German submarine U-483

German submarine U-483 was a Type VIIC U-boat of the Nazi German Kriegsmarine during World War II.

She carried out two patrols. She caused one warship to be declared a total loss.

She surrendered in May 1945; she was sunk as part of Operation Deadlight in December 1945.

Service history
The submarine was laid down on 20 March 1943 at Deutsche Werke in Kiel as 'werk' 318, launched on 30 October and commissioned on 22 December under the command of Kapitänleutnant Hans-Joachim von Morstein.

She served with the 5th U-boat Flotilla from 22 December 1943 for training and the 3rd flotilla from 1 August 1944 for operations. She was reassigned to the 11th flotilla on 5 September.

1st patrol
U-432's first patrol was preceded by short journeys from Kiel in Germany to Horten (south of Oslo) and then Stavanger, both in Norway. The patrol itself began when the boat departed Stavanger on 3 October 1944. A Schnorchel [an underwater engine-functioning and breathing device], failure northwest of Scotland on the 12th resulted in the death of one man.

On 1 November 1944 she torpedoed the British frigate HMS Whitaker off Malin Head, Ireland. The bows were blown off the US-built ship. The commander, all the other officers and 84 ratings died, but the ship did not sink. The fires were put out and the flooding was stopped. She was eventually towed to Londonderry, then Belfast, but she was declared a total loss.

2nd patrol
By now based at Bergen, the boat left there for her second foray on 3 October 1944. According to one source, she managed to enter the Irish Sea. She docked at Trondheim on 26 March.

Fate
U-483 surrendered in Trondheim on 9 May 1945. She was transferred to Scapa Flow then Loch Ryan in Scotland on 29 May for Operation Deadlight. She was sunk on 16 December by causes unknown.