German submarine U-39 (1938)

	U-37, (an identical U-boat to U-39) at Lorient in 1940
History
Nazi Germany
Name	U-39
Ordered	29 July 1936
Builder	AG Weser, Bremen
Yard number	944
Laid down	2 June 1937
Launched	22 September 1938
Commissioned	10 December 1938
Fate	Sunk on 14 September 1939 north-west of Ireland. No dead and 44 or 43 survivors (sources vary)
General characteristics
Class and type	Type IXA submarine
Displacement	1,032 t (1,016 long tons) surfaced; 1,153 t (1,135 long tons) submerged;
Length	76.50 m (251 ft) o/a ; 58.75 m (192 ft 9 in) pressure hull ;
Beam	6.51 m (21 ft 4 in) o/a; 4.40 m (14 ft 5 in) pressure hull;
Height	9.40 m (30 ft 10 in)
Draught	4.70 m (15 ft 5 in)
Installed power	4,400 PS (3,200 kW; 4,300 bhp) (diesels); 1,000 PS (740 kW; 990 shp) (electric);
Propulsion	2 shafts; 2 × diesel engines ; 2 × electric motors ;
Speed	18.2 knots (33.7 km/h; 20.9 mph) surfaced; 7.7 knots (14.3 km/h; 8.9 mph) submerged;
Range	10,500 nautical miles (19,400 km; 12,100 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced; 65–78 nmi (120–144 km; 75–90 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged;
Test depth	230 m (750 ft)
Complement	4 officers, 44 enlisted
Armament	6 × torpedo tubes (4 bow, 2 stern); 22 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedoes ; 1 × 10.5 cm SK C/32 naval gun (180 rounds); 1 × 3.7 cm (1.5 in) SK C/30 AA gun; 1 × twin 2 cm FlaK 30 AA guns;
Service record
Part of:	6th U-boat Flotilla ; 10 December 1938 – 14 September 1939;
Identification codes:	M 12 679
Commanders:	Kptlt. Gerhard Glattes; 10 December 1938 – 14 Sep 1939;
Operations:	1 patrol:; 19 August – 14 September 1939;
Victories:	No ships sunk or damaged

Last updated March 19, 2024

German submarine U-39 was a Type IXA ^[3] U-boat of the Kriegsmarine that operated from 1938 to the first few days of World War II.^[1]

She was ordered by the Kriegsmarine on 29 July 1936 as part of the re-armament program (Aufrüstung) in Germany, which was illegal under the terms of the Treaty of Versailles. The keel for U-39 was laid down on 2 June 1937, by DeSchiMAG AG Weser of Bremen. She was commissioned on 10 December 1938 with Kapitänleutnant Gerhard Glattes in command.^[1]

On 14 September 1939, just 27 days after she began her first patrol, U-39 attempted to sink the British aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal by firing two torpedoes at her. Due to a technical defect the torpedoes exploded before reaching their target. The U-39 was immediately hunted down by three British destroyers and disabled with depth charges. After the crew managed to resurface with the then sinking submarine all members were captured during the evacuation.^[4]^[2]

U-39 was the first German U-boat to be sunk in World War II.^[5]

Design

As one of the eight original German Type IX submarines, later designated IXA, U-39 had a displacement of 1,032 tonnes (1,016 long tons) when at the surface and 1,153 tonnes (1,135 long tons) while submerged.^[6] The U-boat had a total length of 76.50 m (251 ft), a pressure hull length of 58.75 m (192 ft 9 in), a beam of 6.51 m (21 ft 4 in), a height of 9.40 m (30 ft 10 in), and a draught of 4.70 m (15 ft 5 in). The submarine was powered by two MAN M 9 V 40/46 supercharged four-stroke, nine-cylinder diesel engines producing a total of 4,400 metric horsepower (3,240 kW; 4,340 shp) for use while surfaced, two Siemens-Schuckert 2 GU 345/34 double-acting electric motors producing a total of 1,000 metric horsepower (740 kW; 990 shp) for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 1.92 m (6 ft) propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to 230 metres (750 ft).^[6]

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 18.2 knots (33.7 km/h; 20.9 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 7.7 knots (14.3 km/h; 8.9 mph).^[6] When submerged, the boat could operate for 65–78 nautical miles (120–144 km; 75–90 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 10,500 nautical miles (19,400 km; 12,100 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). U-39 was fitted with six 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and two at the stern), 22 torpedoes, one 10.5 cm (4.13 in) SK C/32 naval gun, 180 rounds, and a 3.7 cm (1.5 in) SK C/30 as well as a 2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of forty-eight.^[6]

