German submarine U-524

German submarine U-524 was a Type IXC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

She was laid down at the Deutsche Werft (yard) in Hamburg as yard number 339 on 7 August 1941, launched on 30 April 1942 and commissioned on 8 July with Kapitänleutnant Walter Freiherr von Steinaecker in command.

U-524 began her service career with training as part of the 4th U-boat Flotilla from 8 July 1942. She was reassigned to the 10th flotilla for operations on 1 December 1942.

She carried out two patrols and sank two ships. She was a member of three wolfpacks.

She was sunk on 22 March 1943 in south of Madeira by an American aircraft.

Design
German Type IXC submarines were slightly larger than the original Type IXBs. U-524 had a displacement of 1120 t when at the surface and 1232 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 6.76 m, a height of 9.60 m, and a draught of 4.70 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 13450 nmi at 10 kn. U-524 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.

First patrol
The boat departed Marviken (Kristiansand) in Norway on 14 November 1942, moved through the North Sea, negotiated the gap between Iceland and the Faroe Islands and entered the Atlantic Ocean.

She opened her account when she sank the Empire Spenser on 8 December 1942 southeast of Cape Farewell (Greenland).

She entered Lorient, on the French Atlantic coast, on 9 January 1943.

Second patrol and loss
Having left Lorient on 3 March 1943, she sank the French ship Wyoming on the 15th, north of the Azores.

She was sunk south of Madeira on the 22nd by depth charges dropped by an American B-24 Liberator called Tidewater Tillie.

Fifty-two men died; there were no survivors.

Wolfpacks
U-524 took part in three wolfpacks, namely:
 * Panzer (23 November – 11 December 1942)
 * Ungestüm (11 – 23 December 1942)
 * Wohlgemut (12 – 22 March 1943)