U-589

Type

VIIC

Ordered

16 Jan 1940

Laid down

31 Oct 1940

Blohm & Voss, Hamburg (werk 565)

Launched

6 Aug 1941

Commissioned

25 Sep 1941

Kptlt. Hans-Joachim Horrer

Commanders

25 Sep 1941

14 Sep 1942

KrvKpt. Hans-Joachim Horrer

Career
7 patrols

25 Sep 1941	-	1 Feb 1942	6. Flottille (training)
1 Feb 1942	-	30 Jun 1942	6. Flottille (active service)
1 Jul 1942	-	14 Sep 1942	11. Flottille (active service)

Successes

1 auxiliary warship sunk, total tonnage 417 GRT
1 ship damaged, total tonnage 2,847 GRT

Fate

Sunk on 14 September 1942 in the Barents Sea south of Spitzbergen, in position 75.40N, 20.32E, by depth charges from the British destroyer HMS Onslow and a Swordfish aircraft (825 Sqn FAA) of the British escort carrier HMS Avenger. Four Luftwaffe aircrew rescued the day before were lost with the crew of 44. 48 dead (all hands lost).

Loss position

See the 2 ships hit by U-589 - View the 7 war patrols

Wolfpack operations

U-589 operated with the following Wolfpacks during its career:
   Aufnahme (9 Mar 1942 - 11 Mar 1942)
   Blücher (11 Mar 1942 - 18 Mar 1942)
   Eiswolf (28 Mar 1942 - 31 Mar 1942)
   Bums (8 Apr 1942 - 10 Apr 1942)
   Robbenschlag (10 Apr 1942 - 14 Apr 1942)
   Blutrausch (15 Apr 1942 - 19 Apr 1942)
   Strauchritter (29 Apr 1942 - 5 May 1942)
   Greif (16 May 1942 - 22 May 1942)
   Nebelkönig (27 Jul 1942 - 11 Aug 1942)
   Trägertod (12 Sep 1942 - 14 Sep 1942)

Attacks on this boat and other events

1 Apr 1942
At 18.40 hrs U-589 fired four G7a torpedoes at HMS Niger, which was searching for the missing HMS Sulla from PQ 13 off Kola Inlet. The minesweeper took evasive action after three torpedo tracks were seen by lookouts in the calm sea and then dropped five depth charges in two runs after following down the tracks. No damage (Sources: Ritschel/ADM 199-1782)

1 recorded attack on this boat.

General notes on this boat

13 Sep 1942. U-589 rescued the crew of the Heinkel He111H-6 WNr 7567 (I./KG 26, 1H+NK) in the Greenland Sea about 100 miles south-west of Spitsbergen at 1715hrs. The airmen were all lost when the U-boat was sunk with all hands the next day while operating against the convoy PQ-18.

Men lost from U-boats

Unlike many other U-boats, which during their service lost men due to accidents and various other causes, U-589 did not suffer any casualties (we know of) until the time of her loss.