German submarine U-464

Unterseeboot 464 (U-464) was a Type XIV U-boat ("Milchkuh") of the Kriegsmarine.

Her keel was laid down March 18, 1941, by Deutsche Werke of Kiel. She was commissioned April 30, 1942 with "Kapitänleutnant" Otto Harms in command. Harms commanded her for her entire career.

U-464 was lost on her first patrol. As a supply boat, she avoided combat. On August 20, 1942, south-east of Iceland, she was attacked by a US PBY Catalina aircraft. Although the aircraft dropped all its bombs without sinking the boat, two crewmen were killed during the attack, and the boat was left unable to dive. While U-464 could still make some eight knots, it was only a matter of time before another aircraft or ship would find and destroy her. Harms spotted a ship nearby and decided to scuttle U-464.

The 60 ton Icelandic merchant vessel "Skaftfellingur" sighted for the distressed U-boat and began rescue operations. The seven-man Icelandic crew placed the 52 German survivors in the bow of their ship and guarded them with a machine gun on the bridge. Later that same day the ship rendezvoused with a pair of British destroyers and turned the German prisoners over to them.

This story was unacceptable to the Kriegsmarine, which published a slightly edited version: the U-boat crew boarded the trawler by force, captured its crew, and was 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.

"See also:" List of U-boats