German submarine U-452

German submarine U-452 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

She carried out one patrol. She sank no ships.

She was sunk by a British aircraft and a British warship southeast of Iceland on 25 August 1941.

Design
German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-452 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 Brown, Boveri & Cie GG UB 720/8 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-452 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 a 2 cm C/30 anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.

Service history
The submarine was laid down on 25 May 1940 at the Deutsche Werke in Kiel as yard number 283, launched on 29 March 1941 and commissioned on 29 May under the command of Kapitänleutnant Jürgen March.

She served with the 3rd U-boat Flotilla from 29 May 1941 for training and stayed with that organization for operations.

Patrol and loss
U-452's only patrol began with her departure from Trondheim in Norway on 19 August 1941. On 25th, she was sunk southeast of Iceland after an attack by a Catalina flying boat of No. 209 Squadron RAF and HMS Vascama (FY185), an anti-submarine trawler.

Forty-two men went down with U-452; there were no survivors.