German submarine U-464

German submarine U-464 was a Type XIV supply and replenishment U-boat ("Milchkuh") of the Nazi German Kriegsmarine during World War II.

Her keel was laid down on 18 March 1941, by Deutsche Werke in Kiel as 'werk' 295. She was launched on 20 December 1941 and commissioned on 30 April 1942 with Kapitänleutnant Otto Harms in command. He remained in charge for her entire career.

The boat began her service life training in the 4th U-boat Flotilla before moving on to the 10th flotilla for operations.

Operational career
U-464 was lost on her first patrol. As a supply boat, she avoided combat. She transited from Kiel to Bergen in Norway, arriving on 9 August 1942.

1st and only patrol
U-464 set-off for her first patrol from Bergen on 14 August 1942. On the 20th, she was attacked south southeast of Iceland by a US PBY Catalina flying boat. Two crew members were killed, there were 52 survivors. Although the aircraft dropped all its bombs without sinking the boat, she was still capable of making eight knots but was unable to dive. With many other ships and aircraft in the vicinity and realizing that the situation was hopeless, Harms decided to scuttle the boat near an Icelandic trawler, the 60 ton Skaftfellingur.

What happened next is still open to question.

"English and Icelandic sources" on 'Uboat.net' say that the 52 German submariners were picked up by the seven-man crew of the fishing boat, put in the bows and covered by a machine gun on the bridge. They were then transferred to a pair of British destroyers later that same day.

The Kriegsmarine officially published a different version: namely that the U-boat crew boarded the trawler by force, captured its crew, and were heading for Germany when they were intercepted by the destroyers and taken prisoner.

In July 1999 a squadron of Deutsche Marine submarines visited Reykjavík to honor the Icelandic seamen who rescued the U-boat crew.