German submarine U-486

History
Nazi Germany
NameU-486
Ordered5 June 1941
BuilderDeutsche Werke, Kiel
Yard number321
Laid down8 May 1943
Launched12 February 1944
Commissioned22 March 1944
FateSunk by HMS Tapir on 12 April 1945 in the North Sea north-west of Bergen, Norway.
General characteristics
Class & typeType VIIC submarine
Displacement
Length
Beam
  • 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in) o/a
  • 4.70 m (15 ft 5 in) pressure hull
Height9.60 m (31 ft 6 in)
Draught4.74 m (15 ft 7 in)
Installed power
  • 2,800–3,200 PS (2,100–2,400 kW; 2,800–3,200 bhp) (diesels)
  • 750 PS (550 kW; 740 shp) (electric)
Propulsion
Speed
  • 17.7 knots (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph) surfaced
  • 7.6 knots (14.1 km/h; 8.7 mph) submerged
Range
  • 8,500 nmi (15,700 km; 9,800 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced
  • 80 nmi (150 km; 92 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth
  • 230 m (750 ft)
  • Crush depth: 250–295 m (820–968 ft)
Complement4 officers, 40–56 enlisted
Armament
Service record
Part of:
Identification codes: M 50 011
Commanders:
  • Oblt.z.S. Gerhard Meyer
  • 22 March – 12 April 1945
Operations:
  • 2 patrols:
  • 1st patrol:
  • 26 November 1944 – 15 January 1945
  • 2nd patrol:
  • 9 – 12 April 1945
Victories:
  • 2 merchant ships sunk
    (17,651 GRT)
  • 1 warship sunk
    (1,085 tons)
  • 1 warship total loss
    (1,085 tons)

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.