History | |
---|---|
Nazi Germany | |
Name | U-344 |
Ordered | 20 January 1941 |
Builder | Nordseewerke, Emden |
Yard number | 216 |
Laid down | 7 May 1942 |
Launched | 29 January 1943 |
Commissioned | 26 March 1943 |
Fate | Sunk by a British aircraft on 22 August 1944 [1] |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Type VIIC submarine |
Displacement | |
Length |
|
Beam |
|
Height | 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in) |
Draught | 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in) |
Installed power |
|
Propulsion |
|
Speed |
|
Range | |
Test depth |
|
Complement | 4 officers, 40–56 enlisted |
Armament |
|
Service record [2] [3] | |
Part of: |
|
Identification codes: | M 50 920 |
Commanders: |
|
Operations: |
|
Victories: | 1 warship sunk (1,350 tons) |
German submarine U-344 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.
She was a member of two wolfpacks.
She was on her third patrol when she was sunk by a British aircraft on 22 August 1944.
She sank one warship.
German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-344 had a displacement of 769 tonnes (757 long tons) when at the surface and 871 tonnes (857 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-344 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. [4]
The submarine was laid down on 7 May 1942 at the Nordseewerke yard at Emden as yard number 216, launched on 29 January 1943 and commissioned on 26 March under the command of Kapitänleutnant Ulrich Pietsch.
U-344 served with the 8th U-boat Flotilla, for training and the 3rd flotilla for operations from 1 April 1944. She was reassigned to the 11th flotilla on 1 June 1944.
U-344 had sailed from Kiel in Germany to Flekkefjord (west of Kristiansand) and then Bergen in Norway in April and May 1944, but her first patrol began when she departed Bergen on 20 May and followed the Norwegian coastline. She arrived at Narvik on the 27th.
Her second foray involved criss-crossing the Norwegian Sea. At one point she passed east of Jan Mayen Island. She arrived at Bogenbucht (west of Narvik) on 8 July 1944.
Having departed Bogenbucht on 3 August 1944, she sank the British sloop HMS Kite in the Barents Sea on the 21st. Of 226 crew, nine men survived the icy water. The next day, a British Fairey Swordfish of 825 Naval Air Squadron from HMS Vindex, dropped a pattern of depth charges on the U-boat, sinking her. Fifty men died in the sinking; there were no survivors. [5]
U-344 was thought to have been sunk on 24 August 1944 in the Barents Sea off the North Cape by British warships: i.e. the sloops HMS Mermaid and Peacock, the frigate HMS Loch Dunvegan and the destroyer Keppel. U-354 was the victim.
U-344 took part in two wolfpacks, namely:
Date | Ship Name | Tonnage [Note 1] | Nationality | Fate [6] |
---|---|---|---|---|
21 August 1944 | HMS Kite | 1,350 | Royal Navy | Sunk |
German submarine U-482 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. She was laid down on 13 February 1942 at Deutsche Werke in Kiel as yard number 317 and went into service on 1 December 1943 under the command of Hartmut Graf von Matuschka, Freiherr von Toppolczan und Spaetgen.
German submarine U-276 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.
German submarine U-278 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.
German submarine U-286 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.
German submarine U-288 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.
German submarine U-291 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.
German submarine U-310 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 30 January 1942 at the Flender Werke yard at Lübeck as yard number 310, launched on 3 January 1943 and commissioned on 24 February under the command of Leutnant zur See Klaus Friedland.
German submarine U-312 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 10 April 1942 at the Flender Werke yard at Lübeck as yard number 312, launched on 27 February 1943 and commissioned on 21 April under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Kurt-Heinz Nicolay.
German submarine U-313 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 11 May 1942 at the Flender Werke yard at Lübeck as yard number 313, launched on 27 March 1943 and commissioned on 20 May under the command of Kapitänleutnant Friedrich Schweiger.
German submarine U-315 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 7 July 1942 at the Flender Werke yard at Lübeck as yard number 315, launched on 29 May 1943 and commissioned on 10 July under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Herbert Zoller.
German submarine U-327 was a Type VIIC/41 U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.
German submarine U-336 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 28 March 1941 at the Nordseewerke yard at Emden as yard number 208, launched on 4 December and commissioned on 14 February 1942 under the command of Kapitänleutnant Hans Hunger.
German submarine U-347 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.
German submarine U-354 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.
German submarine U-360 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.
German submarine U-394 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.
German submarine U-636 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II. She was laid down on 2 October 1941 by Blohm & Voss, Hamburg as yard number 612, launched on 25 June 1942 and commissioned on 20 August 1942 under Oberleutnant zur See Hans Hildebrandt.
German submarine U-764 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II. She was laid down on 1 February 1941 by Kriegsmarinewerft Wilhelmshaven as yard number 147, launched on 13 March 1943 and commissioned on 6 May 1943 under Oberleutnant zur See Hanskurt von Bremen.
German submarine U-666 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II. She was laid down on 16 September 1941 by Deutsche Werft, Hamburg as yard number 815, launched on 18 July 1942 and commissioned on 26 August 1942 under Kapitänleutnant Herbert Engel. Oberleutnant zur See Ernst Wilberg took over command on 10 December 1943.
German submarine U-739 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II. She was laid down on 17 April 1942 by Schichau-Werke, Danzig as yard number 1536, launched on 23 December 1942 and commissioned on 6 March 1943 under Leutnant zur See Ernst Mangold.