German submarine U-858

History
U-858 after her surrender in May 1945
Nazi Germany
Name:	U-858
Ordered:	5 June 1941
Builder:	DeSchiMAG AG Weser, Bremen
Yard number:	1064
Laid down:	11 December 1942
Launched:	17 June 1943
Commissioned:	30 September 1943
Fate:	Scuttled in 1947
General characteristics
Class and type:	Type IXC/40 submarine
Displacement:	1,144 t (1,126 long 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:	13,850 nmi (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) deck gun (180 rounds) 1 × 3.7 cm (1.5 in) AA gun 1 × twin 2 cm FlaK 30 AA guns

German submarine U-858 was a Type IXC/40 U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. She was ordered on 5 June 1941, laid down on 11 December 1942 and launched on 30 September 1943. She had one commander for her three patrols, Kapitänleutnant Thilo Bode.^[1]

Design

German Type IXC/40 submarines were slightly larger than the original Type IXCs. U-858 had a displacement of 1,144 tonnes (1,126 long tons) when at the surface and 1,257 tonnes (1,237 long tons) while submerged.^[2] The U-boat had a total length of 76.76 m (251 ft 10 in), a pressure hull length of 58.75 m (192 ft 9 in), a beam of 6.86 m (22 ft 6 in), a height of 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in), and a draught of 4.67 m (15 ft 4 in). The submarine was powered by two MAN M 9 V 40/46 supercharged four-stroke, nine-cylinder diesel engines producing a total of 4,400 metric horsepower (3,240 kW; 4,340 shp) for use while surfaced, two Siemens-Schuckert 2 GU 345/34 double-acting electric motors producing 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).^[2]

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).^[2] 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-858 was fitted with six 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and two at the stern), 22 torpedoes, one 10.5 cm (4.13 in) SK C/32 naval gun, 180 rounds, and a 3.7 cm (1.5 in) as well as a 2 cm (0.79 in) anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of forty-eight.^[2]

Service history

She was sent by Germany at the end of the war to cause havoc along the East Coast of the US, in an attempt to repeat the success of Operation Drumbeat. However, she saw no combat in that mission, and did not sink or damage any allied ships during the war. Her Captain surrendered her on 14 May 1945 at Fort Miles, Lewes, Delaware. After surrendering, she was used for publicity in War bond drives.^[3]

After being used for torpedo practice near the New England area, she was scuttled by the US Navy at the end of 1947. She was the first German warship to surrender to US forces.

References

↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type IXC/40 boat U-858". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
1 2 3 4 Gröner 1991, p. 68.
↑ Wray, Gary Dr. Fort Miles Historical Association, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow "FORT MILES & TWO GERMAN SUBMARINES: THE STORY OF U-853 AND U-858" http://www.fortmilesha.org/newsletter/pdf/nl_win_04.pdf p4

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). IV. Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn: Mittler. ISBN 3-8132-0514-2.
Gröner, Erich; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. German Warships 1815–1945. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4.

External links

Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type IXC/40 boat U-858". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
Hofmann, Markus. "U 858". Deutsche U-Boote 1935-1945 - u-boot-archiv.de (in German). Retrieved 2 February 2015.
http://www.fortmilesha.org/newsletter/pdf/nl_win_04.pdf p4

German Type IXC/40 submarines

U-167 U-168 U-169 U-170 U-183 U-184 U-185 U-186 U-187 U-188 U-189 U-190 U-191 U-192 U-193 U-194 U-525 U-526 U-527 U-528 U-529 U-530 U-531 U-532 U-533 U-534 U-535 U-536 U-537 U-538 U-539 U-540 U-541 U-542 U-543 U-544 U-545 U-546 U-547 U-548 U-549 U-550 U-801 U-802 U-803 U-804 U-805 U-806 U-841 U-842 U-843 U-844 U-845 U-846 U-853 U-854 U-855 U-856 U-857 U-858 U-865 U-866 U-867 U-868 U-869 U-870 U-877 U-878 U-879 U-880 U-881 U-889 U-1221 U-1222 U-1223 U-1224 U-1225 U-1226 U-1227 U-1228 U-1229 U-1230 U-1231 U-1232 U-1233 U-1234 U-1235

Preceded by: Type IXC Followed by: Type IXD

List of U-boats of Germany

Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in 1947

Shipwrecks	5 Jan: Varvassi 13 Mar: Empire Jonquil 22 Mar: Empire Contamar 3 Apr: Stancliffe 16 Apr: Grandcamp, High Flyer, Wilson B. Keene 23 Apr: Samtampa, HMS Warspite 29 Apr: HMS Witherington 8 May: Muirchú 13 May: General Botha 17 May: USS Oklahoma 22 May: USS Mallard 31 May: Berlin 4 Jun: Emperor June (unknown date): Ourang Medan 17 Jul: Ramdas 21 Jul: Nascopie 22 Jul: Lützow 31 Jul: USS Chewink 16 Aug: Graf Zeppelin 18 Aug: Rovena 25 Aug: USS S-24 6 Sep: Matagalpa 13 Sep: HMAS Warrnambool 6 Oct: USS Crittenden 21 Oct: U-190 11 Nov: Aqueity 20 Nov: U-234 28 Nov: U-530 Unknown date: Ponaganset, U-858, U-889

Other incidents	1 Jan: Jan Steen 19 Jan: Wanganella 21 Jan: HMS Bonaventure 17 Mar: RFA Wave Laird 28 Mar: Clio 5 Apr: Empire Chamois 14 Apr: Queen Elizabeth 16 Apr: Texas City disaster 18 Jul: Exodus 8 Sep: Ocean Vigour

1946 1948

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