German submarine U-528


German submarine U-528 was a Type IXC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.
She was laid down at the Deutsche Werft in Hamburg as yard number 343 on 10 November 1941, launched on 1 July 1942 and commissioned on 16 September with Kapitänleutnant Karl-Heinz Fuchs in command.
U-528 began her service career with training as part of the 4th U-boat Flotilla from 16 September 1942. She was reassigned to the 10th flotilla for operations on 1 April 1943.
She carried out one patrol but did not sink any ships. She was a member of one wolfpack.
She was sunk by a British aircraft and a British warship southwest of Ireland, in May 1943.

Design

were slightly larger than the original Type IXCs. U-528 had a displacement of when at the surface and while submerged. The U-boat had a total length of, a pressure hull length of, a beam of, a height of, and a draught of. The submarine was powered by two MAN M 9 V 40/46 supercharged four-stroke, nine-cylinder diesel engines producing a total of for use while surfaced, two Siemens-Schuckert 2 GU 345/34 double-acting electric motors producing a total of 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 and a maximum submerged speed of. When submerged, the boat could operate for at ; when surfaced, she could travel at. U-528 was fitted with six torpedo tubes, 22 torpedoes, one SK C/32 naval gun, 180 rounds, and a SK C/30 as well as a C/30 anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of forty-eight.

Service history

Patrol and loss

The boat departed Kiel on 15 April 1943, moved through the North Sea, negotiated the gap between Iceland and the Faroe Islands and entered the Atlantic Ocean. There, she was intercepted by the escorts of Convoy ON 5 and damaged. She was sunk on her way to the French Atlantic bases.
U-528 was 'destroyed' on 11 May 1943 southwest of Ireland by depth charges dropped from a Handley Page Halifax of No. 58 Squadron RAF and the British sloop.
Eleven men went down with the U-boat; there were 45 survivors. Among the survivors was Reimar Lüst who later became an astrophysicist.

Wolfpacks

U-528 took part in one wolfpack, namely.