German submarine U-486

German submarine U-486 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for the German Kriegsmarine for service during World War II. She was laid down at the Deutsche Werke in Kiel as 'werk' 321, launched on February 12 1944 and commissioned on March 22 with Oberleutnant Gerhard Meyer in command.

The boat began training on March 22 with the 5th U-boat Flotilla but moved on to the 11th flotilla for operations.

She was one of nine Type VIIs that the Kriegsmarine fitted with an experimental synthetic rubber skin of anechoic tiles known as Alberich, which had been designed to counter the Allies' asdic/sonar devices.

Her remains were positively identified in March of 2013 after they were found during oil exploration operations off the coast of Norway, not far from the remains of U-864.

Operational career
The submarine moved to Horten in Norway between November 6 and 9 1944 and then Egersund, (also in Norway, on the southwest coast, between Stavanger and Kristiansand), arriving there on November 20.

1st patrol
She departed Egersund on her first patrol on November 26 1944, taking a circuitous route around the British Isles to the Western Approaches. The U-boat claimed her first victim south of the Eddystone Lighthouse by sinking the Silverlaurel on December 18. She then attacked the 11,509 GRT Leopoldville on December 24 five miles off the coast of Cherbourg, France. This resulted in the death of over 750 Allied soldiers (819 total deaths). The Leopoldville sank about two hours later. She crippled the US-built but British manned frigate HMS Affleck (K462) on the 26th. She also sank HMS Capel (K470), another frigate, on the same day. She was unsuccessfully attacked by a Canadian Vickers Wellington of 407 Squadron, RCAF on December 30.

She returned to Norway, this time to Bergen, on 15 January 1945.

2nd patrol
The boat departed Bergen on 9 April 1945, but was sunk by torpedoes from the British submarine HMS Tapir (P335) on April 12.

Discovery of wreck
In early 2013, the wreck of U-486 was discovered by the Norwegian petroleum company Statoil at a depth of 250 m, off the coast of Western Norway. The wreck of U-486 is located c. 2 km from that of the fellow German submarine GS U-864.