German submarine U-275

Last updated

History
War ensign of Germany (1938-1945).svg Nazi Germany
NameU-275
Ordered10 April 1941
BuilderBremer-Vulkan-Vegesacker Werft, Bremen
Yard number40
Laid down18 January 1941
Launched8 October 1942
Commissioned25 November 1942
FateSunk on 10 March 1945 in the English Channel by a mine [1]
General characteristics
Class and type Type VIIC submarine
Displacement
Length
Beam
  • 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in) o/a
  • 4.70 m (15 ft 5 in) pressure hull
Height9.60 m (31 ft 6 in)
Draught4.74 m (15 ft 7 in)
Installed power
  • 2,800–3,200 PS (2,100–2,400 kW; 2,800–3,200 bhp) (diesels)
  • 750 PS (550 kW; 740 shp) (electric)
Propulsion
Speed
  • 17.7 knots (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph) surfaced
  • 7.6 knots (14.1 km/h; 8.7 mph) submerged
Range
  • 8,500  nmi (15,700  km; 9,800  mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced
  • 80 nmi (150 km; 92 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth
  • 230 m (750 ft)
  • Crush depth: 250–295 m (820–968 ft)
Complement4 officers, 40–56 enlisted
Armament
Service record [1] [2]
Part of:
Identification codes: M 50 344
Commanders:
  • Oblt.z.S. Helmut Bork
  • 25 November 1942 – July 1944
  • Oblt.z.S. Helmuth Wehrkamp
  • July 1944 – 10 March 1945
Operations:
  • 9 patrols:
  • 1st patrol:
  • a. 4 – 8 September 1943
  • b. 9 September – 28 October 1943
  • 2nd patrol:
  • a. 29 November – 1 December 1943
  • b. 2 – 7 December 1943
  • c. 8 December 1943 – 11 January 1944
  • d. 23 – 26 April 1944
  • 3rd patrol:
  • 20 – 23 May 1944
  • 4th patrol:
  • 6 – 25 June 1944
  • 5th patrol:
  • 16 July – 2 August 1944
  • 6th patrol:
  • 13 August – 18 September 1944
  • 7th patrol:
  • 2 – 12 December 1944
  • 8th patrol:
  • 13 January – 10 February 1945
  • 9th patrol:
  • 25 February – 10 March 1945
Victories:
  • 1 merchant ship sunk
    (4,934  GRT)
  • 1 warship sunk
    (1,090 tons)

German submarine U-275 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 18 January 1942 at the Bremer-Vulkan-Vegesacker Werft (yard) in Bremen as yard number 40. She was launched on 8 October 1942 and commissioned on 25 November under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Helmut Bork. [1]

Contents

She sank two ships of 4,934  gross register tons  (GRT) in nine patrols and 1,090 tons. She was a member of four wolfpacks.

She was sunk by a mine in the English Channel on 10 March 1945.

Design

German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-275 had a displacement of 769 tonnes (757 long tons) when at the surface and 871 tonnes (857 long tons) while submerged. [3] She had a total length of 67.10 m (220 ft 2 in), a pressure hull length of 50.50 m (165 ft 8 in), a beam of 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in), a height of 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in), and a draught of 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in). The submarine was powered by two Germaniawerft F46 four-stroke, six-cylinder supercharged diesel engines producing a total of 2,800 to 3,200 metric horsepower (2,060 to 2,350 kW; 2,760 to 3,160 shp) for use while surfaced, two AEG GU 460/8–27 double-acting electric motors producing a total of 750 metric horsepower (550 kW; 740 shp) for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 1.23 m (4 ft) propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to 230 metres (750 ft). [3]

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 17.7 knots (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 7.6 knots (14.1 km/h; 8.7 mph). [3] When submerged, the boat could operate for 80 nautical miles (150 km; 92 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 8,500 nautical miles (15,700 km; 9,800 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). U-275 was fitted with five 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and one at the stern), fourteen torpedoes, one 8.8 cm (3.46 in) SK C/35 naval gun, 220 rounds, and two twin 2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft guns. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty. [3]

Service history

After training with the 8th U-boat Flotilla, the boat became operational on 1 June 1943 when she was transferred to the 3rd flotilla. U-275 carried out a series of short voyages between Kiel in Germany and Bergen and Trondheim in Norway in August 1943.

First patrol

The boat's first patrol proper began when she departed Bergen on 4 September 1943. She entered the Atlantic Ocean after negotiating the gap between Iceland and the Faroe Islands. She was unsuccessfully attacked by a Lockheed Hudson southwest of Iceland. She reached La Pallice in occupied France on 28 October.

Second patrol

The boat's second foray was divided into a series of short bursts between La Pallice and Brest between November 1943 and April 1944. During one of these sallies, she sank the USS Leary, an American destroyer, on 24 December 1943.

Another moment of drama came when the submarine was obliged to return to base on 3 January with the captain suffering from appendicitis.

Third and fourth patrols

Patrol number three was similarly short, starting and finishing in Brest on 20 and 23 May 1944.

Not long after D-Day (6 June 1944) on her fourth sortie, having been identified by Cryptanalysis of the Enigma intercepts, which was confirmed with a solo photographic reconnaissance Spitfire from No. 541 Squadron RAF, she was attacked by no less than eight Hawker Typhoon strike attack aircraft of No. 263 Squadron RAF while tied up in Saint Peter Port Harbour, Guernsey on 14 June. No damage was caused to the submarine; escorting vessels were not so lucky. [4]

Fifth patrol

While negotiating the relatively shallow waters of the English Channel, the submarine was discovered by an aircraft which vectored a hunter-killer group onto her. She then spent seven hours being chased before she shook off her pursuers.

