German submarine U-544

History

Nazi Germany
Name:	U-544
Ordered:	5 June 1941
Builder:	Deutsche Werft, Hamburg
Yard number:	365
Laid down:	8 July 1942
Launched:	17 February 1943
Commissioned:	5 May 1943
Fate:	Sunk, January 1944 northwest of the Azores by American aircraft^[1]
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
Service record
Part of:	4th U-boat Flotilla 5 May – 3 November 1943 10th U-boat Flotilla 1 November 1943 – 16 January 1944
Commanders:	K.Kapt. Willy Mattke 5 May 1943 – 16 January 1944
Operations:	9 November 1943 – 16 January 1944
Victories:	None

German submarine U-544 was a Type IXC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

She was laid down at the Deutsche Werft (yard) in Hamburg as yard number 365 on 8 July 1942, launched on 17 February 1943 and commissioned on 5 May with Korvettenkapitän Willy Mattke in command.

U-544 began her service career with training as part of the 4th U-boat Flotilla from 5 May 1943. She was reassigned to the 10th flotilla for operations on 1 November.

She carried out one patrol and did not sink any ships. She was a member of five wolfpacks.

She was sunk in January 1944 northwest of the Azores by American aircraft.

Design

German Type IXC/40 submarines were slightly larger than the original Type IXCs. U-544 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-544 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

Patrol and loss

The boat departed Kiel on 10 April 1943, moved through the North Sea, negotiated the 'gap' between Iceland and the Faroe Islands and entered the Atlantic Ocean.

She was sunk on 16 January 1944 northwest of the Azores by American aircraft from the escort carrier USS Guadalcanal using rockets and depth charges.

Fifty-seven men died; there were no survivors.^[1]

Wolfpacks

U-544 took part in five wolfpacks, namely.

Coronel (4–8 December 1943)
Coronel 1 (8–14 December 1943)
Coronel 2 (14–17 December 1943)
Föhr (18–23 December 1943)
Rügen 6 (26–31 December 1943)

References

1 2 Kemp 1997, pp. 164-165.
1 2 3 4 Gröner 1991, p. 68.

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.

Kemp, Paul (1997). U-Boats Destroyed - German Submarine Losses in the World Wars. Arms & Armour. ISBN 1-85409-515-3.

External links

Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type IXC/40 boat U-544". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 7 December 2014.

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 January 1944

Shipwrecks	3 Jan: USS Turner 6 Jan: USS St. Augustine 8 Jan: U-426, U-757 9 Jan: U-81 10 Jan: Daniel Webster 11 Jan: Kuma 13 Jan: U-231 14 Jan: Ha-50, Sazanami 16 Jan: I-181, USS Macaw, U-544 17 Jan: Ha-51 18 Jan: Yoshida Maru 19 Jan: U-641 20 Jan: U-263 22 Jan: USS Portent 23 Jan: HMS Janus 24 Jan: St David 25 Jan: Suzukaze 28 Jan: Ha-49, U-271, U-571 29 Jan: Samuel Huntington, HMS Spartan, U-364 30 Jan: HMS Hardy, U-314 31 Jan: U-592 Unknown date: USS Scorpion, U-305, U-377

Other incidents	16 Jan: USS Flier

1943 1944 1945 December 1943 February 1944

Coordinates: 40°30′N 37°20′W / 40.500°N 37.333°W / 40.500; -37.333

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