History | |
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Nazi Germany | |
Name: | U-486 |
Ordered: | 5 June 1941 |
Builder: | Deutsche Werke, Kiel |
Yard number: | 321 |
Laid down: | 8 May 1943 |
Launched: | 12 February 1944 |
Commissioned: | 22 March 1944 |
Fate: | Sunk 12 April 1945 in the North Sea north-west of Bergen, Norway. |
General characteristics | |
Class and type: | Type VIIC submarine |
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Height: | 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in) |
Draught: | 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in) |
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Complement: | 4 officers, 40–56 enlisted |
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Service record | |
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Commanders: | Oblt.z.S. Gerhard Meyer |
Operations: | Two |
Victories: |
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German submarine U-486 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II. She was laid down at the Deutsche Werke in Kiel as yard number 321, launched on 12 February 1944 and commissioned on 22 March with Oberleutnant zur See Gerhard Meyer in command.
The boat began training on 22 March with the 5th U-boat Flotilla but moved on to the 11th flotilla for operations.
She was one of nine Type VIIs that the Kriegsmarine fitted with an experimental synthetic rubber skin of anechoic tiles known as Alberich, which had been designed to counter the Allies' asdic/sonar devices.
Her remains were positively identified in March 2013 after they were found during oil exploration operations off the coast of Norway, not far from the remains of U-864.
German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-486 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 Siemens-Schuckert GU 343/38–8 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).