp) for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 1.23 m (4 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 17.7 knots (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 7.6 knots (14.1 km/h; 8.7 mph). When submerged, the boat could operate for 80 nautical miles (150 km; 92 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 8,500 nautical miles (15,700 km; 9,800 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). U-448 was fitted with five 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and one at the stern), fourteen torpedoes, one 8.8 cm (3.46 in) SK C/35 naval gun, 220 rounds, and an anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.

Service history

The submarine was laid down on 1 July 1941 at Schichau-Werke in Danzig (now Gdansk) as yard number 1508, launched on 23 May 1942 and commissioned on 1 August under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Helmut Dauter.

She served with the 8th U-boat Flotilla from 1 August 1942 for training and the 7th flotilla from 1 February 1943 for operations.

1st patrol

U-432's first patrol was split in two and started with her departure from Kiel in Germany. She docked in Bergen in Norway at the end of the first part on 4 February 1943.

Part two began from Bergen on 6 February; she headed for the Atlantic Ocean via the gap separating the Iceland and Faroe. She arrived at St. Nazaire in occupied France on 25 March.

2nd and 3rd patrols

For her second sortie, she covered the area northwest of the Azores.

On her third foray, she was attacked southwest of Iceland by a Canadian Sunderland flying boat of No. 422 Squadron RCAF. The aircraft was also fired-at on its first run by U-281; the depth charges fell short. The aircraft crashed, five men died. U448 also suffered casualties - one dead and two men wounded. Due to the damage sustained, the boat was compelled to abort the patrol.

4th patrol and loss

Having left St. Nazaire on 14 February 1943, she travelled as far as the Denmark Strait (between Greenland and Iceland). The submarine's fourth sally was, at 61 days, her longest. On 14 April, she was northeast of the Azores when she was sunk by depth charges from the Canadian frigate HMCS Swansea and the British sloop HMS Pelican.

Nine men went down with U-448; there were forty-two survivors.

Wolfpacks

U-448 took part in ten wolfpacks, namely.

• Neptun (18–28 February 1943)
• Wildfang (28 February – 5 March 1943)
• Westmark (6–7 March 1943)
• Amsel (22 April – 3 May 1943)
• Amsel 3 (3–6 May 1943)
• Rhein (7–10 May 1943)
• Elbe 2 (10–14 May 1943)
• Rossbach (24 September – 9 October 1943)
• Schlieffen (14–18 October 1943)
• Preussen (22 February – 14 March 1944)