German submarine U-482

German submarine U-482 was a Type VIIC U-boat of the Nazi German Kriegsmarine during World War II. She was laid down on 13 February 1942 at Deutsche Werke in Kiel as 'werk' 317 and went into service on 1 December 1943 under the command of Hartmut von Matuschka.

U-482 began her service by training with the 5th U-boat Flotilla. She then transferred to the 9th, followed by the 11th flotillas.

Career
U-482 carried out two war patrols from Bergen in Norway, having sailed briefly to Horten (also in Norway), both under Matuschka's command. The first, which began on August 14, 1944, took U-482 off the coast of Ireland. Over a nine-day period, she sank two freighters, the two tankers jacksonville and Empire Heritage as well as the British corvette HMS Hurst Castle (K416) for a total of. It was the single most successful war patrol by a Type VII U-boat in 1944.

U-482 mounted a second patrol beginning November 18, but was sunk with all hands a week later by the British frigate HMS Ascension (K502)

Fate
During the war it was thought that the U-482 was not sunk until January 16, 1945, and that she had damaged the escort carrier HMS Thane (D48) (later determined to be the work of GS U-1172). Credit for her sinking was given to the ships of British Support Group 22. In the 1990s the British Admiralty revised that assessment and declared that U-482 had possibly struck a mine in the North Channel, off Malin Head, in early December 1944. In 2005 U-boat researcher Axel Niestlé determined that U-482 was probably sunk by the British frigate HMS Ascension west of the Shetland Islands.

Raiding career
Between August and November 1944 U-482 sailed on two combat patrols, sinking four merchant ships totalling and the   Castle-class corvette HMS Hurst Castle (K416).