German submarine U-472

German submarine U-472 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 Swordfish "B" of 816 Squadron FAA by rocket projectiles, and a British warship, southeast of Bear Island on 4 March 1944.

Design
German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-472 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-472 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 one twin 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 15 November 1941 at the Deutsche Werke in Kiel as yard number 303, launched on 6 March 1943 and commissioned on 26 May under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Wolfgang-Friedrich Freiherr von Forstner.

She served with the 5th U-boat Flotilla from 26 May 1943 for training and the 11th flotilla from 1 January 1944 for operations.

Patrol and loss
U-472's only patrol was preceded by short voyages from Kiel in Germany to Hammerfest then Narvik in Norway. Her only sortie began with her departure from Narvik on 24 February 1944. She sailed out into the Norwegian Sea, then northeast towards the Barents Sea. On 4 March, when southeast of Bear Island, she was attacked and sunk (one source says she might have been scuttled) by gunfire and rockets from a Fairey Swordfish of 816 Naval Air Squadron FAA and the destroyer HMS Onslaught (G04). The aircraft had come from HMS Chaser (D32).

Twenty-three men died with U-472; there were thirty survivors.

Wolfpacks
U-472 took part in four wolfpacks, namely:
 * Isegrim (25 – 27 January 1944)
 * Werwolf (27 January – 1 February 1944)
 * Hartmut (24 – 28 February 1944)
 * Boreas (28 February – 4 March 1944)