German submarine U-189

German submarine U-189 was a Type IXC/40 U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine built for service during World War II. Her keel was laid down on 12 September 1941 by DeSchiMAG AG Weser in Bremen as yard number 1035. She was launched on 1 May 1942 and commissioned on 15 August with Korvettenkapitän Hellmut Kurrer in command.

The U-boat's service began with training as part of the 4th U-boat Flotilla. She then moved to the 2nd flotilla on 1 April 1943 for operations.

She was sunk by a British aircraft on 23 April 1943.

Design
German Type IXC/40 submarines were slightly larger than the original Type IXCs. U-189 had a displacement of 1144 t when at the surface and 1257 t while submerged. The U-boat had a total length of 76.76 m, a pressure hull length of 58.75 m, a beam of 6.86 m, a height of 9.60 m, and a draught of 4.67 m. The submarine was powered by two MAN M 9 V 40/46 supercharged four-stroke, nine-cylinder diesel engines producing a total of 4400 PS for use while surfaced, two Siemens-Schuckert 2 GU 345/34 double-acting electric motors producing a total of 1000 shp for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 1.92 m propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to 230 m.

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 18.3 kn and a maximum submerged speed of 7.3 kn. When submerged, the boat could operate for 63 nmi at 4 kn; when surfaced, she could travel 13850 nmi at 10 kn. U-189 was fitted with six 53.3 cm torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and two at the stern), 22 torpedoes, one 10.5 cm SK C/32 naval gun, 180 rounds, and a 3.7 cm SK C/30 as well as a 2 cm C/30 anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of forty-eight.

Patrol and loss
U-189's patrol took her from Kiel on 3 April 1943, across the North Sea and into the Atlantic Ocean through the 'gap' between Greenland and Iceland.

She was sunk east of Cape Farewell (Greenland) by depth charges dropped by a British Liberator on 23 April 1943. Fifty-four men were killed; leaving no survivors.

The pilot of the Liberator reported the sinking and about 50 men in the water, but received the answer that no ships would be made available for rescue. All were left to perish in the ice cold sea and 54 in total died.

Wolfpacks
U-189 took part in one wolfpack, namely:
 * Meise (21 – 23 April 1943)