German submarine U-478

German submarine U-478 was a Type VIIC U-boat of the Nazi German Kriegsmarine during World War II.

She carried out one patrol. She sank no ships.

She was sunk by a Canadian and a British aircraft northeast of the Faroe Islands, in June 1944.

Service history
The submarine was laid down on 28 October 1942 at the Deutsche Werke in Kiel as 'werk' 309, launched on 17 July 1943 and commissioned on 8 September under the command of Oberleutnant Rudolf Rademacher.

She served with the 5th U-boat Flotilla from 8 September 1943 for training and the 3rd flotilla from 1 June 1944 for operations.

Patrol and loss
U-478's only patrol was preceded by a short trip from Kiel in Germany to Kristiansand in Norway. The patrol itself began with the boat's departure from Kristiansand on 25 June 1944.

On 30 June she was attacked and sunk by a Canadian Canso (the Canadian version of the PBY Catalina) flying boat of No. 162 Squadron RCAF and a British B-24 Liberator of No. 86 Squadron RAF northeast of the Faroe Islands.

Fifty-two men went down with U-478; there were no survivors.