German submarine U-404

History
Nazi Germany
Name	U-404
Ordered	23 September 1939
Builder	Danziger Werft, Danzig
Yard number	105
Laid down	4 June 1940[1]
Launched	4 June 1941
Commissioned	6 August 1941[2]
Fate	Sunk on 28 July 1943 by depth charges from two American and one British B-24 Liberators[2]
General characteristics
Class and type	Type VIIC submarine
Displacement	769 tonnes (757 long tons) surfaced 871 t (857 long tons) submerged
Length	67.10 m (220 ft 2 in) o/a 50.50 m (165 ft 8 in) pressure hull
Beam	6.20 m (20 ft 4 in) o/a 4.70 m (15 ft 5 in) pressure hull
Height	9.60 m (31 ft 6 in)
Draught	4.74 m (15 ft 7 in)
Installed power	2,800–3,200 PS (2,100–2,400 kW; 2,800–3,200 bhp) (diesels) 750 PS (550 kW; 740 shp) (electric)
Propulsion	2 shafts 2 × diesel engines 2 × electric motors
Speed	17.7 knots (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph) surfaced 7.6 knots (14.1 km/h; 8.7 mph) submerged
Range	8,500 nmi (15,700 km; 9,800 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced 80 nmi (150 km; 92 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth	230 m (750 ft) Crush depth: 250–295 m (820–968 ft)
Complement	4 officers, 40–56 enlisted
Armament	5 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four bow, one stern) 14 × torpedoes 1 × 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun (220 rounds) 1 x 2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 AA gun
Service record
Part of:	6th U-boat Flotilla 6 August 1941 – 28 July 1943
Identification codes:	M 03 340
Commanders:	K.Kapt. Otto von Bülow 6 August 1941 – 19 July 1943 Oblt.z.S. Adolf Schönberg 20 – 28 July 1943
Operations:	7 patrols: 1st patrol: 17 January – 1 February 1942 2nd patrol: 14 February – 4 April 1942 3rd patrol: 6 May – 14 July 1942 4th patrol: 23 August – 13 October 1942 5th patrol: 21 December 1942 – 6 February 1943 6th patrol: 21 March – 3 May 1943 7th patrol: 24 – 28 July 1943
Victories:	14 merchant ships sunk (71,450 GRT) 1 warship sunk (1,120 tons) 2 merchant ships damaged (16,689 GRT)

German submarine U-404 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II.

She was laid down at the Danziger Werft in the city of the same name on 4 June 1940 as yard number 105, launched a year later on 4 June 1941 and was commissioned on 6 August 1941, with Kapitänleutnant Otto von Bülow in command.

The boat commenced her career with the 6th U-boat Flotilla, a training organization on 6 August 1941, before moving on to operations on 1 October 1941. U-404 carried out seven combat patrols, sinking 14 merchantmen and one warship for a total of over 71,450 gross register tons (GRT) and 1,120 tons during the Second World War. She also damaged two other ships. The submarine was a member of 13 wolfpacks and was visually identifiable by the particular paint scheme consisting of a prow of a Viking longboat painted in red paint on either side of the conning tower.

For his numerous successes, von Bülow received the Knight's Cross.