German submarine U-596

History
Nazi Germany
Name	U-596
Ordered	16 January 1940
Builder	Blohm & Voss, Hamburg
Yard number	572
Laid down	4 January 1941
Launched	17 September 1941
Commissioned	13 November 1941
Fate	Scuttled on 30 September 1944 in the Mediterranean
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 or 26 TMA mines 1 × 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun (220 rounds) 1 x 2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 AA gun
Service record[1]
Part of:	8th U-boat Flotilla 13 November 1941 – 30 June 1942 3rd U-boat Flotilla 1 July – 18 November 1942 29th U-boat Flotilla 19 November 1942 – 24 September 1944
Identification codes:	M 42 884
Commanders:	Kptlt. Gunter Jahn 13 November 1941 – 27 July 1943 Oblt.z.S. Victor-Wilhelm Nonn 28 July 1943 – July 1944 Oblt.z.S. Hans Kolbus July 1944 – 8 September 1944
Operations:	12 patrols: 1st patrol: 8 August – 3 October 1942 2nd patrol: 4 – 15 November 1942 3rd patrol: 27 January – 16 February 1943 4th patrol: 28 February – 12 March 1943 5th patrol: a. 23 March – 15 April 1943 b. 26 – 30 April 1943 6th patrol: 17 – 26 June 1943 7th patrol: 10 August – 10 September 1943 8th patrol: 28 September – 10 October 1943 9th patrol: 30 November – 28 December 1943 10th patrol: 12 February – 11 March 1944 11th patrol: 9 – 29 April 1944 12th patrol: 29 July – 1 September 1944
Victories:	12 merchant ships sunk (41,411 GRT) 1 warship sunk (246 tons) 2 merchant ships damaged (14,180 GRT)

German submarine U-596 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II. She was laid down on 4 January 1941 by Blohm & Voss in Hamburg as yard number 572, launched on 17 September 1941 and commissioned on 13 November under Kapitänleutnant Gunter Jahn. He was replaced on 28 July 1943 by Oberleutnant zur See Victor-Whilhelm Nonn who was superseded by Oblt.z.S. Hans Kolbus in July 1944.

The boat's service began on 13 November 1941 with training as part of the 8th U-boat Flotilla. She was transferred to the 3rd flotilla on 1 July 1942 and moved on to the 29th flotilla on 19 November.