# German submarine U-586

German submarine U-586 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II. She was laid down on 1 October 1940 by Blohm & Voss in Hamburg as yard number 562, launched on 10 July 1941 and commissioned on 4 September 1941 under Kapitänleutnant Dietrich von der Esch.

## Design

German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-586 had a displacement of 769 tonnes (757 long tons) when at the surface and 871 tonnes (857 long tons) while submerged. She had a total length of 67.10 m (220 ft 2 in), a pressure hull length of 50.50 m (165 ft 8 in), a beam of 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in), a height of 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in), and a draught of 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in). The submarine was powered by two Germaniawerft F46 four-stroke, six-cylinder supercharged diesel engines producing a total of 2,800 to 3,200 metric horsepower (2,060 to 2,350 kW; 2,760 to 3,160 shp) for use while surfaced, two Brown, Boveri & Cie GG UB 720/8 double-acting electric motors producing a total of 750 metric horsepower (550 kW; 740 shp) for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 1.23 m (4 ft) propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to 230 metres (750 ft).
The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 17.7 knots (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 7.6 knots (14.1 km/h; 8.7 mph). When submerged, the boat could operate for 80 nautical miles (150 km; 92 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 8,500 nautical miles (15,700 km; 9,800 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). U-586 was fitted with five 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and one at the stern), fourteen torpedoes, one 8.8 cm (3.46 in) SK C/35 naval gun, 220 rounds, and a 2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.

## Service history

The boat's service began on 4 September 1941 with training as part of the 6th U-boat Flotilla. She was transferred to the 11th U-boat Flotilla on 1 July 1942 and then to the 13th U-boat Flotilla on 1 June 1943. She returned to the 6th U-boat Flotilla a short while later on 1 October 1943, and then to her final assignment with 29th U-boat Flotilla in the Mediterranean.
In 13 patrols she sank two merchant ships for a total of 12,716 gross register tons (GRT), plus one merchant ship damaged.

### Wolfpacks

She took part in ten wolfpacks, namely:
* Robbe (15 – 24 January 1942)
* Greif (14 – 29 May 1942)
* Nebelkönig (27 July – 14 August 1942)
* Boreas (19 – 26 November 1942)
* Taifun (2 – 4 April 1943)
* Jahn (31 October – 2 November 1943)
* Tirpitz 3 (2 – 8 November 1943)
* Eisenhart 5 (9 – 15 November 1943)
* Schill 2 (17 – 22 November 1943)
* Weddigen (22 – 25 November 1943)

### Fate

She was sunk whilst alongside at Missiessy East Quay, Toulon, France, by a USAAF air raid by B-24 Liberator bombers of 15th Air Force on 5 July 1944.

## Summary of raiding history

| Date | Ship Name | Nationality | Tonnage (GRT) | Fate |
| 9 February 1942 | Anna Knudsen | Norway | 9,057 | Damaged |
| 2 November 1942 | Empire Gilbert | United Kingdom | 6,640 | Sunk |
| 9 March 1943 | Puerto Rican | United States | 6,076 | Sunk |