# German submarine U-582

German submarine U-582 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.
She carried out four patrols, sank six ships of 38,826 GRT and sank a warship of 46 tons (lost aboard a transport ship).
The boat was sunk by depth charges from a US aircraft, southwest of Iceland on 5 October 1942.

## Design

German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-582 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-582 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 submarine was laid down on 25 September 1940 at Blohm & Voss, Hamburg as yard number 558, launched on 12 June 1941 and commissioned on 7 August under the command of Korvettenkapitän Werner Schulte.
She served with the 5th U-boat Flotilla from 7 August 1941 for training and the 1st U-boat Flotilla for operations until her loss, from 1 January until 5 October 1942.

### First patrol

U-582's first patrol was preceded by a diversion to Trondheim in Norway to replace the stud bolts of her exhaust valves. She left the Nordic port on 3 January 1942 and headed for the Atlantic Ocean via the gap separating the Faroe and Shetland Islands. A lookout broke an arm in bad weather on the tenth, but she sank the Refast on the 26th off St. Johns.
She arrived at Brest in occupied France, on 7 February.

### Second patrol

Her second foray took her to the US east coast, but the pickings were thin, she returned to Brest on 24 May 1942 without any successes.

### Third patrol

She sank the Port Hunter on 12 July 1942 370 nautical miles (690 km; 430 mi) west southwest of Madeira. The ship had been carrying ammunition and depth charges as well as HMNZS ML-1090, a 46-tons patrol craft being taken from Britain to New Zealand as deck cargo. Debris from the exploding ship was found on the U-boat's casing.
She also sank the Empire Attendant a few days later (15 July) southwest of the Canary Islands.
When she sank the Honolulan on 22 July 400 nautical miles (740 km; 460 mi) south of the Cape Verde Islands, the vessel went down with her steam whistle still sounding, some two hours after being hit.
U-582 disposed of the Stella Lykes 500 nautical miles (930 km; 580 mi) south of Fogo in the Cape Verde Islands on 27 July 1942 with seven demolition charges placed by a boarding party in the abandoned ship. The U-boat had fired two torpedoes and 161 rounds from her deck gun but she remained afloat. The master and chief engineer were taken prisoner; the ship sank by the stern.

### Fourth patrol and loss

The submarine left Brest for the last time on 14 September 1942. On the 23rd, she sank the Vibran about 400 nautical miles (740 km; 460 mi) north northeast of the Azores.
She was sunk on 5 October 1942 by depth charges dropped by a US PBY Catalina from VP-73 southwest of Iceland.
Forty-six men died with U-582; there were no survivors.

## Previously recorded fate

U-582 was sunk on 5 October 1942 by a British Lockheed Hudson of No. 269 Squadron RAF. It was later ascertained that this attack sank U-619.

## Wolfpacks

U-582 took part in five wolfpacks, namely:
* Zieten (15 – 22 January 1942)
* Hai (3 – 21 July 1942)
* Blitz (22 – 26 September 1942)
* Tiger (26 – 30 September 1942)
* Luchs (1 – 5 October 1942)

## Summary of raiding history

| Date | Ship Name | Nationality | Tonnage | Fate |
| 26 January 1942 | Refast | United Kingdom | 5,189 | Sunk |
| 12 July 1942 | Port Hunter | United Kingdom | 8,826 | Sunk |
| 12 July 1942 | HMNZS ML-1090 | Royal New Zealand Navy | 46 | Sunk |
| 15 July 1942 | Empire Attendant | United Kingdom | 7,524 | Sunk |
| 22 July 1942 | Honolulan | United States | 7,493 | Sunk |
| 27 July 1942 | Stella Lykes | United States | 6,801 | Sunk |
| 23 September 1942 | Vibran | Norway | 2,993 | Sunk |