German submarine U-389

German submarine U-389 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

She carried out one patrol. She did not sink or damage any ships.

She was sunk by a British aircraft southwest of Iceland on 4 October 1943.

Design
German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-389 had a displacement of 769 t when at the surface and 871 t while submerged. She had a total length of 67.10 m, a pressure hull length of 50.50 m, a beam of 6.20 m, a height of 9.60 m, and a draught of 4.74 m. The submarine was powered by two Germaniawerft F46 four-stroke, six-cylinder supercharged diesel engines producing a total of 2800 to 3200 PS for use while surfaced, two Garbe, Lahmeyer & Co. RP 137/c double-acting electric motors producing a total of 750 PS for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 1.23 m propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to 230 m.

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 17.7 kn and a maximum submerged speed of 7.6 kn. When submerged, the boat could operate for 80 nmi at 4 kn; when surfaced, she could travel 8500 nmi at 10 kn. U-389 was fitted with five 53.3 cm torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and one at the stern), fourteen torpedoes, one 8.8 cm SK C/35 naval gun, 220 rounds, and two twin 2 cm C/30 anti-aircraft guns. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.

Service history
The submarine was laid down on 3 December 1941 at the Howaldtswerke (yard) at Flensburg as yard number 20, launched on 19 December 1942 and commissioned on 6 February 1943 under the command of Kapitänleutnant Siegfried Heilmann.

The boat was a member of one wolfpack.

She served with the 5th U-boat Flotilla from 6 February 1943 and the 9th flotilla from 1 August of the same year.

Patrol and loss
After moving briefly between Kiel, Bergen and Trondheim, U-389 set-off from the latter on 18 September 1943. Passing through the gap that separates Iceland and the Faroe Islands, she was attacked and sunk by depth charges dropped from a British Liberator of No. 120 Squadron RAF on 4 October 1943.

50 men died in the U-boat; there were no survivors.

Previously recorded fate
U-389 was noted as sunk on 5 October 1943 southwest of Iceland in the Denmark Strait by a RAF Liberator of 269 Squadron. This attack accounted for GS U-336.

Wolfpacks
U-389 took part in one wolfpack, namely:
 * Rossbach (24 September – 4 October 1943)