Unterseeboot 429
Encyclopedia
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German submarine U-429 was a Type VIIC U-boat
of the German
Kriegsmarine
originally built for the Italian
Regia Marina
during World War II
. Her keel was laid down on 14 September 1942 by Danziger Werft
of Danzig
. She was then commissioned
as S-4 on 14 July 1943 under the command of an Italian captain.
Following the Italian armistice on 8 September 1943, the Kriegsmarine
took possession of the U-429, which was still in German waters, along with the and . These boats were not deemed advanced or useful enough for full war service and on 27 October 1943 they were turned over to training flotillas for service in the Baltic Sea
, training up submarine crews for despatch to operating boats, mainly based in France
. After a very uneventful service life, the U-429 was caught in an open dock during a U.S. Eighth Air Force
raid on the city of Wilhelmshaven
on 30 March 1945, and destroyed by bombing, although her crew were not on board at the time of the attack.
features a fictional U-429, which captures the crew of a fictional version of .
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German submarine U-429 was a Type VIIC U-boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
of the German
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
Kriegsmarine
Kriegsmarine
The Kriegsmarine was the name of the German Navy during the Nazi regime . It superseded the Kaiserliche Marine of World War I and the post-war Reichsmarine. The Kriegsmarine was one of three official branches of the Wehrmacht, the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany.The Kriegsmarine grew rapidly...
originally built for the Italian
Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946)
The Kingdom of Italy was a state forged in 1861 by the unification of Italy under the influence of the Kingdom of Sardinia, which was its legal predecessor state...
Regia Marina
Regia Marina
The Regia Marina dates from the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861 after Italian unification...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Her keel was laid down on 14 September 1942 by Danziger Werft
Danziger Werft
Danziger Werft was a German shipbuilding company, located in Danzig. It was founded in 1921 on the site of the Kaiserliche Werft Danzig that had been closed after World War I.During World War II Danziger Werft built 42 Type VII U-boats for the Kriegsmarine....
of Danzig
Gdansk
Gdańsk is a Polish city on the Baltic coast, at the centre of the country's fourth-largest metropolitan area.The city lies on the southern edge of Gdańsk Bay , in a conurbation with the city of Gdynia, spa town of Sopot, and suburban communities, which together form a metropolitan area called the...
. She was then commissioned
Ship commissioning
Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service, and may be regarded as a particular application of the general concepts and practices of project commissioning. The term is most commonly applied to the placing of a warship in active duty with its country's military...
as S-4 on 14 July 1943 under the command of an Italian captain.
Following the Italian armistice on 8 September 1943, the Kriegsmarine
Kriegsmarine
The Kriegsmarine was the name of the German Navy during the Nazi regime . It superseded the Kaiserliche Marine of World War I and the post-war Reichsmarine. The Kriegsmarine was one of three official branches of the Wehrmacht, the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany.The Kriegsmarine grew rapidly...
took possession of the U-429, which was still in German waters, along with the and . These boats were not deemed advanced or useful enough for full war service and on 27 October 1943 they were turned over to training flotillas for service in the Baltic Sea
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
, training up submarine crews for despatch to operating boats, mainly based in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. After a very uneventful service life, the U-429 was caught in an open dock during a U.S. Eighth Air Force
Eighth Air Force
The Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....
raid on the city of Wilhelmshaven
Wilhelmshaven
Wilhelmshaven is a coastal town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the western side of the Jade Bight, a bay of the North Sea.-History:...
on 30 March 1945, and destroyed by bombing, although her crew were not on board at the time of the attack.
Modern dramatisation
The 2003 film In Enemy HandsIn Enemy Hands (film)
In Enemy Hands aka "U-Boat", is a World War II submarine film released in 2004, starring William H. Macy.-Plot:Macy stars as the COB on a fictitious US Navy submarine, the USS Swordfish...
features a fictional U-429, which captures the crew of a fictional version of .