The situation had become so dire that the boat was chased every time she raised her periscope. She eventually reached comparative safety in Boulogne on 2 August 1944.

U-275 reached Boulogne in the night from 31 Juli on 1 August 1944.

Sixth patrol

It was decided to send U-275 back to Norwegian waters. She sailed westward, the 'long' way around the British Isles. She had almost reached Bergen on 18 September 1944, when she was attacked by a total of eight De Havilland Mosquitos. Two were armed with the Tse tse 6-pounder cannon, four more were equipped with depth charges, (they were all from 248 Squadron), while the last two, from 235 Squadron, were there as escorts.

The submarine grounded in water that was only about 9 m (30 ft) deep. She was strafed and bombed while half submerged. However, luck was on the U-boat's side; one cannon jammed and two bombs failed to release. A coastal battery also fired on the British aircraft, causing them to leave the scene of the attack. The U-boat, having suffered some damage, then made her way to her destination.

Seventh and eighth patrols

These two patrols were relatively trouble-free, but the boat did return to the French Atlantic coast, docking at St. Nazaire on 10 February 1945.

Ninth patrol and loss

Having departed St. Nazaire on 25 February 1945, she headed for the English Channel once more. On 8 March she sank the Lornaston northwest of Fécamp. On the tenth, she struck a mine off Beachy Head and sank.

Forty-eight men died; there were no survivors.

Wolfpacks

U-275 took part in four wolfpacks, namely:

Summary of raiding history

DateNameNationalityTonnage [Note 1] Fate [5]
24 December 1943 USS Leary Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg  United States Navy 1,090Sunk
8 March 1945 Lornaston Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 4,934Sunk

Related Research Articles

German submarine U-262 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

German submarine U-333 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 11 March 1940 at the Nordseewerke yard at Emden, launched on 14 June 1941, and commissioned on 25 August 1941 under the command of Kapitänleutnant Peter-Erich Cremer. After training with the 5th U-boat Flotilla at Kiel, on 1 January 1942 U-333 was transferred to the 3rd U-boat Flotilla based at La Pallice for front-line service.

German submarine U-468 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 1 July 1941 as yard number 299 at the Deutsche Werke yard in Kiel, launched on 16 May 1942 and commissioned on 12 August 1942 under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Klemens Schamong. She sailed on three war patrols and sank only one ship before being sunk by a RNZAF plane on 11 August 1943. The airplane pilot was subsequently awarded the Victoria Cross - the only occasion on which a VC has been awarded solely on the testimony of an enemy combatant.

German submarine U-441 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II, which served for a short time as an anti-aircraft submarine under the designation U-flak 1.

German submarine U-300 was a Type VIIC/41 U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

German submarine U-953 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's navy (Kriegsmarine) during World War II.

German submarine <i>U-309</i> German World War II submarine

German submarine U-309 was a Type VIIC U-boat of the German Navy (Kriegsmarine) during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 24 January 1942 at the Flender Werke yard at Lübeck, launched on 5 December 1942, and commissioned on 27 January 1943 under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Hans-Gert Mahrholz. She sailed on nine combat patrols, but damaged only one ship, before being sunk off Scotland on 16 February 1945.

German submarine U-256 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II, she also served for a short time as an anti-aircraft submarine under the designation U-flak 2. During her career, U-256 completed five wartime patrols and sank one warship of 1,300 tons.

German submarine <i>U-132</i> (1941) German World War II submarine

German submarine U-132 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II. She was laid down on 10 August 1940 by Vegesacker Werft, Bremen-Vegesack as yard number 11, launched on 10 April 1941 and commissioned on 29 May that year under Kapitänleutnant Ernst Vogelsang.

German submarine <i>U-450</i> German world war II submarine

German submarine U-450 was a Type VIIC U-boat in the service of Nazi Germany during World War II.

German submarine U-960 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II. She was laid down on 20 March 1942 by Blohm & Voss, Hamburg as yard number 160, launched on 3 December 1942 and commissioned on 28 January 1943 under Oberleutnant zur See Günther Heinrich.

German submarine U-212 was a Type VIIC U-boat that served with the Kriegsmarine during World War II. Laid down on 17 May 1941 as yard number 641 at F. Krupp Germaniawerft in Kiel, she was launched on 11 March 1942 and commissioned on 25 April under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Helmut Vogler.

German submarine U-231 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

German submarine U-263 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 8 June 1941 at the Bremer-Vulkan-Vegesacker Werft (yard) in Bremen as yard number 28. She was launched on 18 March 1942 and commissioned on 6 May under the command of Kapitänleutnant Kurt Nölke.

German submarine U-302 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 2 April 1941 at the Flender Werke yard at Lübeck as yard number 302, launched on 25 April 1942 and commissioned on 16 June under the command of Kapitänleutnant Herbert Sackel.

German submarine U-311 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 21 March 1942 at the Flender Werke yard at Lübeck as yard number 311, launched on 20 January 1943 and commissioned on 23 March under the command of Kapitänleutnant Joachim Zander.

German submarine U-341 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

German submarine U-370 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

German submarine U-382 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

German submarine U-384 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

References

Notes

  1. ↑ Merchant ship tonnages are in gross register tons. Military vessels are listed by tons displacement.

Citations

  1. 1 2 3 Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-275". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 2 August 2012.
  2. ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "War Patrols by German U-boat U-275". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 2 August 2012.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Gröner 1991, pp. 43–46.
  4. ↑ Channel Islands Occupation Review No 36. Channel Island Art & Books. May 2008. p. 115.
  5. ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-275". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 26 December 2014.

Bibliography

50°36′N0°04′E / 50.600°N 0.067°E / 50.600; 0.067

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.