German submarine U-300

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History
War ensign of Germany (1938-1945).svg Nazi Germany
NameU-300
Ordered23 March 1942
Builder Bremer Vulkan, Bremen-Vegesack
Yard number65
Laid down9 April 1943
Launched23 November 1943
Commissioned29 December 1943
FateSunk on 22 February 1945 by British warships [1]
General characteristics
Class and type Type VIIC/41 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
  • 250 m (820 ft)
  • Crush depth: 275–325 m (902–1,066 ft)
Complement4 officers, 40–56 enlisted
Armament
Service record [2] [3]
Part of:
Identification codes: M 05 631
Commanders:
  • Oblt.z.S. Fritz Hein
  • 29 December 1943 – 22 February 1945
Operations:
  • 3 patrols:
  • 1st patrol:
  • 18 July – 17 August 1944
  • 2nd patrol:
  • 4 October – 2 December 1944
  • 3rd patrol:
  • 21 January – 22 February 1945
Victories:
  • 2 merchant ships sunk
    (7,559  GRT)
  • 1 merchant ship total loss
    (9,551  GRT)
  • 1 merchant ship damaged
    (7,176  GRT)

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

Contents

The submarine was laid down on 9 April 1943 by the Bremer Vulkan yard at Bremen-Vegesack as yard number 65. She was launched on 23 November 1943, and commissioned on 29 December 1943 under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Fritz Hein. U-300 served with the 8th U-boat Flotilla for training, the 7th U-boat Flotilla from 1 August 1944 to 30 September 1944 and the 11th U-boat Flotilla from 1 October 1944 to 22 February 1945 for operations. She carried out three patrols, sinking two ships, and damaged two more before she was sunk on 22 February 1945 off Quarteira, Portugal.

Design

German Type VIIC/41 submarines were preceded by the heavier Type VIIC submarines. U-300 had a displacement of 759 tonnes (747 long tons) when at the surface and 860 tonnes (850 long tons) while submerged. [4] 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). [4]

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). [4] 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-300 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), one 3.7 cm (1.5 in) Flak M42 and two 2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft guns. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty. [4]

Service history

First patrol

U-300 departed Horten Naval Base, Norway, on 18 July 1944 and sailed for the waters south-east of Iceland. On 4 August the U-boat was attacked by a Canso flying boat of No. 162 Squadron RCAF with three depth charges, causing extensive damage. The U-boat drove the aircraft off with flak, but was forced to return to base for repairs, arriving at Trondheim on 17 August. [5]

Second patrol

The U-boat left Trondheim on 4 October 1944 for another patrol south of Iceland. On 10 November she sank two ships from convoy UR-142 en route from the UK to Reykjavík in Iceland.

She hit the British 6,017 GRT tanker Shirvan [6] setting her on fire, and when the Icelandic 1,542 GRT cargo ship Godafoss [7] stopped, against orders, to pick up survivors from the tanker, she was also torpedoed, and sank within seven minutes with the loss of 24 lives, including four young children. [8] The abandoned Shirvan foundered the next day.

U-300 returned to Stavanger, Norway on 2 December. [9]

Third patrol

U-300 sailed from Stavanger on 21 January 1945 on her third and final patrol to the Atlantic waters off Spain. [10] There on 17 February, 27 miles from Gibraltar, she attacked Convoy UGS-72, firing two spreads of two torpedoes, hitting the American 7,176 GRT Liberty ship Michael J. Stone [11] and the British 9,551 GRT tanker Regent Lion. [12]

The Michael J. Stone was flooded in both holds and the steering room. However, she managed to reach Gibraltar under her own power where she was dry-docked and repaired. The Regent Lion, which had already been damaged by a torpedo from another U-boat the previous day, had to be taken in tow. She was grounded on Perl Rock, a mile south of Carnero Point in the Bay of Gibraltar, and was later declared a total loss.

Sinking

U-300 was sunk on 22 February 1945 in the North Atlantic south of Quarteira, in position 36°29′N08°20′W / 36.483°N 8.333°W / 36.483; -8.333 , by gunfire from the British Algerine-class minesweepers HMS Recruit and HMS Pincher, after being badly damaged by depth charges from the British armed yacht HMS Evadne on 19 February. Nine of the crew were lost, there were 41 survivors. [2]

Summary of raiding history

DateShip NameNationalityTonnage
(GRT)		Fate [13]
10 November 1944 Godafoss Flag of Iceland.svg  Iceland 1,542Sunk
10 November 1944 Shirvan Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 6,017Sunk
17 February 1945 Michael J. Stone Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg  United States 7,176Damaged
17 February 1945 Regent Lion Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 9,551Total loss

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References

  1. ↑ Kemp 1999, pp. 233–4.
  2. 1 2 Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC/41 boat U-300". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 2 January 2010.
  3. ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "War Patrols by German U-boat U-300". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 2 January 2010.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Gröner 1991, pp. 43–46.
  5. ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Patrol of U-boat U-300 from 18 Jul 1944 to 17 Aug 1944". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 2 January 2010.
  6. ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Shirvan (Steam tanker)". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 2 January 2010.
  7. ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Godafoss (Steam merchant)". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 2 January 2010.
  8. ↑ "Morgunblaðið Nov. 12 1944". timarit.is. Retrieved 10 January 2010.
  9. ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Patrol of U-boat U-300 from 4 Oct 1944 to 2 Dec 1944". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 2 January 2010.
  10. ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Patrol of U-boat U-300 from 21 Jan 1945 to 22 Feb 1945". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 2 January 2010.
  11. ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Michael J. Stone (Steam merchant)". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 2 January 2010.
  12. ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Regent Lion (Motor tanker)". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 2 January 2010.
  13. ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-300". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 29 December 2014.

Bibliography

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