German submarine U-459 was a Type XIV supply and replenishment U-boat (Milchkuh or 'milk cow') of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.
Her keel was laid down on 22 November 1940 by Deutsche Werke in Kiel as yard number 290. The submarine was launched on 13 September 1941 and commissioned on 15 November, with Kapitänleutnant Georg von Wilamowitz-Moellendorff in command; he remained in charge until the boat was lost, receiving promotion to Korvettenkapitän in the process.[1]
German Type XIV submarines were shortened versions of the Type IXDs they were based on. U-459 had a displacement of 1688t when at the surface and 1932t while submerged. The U-boat had a total length of 67.1m (220.1feet), a pressure hull length of 48.51m (159.15feet), a beam of 9.35m (30.68feet), a height of 11.7m (38.4feet), and a draught of 6.51m (21.36feet). The submarine was powered by two Germaniawerft supercharged four-stroke, six-cylinder diesel engines producing a total of 2800- for use while surfaced, two Siemens-Schuckert 2 GU 345/38-8 double-acting electric motors producing a total of 750PS for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to .
The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 14.4- and a maximum submerged speed of . When submerged, the boat could operate for at ; when surfaced, she could travel at . U-459 was not fitted with torpedo tubes or deck guns, but had two 3.7sp=usNaNsp=us SK C/30 anti-aircraft guns with 2500 rounds as well as a 2sp=usNaNsp=us C/30 guns with 3000 rounds. The boat had a complement of fifty-three.
U-459 conducted six patrols, but as a supply boat, she avoided combat.[2] The submarine initially served in the 4th U-boat Flotilla, for training, before moving on to the 10th (in April 1942) and the 12th flotillas (in November of the same year), for operations.
Having moved from Kiel to Helgoland U-459 set-off for occupied France, arriving in St. Nazaire on 15 May 1942, after traversing the north-central Atlantic. Her captain, von Wilamowitz-Moellendorf, was 48, one of the oldest skippers at the time.
Her second patrol began on 6 June 1942. It was at about this time that von Wilamowitz-Moellendorf was promoted to Korvettenkapitän.
Her third foray saw the boat sail into the south Atlantic, as far as Namibia. She departed St. Nazaire on 18 August 1942 and returned on 4 November.
Her fourth patrol was her longest, from 20 December 1942 to 7 March 1943, a total of 78 days. She started in St. Nazaire and finished in Bordeaux. This voyage included sailing toward Cameroon, the boat's nearest position to that country was reached on 18 January 1943. On 4 September 1942 U-459 shared rations with the survivors in a lifeboat from the sunken freighter SS California which had been torpedoed by Italian sub Reginaldo Giuliani 13 August 1942[3]
Her fifth patrol began when she left Bordeaux on 20 April 1943. On 30 May, she shot down a British Whitley aircraft of (10 OTU RAF) (Crew rescued).[1] She was also attacked, on the same day, by an RAF Liberator with a total of ten depth charges. U-459 was not damaged but her AA guns caused slight damage to the attacking Liberator.[1]
She returned to her French base on 30 May.
After departing Bordeaux on 22 July 1943, U-459 was attacked on 24 July near Cape Ortegal, Spain, by two British Wellington aircraft of No. 172 Squadron RAF. The boat shot down one of the Wellingtons (5 KIA 1 survived) but 18 submarine crewmen were killed during the action. U-459 was crippled when a Wellington of No. 547 Squadron RAF, damaged by flak, crashed into the starboard side of the boat. The damage was so severe that she had to be scuttled. The rear gunner of the Wellington, Sergeant A A Turner, was the only survivor of the plane. Author Norman Franks writes that Commander von Wilamowitz-Moellendorff was seen on the bridge, saluting his crew before disappearing into the conning tower hatch to complete the scuttling. He seemingly made no attempt to escape, going down with his command.[4] 41 of her crew survived to be taken prisoner.[1]
U-459 took part in one wolfpack, namely: