German submarine U-417

German submarine U-417 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 southeast of Iceland on 11 June 1943.

Design
German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-417 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 Siemens-Schuckert GU 343/38–8 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-417 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 16 September 1941 at the Danziger Werft (yard) at Danzig (now Gdansk), as yard number 118, launched on 6 June 1942 and commissioned on the 26th September under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Wolfgang Schreiner.

She served with the 8th U-boat Flotilla from 26 September 1942 and the 6th flotilla from 1 June 1943.

Patrol and loss
U-417 was sunk on 11 June 1943 southeast of Iceland by depth charges from a British B-17 Flying Fortress of No. 206 Squadron RAF.

Forty-six men were lost with U-417; there were no survivors.

Aftermath
U-417's anti-aircraft fire had been accurate. The B-17 ditched; all eight of the crew were forced to share a single dinghy. On 14 June, an American navy PBY Catalina attempted a landing but crashed. Its crew of nine found themselves adrift on two rafts. The B-17 crew were found and rescued by Jack Holmes in a British Catalina of 190 squadron on the same day of their ditching, but the Americans were not found for another five days. Only one man survived, the others died of exposure.