U-530

Type

IXC/40

Ordered

15 Aug 1940

Laid down

8 Dec 1941

Deutsche Werft AG, Hamburg (werk 345)

Launched

28 Jul 1942

Commissioned

14 Oct 1942

Kptlt. Kurt Lange

Commanders

14 Oct 1942	-	Jan, 1945		Kptlt. Kurt Lange (German Cross in Gold)
Jan, 1945	-	10 Jul 1945		Oblt. Otto Wermuth

Career
7 patrols

14 Oct 1942	-	28 Feb 1943	4. Flottille (training)
1 Mar 1943	-	30 Sep 1944	10. Flottille (active service)
1 Oct 1944	-	8 May 1945	33. Flottille (active service)

Successes

2 ships sunk, total tonnage 12,063 GRT
1 ship damaged, total tonnage 10,195 GRT

Fate

Surrendered on 10 July 1945 at Mar del Plata, Argentina.

Post war information (see more post-war boats):
Transferred to USA and used for tests. Scuttled during tests on 28 Nov 1947 north-east of Cape Cod, by a torpedo. Map position is approximate.

Final location

See the 3 ships hit by U-530 - View the 7 war patrols

Wolfpack operations

U-530 operated with the following Wolfpacks during its career:
   Neuland (4 Mar 1943 - 6 Mar 1943)
   Ostmark (6 Mar 1943 - 11 Mar 1943)
   Stürmer (11 Mar 1943 - 20 Mar 1943)
   Seewolf (21 Mar 1943 - 30 Mar 1943)

Attacks on this boat and other events

29 Dec 1943
U-530 was forced to return to base after being rammed by the tanker Esso Buffalo.

1 recorded attack on this boat.

General notes on this boat

Encounter with the Japanese I-52

On 22 May, 1944 the boat left Lorient, France for operations in the Trinidad area. Outbound she was to rendezvous with the incoming Japanese submarine I-52 (huge boat, 356 feet and roughly 2600 tons) and supply the larger boat with a Naxos radar detector, Naxos operator and a German navigator to help navigate the end-leg of the journey.

The three German men, Pilot Lieutenant Schafer and Radiomen Petty Officers Schulze and Behrendt, all perished with the boat along with its Japanese crew.

The boats met on 23 June in the middle of the Atlantic, some 850 miles west of the Cape Verde Islands, and the exchange went well except the Naxos radar detector fell into the Atlantic, being retrieved by a Japanese who jumped in after it. U-530 immediately headed for Trinidad, finally returning to base after 133 days at sea. The Allies knew of the encounter and had the escort carrier USS Bogue at the scene and its aircraft managed to sink the I-52 with Fido torpedoes with the help of sonobuoys.

The I-52 seems to have been found in 3,2 mile deep water in 1995, I have seen photos of the wreck which are amazing. The interest in this boat, especially at this depth, is simple: She contains 2 tons of gold in 146 bars plus an assortment of other valuable industrial metals. Recovery was planned but according to an article in National Geographic (Oct 99) it was not possible to reach the gold and further attempts have been called off.

Schnorchel-fitted U-boat

This boat was fitted with a Schnorchel underwater-breathing apparatus but the date of fitting or sailing date with the equipment is unknown.

Read more about the Schnorchel and see list of fitted boats.

Men lost from U-boats

Unlike many other U-boats, which during their service lost men due to accidents and various other causes, U-530 did not suffer any casualties (we know of) until the time of her loss.