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17-463: 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. German Type XIV submarines were shortened versions of

34-492: A draught of 6.51 m (21 ft 4 in). The submarine was powered by two Germaniawerft supercharged four-stroke, six-cylinder diesel engines producing a total of 2,800–3,200 metric horsepower (2,060–2,350 kW; 2,760–3,160 shp) for use while surfaced, two Siemens-Schuckert 2 GU 345/38-8 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 propellers . The boat

51-620: A keel to be laid; instead, the initials of the ship sponsor are welded on a steel plate during the ceremony. The plate will be mounted in a place of honor on the submarine once built. Cape Ortegal Ortegal is a comarca in the north of the Galician Province of A Coruña , Spain . It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Cantabrian Sea to the north, the Province of Lugo to

68-413: Is often marked with a ceremony attended by dignitaries from the shipbuilding company and the ultimate owners of the ship. Keel laying is one of the four specially celebrated events in a ship's life; the others are launching , commissioning , and decommissioning . Earlier, the event recognized as the keel laying was the initial placement of the central timber making up the backbone of a vessel, called

85-427: Is the ceremonial beginning of the ship's life, although some modules may have been started months before that stage of construction. Keel-related traditions from the times of wooden ships are said to bring luck to the ship during construction and to the captain and crew during her later life. They include placing a newly minted coin under the keel and constructing the ship over it, having the youngest apprentice place

102-595: 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

119-457: The Type IXDs they were based on. U-459 had a displacement of 1,688 tonnes (1,661 long tons) when at the surface and 1,932 tonnes (1,901 long tons) while submerged. The U-boat had a total length of 67.10 m (220 ft 2 in), a pressure hull length of 48.51 m (159 ft 2 in), a beam of 9.35 m (30 ft 8 in), a height of 11.70 m (38 ft 5 in), and

136-430: The keel . As steel ships replaced wooden ones, the central timber gave way to a central steel beam. Modern ships are most commonly built in a series of pre-fabricated, complete hull sections rather than around a single keel. The event recognized as the keel laying is the first joining of modular components, or the lowering of the first module into place in the building dock. It is now often called "keel authentication" and

153-545: 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

170-488: The coin, and, when the ship is finished, presenting the owners with the oak block on which the keel is laid. The tradition of the placement of coins derives from the mast stepping custom of placing coins under the mast and is believed to date back to Ancient Greece or Ancient Rome and were intended to " pay the ferryman " to convey the souls of the dead across the River Styx should the ship sink. The first milestone in

187-451: The history of a ship is the generally simple ceremony that marks the laying of the keel. Shipyard officials issue invitations to the ceremony, and they conduct the ceremony. The builder may be the commander of a naval shipyard or the president of a private company. The ship's prospective name, without the "USS", is mentioned in the invitation, if known; otherwise, her type and number are given, e.g., DD 2217. For submarines, they do not have

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204-400: 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. 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

221-515: Was capable of operating at depths of up to 240 metres (790 ft). The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 14.4–14.9 knots (26.7–27.6 km/h; 16.6–17.1 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 6.2 knots (11.5 km/h; 7.1 mph). When submerged, the boat could operate for 120 nautical miles (220 km; 140 mi) at 2 knots (3.7 km/h; 2.3 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 12,350 nautical miles (22,870 km; 14,210 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). U-459

238-417: Was not fitted with torpedo tubes or deck guns , but had two 3.7 cm (1.5 in) SK C/30 anti-aircraft guns with 2500 rounds as well as a 2 cm (0.79 in) 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. The submarine initially served in the 4th U-boat Flotilla , for training, before moving on to

255-526: 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

272-399: 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 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). She was also attacked, on

289-417: 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 . 41 of her crew survived to be taken prisoner. U-459 took part in one wolfpack , namely: Keel laying Laying the keel or laying down is the formal recognition of the start of a ship's construction . It

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