German Type IXC/40 submarines were slightly larger than the original
Type IXCs. U-857 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.[1] 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).[1]
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).[1] 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-857 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) Flak M42 as well as two twin
2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft guns. The boat had a
complement of forty-eight.[1]
Service history
She undertook three patrols, the first was for training. She sank two ships for a total tonnage of 15,259
gross register tons (GRT), and damaged one other ship on her last two patrols.[2] She sank
Belgian Airman on 14 April 1945,
Swiftscout on 18 April 1945 and damaged
Katy on 23 April 1945.
Fate
U-857 went missing since 30 April 1945 in the
North Atlantic Ocean off the east coast of the United States. All hands were lost, and no wreckage was found.
The U-boat had been claimed to have been sunk by depth charge
hedgehogs off the coast of
Massachusetts on 7 April 1945 by
USS Gustafson and was also thought to have been possibly sunk by
USS Coffman.[3] However more recent commentary surmised that Gustafson had not hit her, and her loss is currently unexplained.[4][5]U-857 was considered as a possible identity for the wreck that was ultimately determined to be U-869.[6]
^Niestlé, Axel "German U-boat Losses During World War II: Details of Destruction" (Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 1998)
^"U-857". U.S. Coast Guard History. 26 January 2012. Archived from
the original on 4 December 2012.
^Yurga, John; Kohler, Richie; Chatterton, John (2009).
"The Fate of U-869 Reexamined"(PDF). Wreck Diving Magazine. No. 17. p. 18.
^Helgason, Guðmundur.
"Ships hit by U-857". German U-boats of WWII – uboat.net. Retrieved 13 February 2014.
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.
ISBN1-55750-186-6.