U-427

Type

VIIC

Ordered

5 Jun 1941

Laid down

27 Jul 1942

Danziger Werft AG, Danzig (werk 128)

Launched

6 Feb 1943

Commissioned

2 Jun 1943

Oblt. Carl-Gabriel Graf von Gudenus

Commanders

2 Jun 1943

9 May 1945

Oblt. Carl-Gabriel Graf von Gudenus

Career
5 patrols

2 Jun 1943	-	1 Jun 1944	8. Flottille (training)
1 Jun 1944	-	31 Jul 1944	7. Flottille (active service)
1 Aug 1944	-	4 Nov 1944	11. Flottille (active service)
5 Nov 1944	-	28 Feb 1945	13. Flottille (active service)
1 Mar 1945	-	8 May 1945	14. Flottille (active service)

Successes

No ships sunk or damaged

Fate

Surrendered on 9 May 1945 at Narvik, Norway (Waller & Niestlé, 2010).

Transferred to Loch Eriboll, Scotland, on 19 May 1945, later to Lisahally and Loch Ryan.

Operation Deadlight (post-war Allied operation, info)
Sunk on 21 December 1945 at 56.04N x 09.35W by unknown causes.

Final location

View the 5 war patrols

The U-boats that were in the Narvik area at the end of the war were all moved to the Skjomenfjord upon Allied orders to avoid conflicts with the Norwegians on 12 May. On 15 May, a German convoy of five ships (the fleet tender Grille with the staff of FdU Norwegen aboard, the fleet oiler Kärnten, the repair ship Kamerun and the depot ships Huascaran and Stella Polaris) and 15 U-boats (U-278, U-294, U-295, U-312, U-313, U-318, U-363, U-427, U-481, U-668, U-716, U-968, U-992, U-997 and U-1165) left for transfer to Trondheim, but was intercepted after two days by the 9th Escort Group off the Norwegian coast and officially capitulated. While the ships were allowed to proceed to Trondheim, the U-boats were escorted to Loch Eriboll, Scotland, arriving on 19 May. All U-boats were later that month transferred to Lisahally or Loch Ryan for Operation Deadlight.

Wolfpack operations

U-427 operated with the following Wolfpacks during its career:
Faust (21 Apr 1945 - 30 Apr 1945)

Attacks on this boat and other events

29 Apr 1945
During an attack on convoy RA 66 U-427 attempted to torpedo two of the escorts, Canadian destroyers HMCS Haida and Iroquois. The escorts then dropped a total of 260 depth charges [per U-427 war diary] on U-427's supposed position over several hours. Through good luck and no doubt equal skill the U-boat escaped. This is believed to have been the penultimate attack on an Arctic convoy. Some sources give the tally of depth charges as 678, which we have been unable to verify.

4 May 1945
While taking part in the last convoy attack of the war the boat was severely damaged by escorts and, unable to dive, was escorted by U-968 and U-481 to Kirkenes, Norway, arriving on 8 May. (Date is approximate) (Sources: Blair, vol 2, page 681)

2 recorded attacks on this boat.

Schnorchel-fitted U-boat

This boat was fitted with a Schnorchel underwater-breathing apparatus in March 1945.

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-427 did not suffer any casualties (we know of) until the time of her loss.