Service history

Patrol and Sinking

U-39 conducted only one war patrol during her entire career, as part of the 6th U-boat Flotilla. She left Wilhelmshaven with U-31, U-32, U-35 and U-53 all of which were also a part of the 6th Flotilla, on 19 August 1939, in preparation for the beginning of World War II. She headed into the North Sea and eventually circumnavigated the British Isles.^[7] Prior to her sinking, U-39 was attacked in the North Sea on 10 September while en route to the British Isles. She was depth charged by an unidentified British vessel and was forced to dive to 100 meters (328 feet) to escape the attack.^[4]

On 14 September 1939, after only 27 days at sea, U-39 fired two torpedoes at the British aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal off Rockall Bank north-west of Scotland. Lookouts spotted the torpedo tracks and Ark Royal turned towards the attack, reducing her cross-section and causing both torpedoes to miss and explode short of their target.^[8] Following the failed attack, three British destroyers in the vicinity of the Ark Royal, HMS Faulknor, Firedrake, and Foxhound detected U-39. All three destroyers depth charged the U-boat and seconds after Firedrake released her depth charges, U-39 surfaced. Foxhound, which was the closest to the U-boat, picked up 25 crew members while Faulknor rescued 11 and Firedrake saved the remaining eight. The crewmen were then taken ashore in Scotland and spent the rest of the war in various prisoner-of-war camps, including the Tower of London, before being shipped to Canada.

U-39 was the first of many U-boats to be sunk in World War II; at 58°32′N11°49′W / 58.533°N 11.817°W / 58.533; -11.817 .^[4]^[5]

Aftermath

Four other U-boats joined U-39 on her ill-fated patrol, U-31, U-32, U-53 and U-55. According to a report by the Seekriegsleitung (German Supreme Naval Command) on 22 September 1939, U-32 and U-53 were heading back to their home port of Kiel while only U-31 and U-35 remained in the operational area north of the British Isles. According to plan, U-39 should also have made for Kiel. However, there had been no contact with the U-boat for several days. A lack of response from U-39, despite several requests to give her current location, began to fuel rumours that she was sunk. This belief was later confirmed by a British radio transmission detailing the arrival of the first German prisoners of war who were members of the Kriegsmarine, at a London railway station a few days later.^[1]

Related Research Articles

German submarine U-556 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. She was laid down on 2 January 1940 at the Blohm & Voss yard in Hamburg as yard number 532, launched on 7 December 1940, and commissioned on 6 February 1941 under the command of Kapitänleutnant Herbert Wohlfarth, who commanded her for her entire career. U-556 conducted only two patrols, sinking six ships totalling 29,552 gross register tons (GRT) and damaging one other of 4,986 GRT, before she was sunk on 27 June 1941.

German submarine U-27 was a Type VIIA U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine built for service in World War II. Her keel was laid down in November 1935 in Bremen. She was commissioned in August 1936 with Korvettenkapitän Hans Ibbeken in command. Ibbeken was relieved on 4 October 1937, by Johannes Franz, who commanded the boat until 6 June 1939 when Hans-Georg von Friedeburg assumed command for barely one month. He was relieved on 8 July again by Johannes Franz, who commanded the boat until her loss on 20 September 1939.

German submarine U-42 was a Type IXA U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine that operated during World War II.

German submarine U-31 was a Type VIIA U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. She was laid down on 1 March 1936 as yard number 912, launched on 25 September and commissioned on 28 December 1936.

German submarine U-38 was a Type IXA U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine that operated during World War II.

German submarine U-37 was a Type IXA U-boat of the German Navy (Kriegsmarine) during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 15 March 1937 at the DeSchiMAG AG Weser yard in Bremen, launched on 14 May 1938, and commissioned on 4 August 1938 under the command of Kapitänleutnant Heinrich Schuch as part of the 6th U-boat Flotilla.

German submarine U-331 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II, famous for sinking the battleship HMS Barham.

German submarine U-40 was a Type IXA U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine that operated during World War II.

The German submarine U-41 was a Type IXA U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine that operated during World War II. She conducted three war patrols during her short career, two as part of the 6th U-boat Flotilla and one as part of the 2nd flotilla. U-41 also sank five enemy vessels for a total of 22,815 gross register tons (GRT); captured two more for a total of 2,073 GRT and damaged one other of 8,096 GRT.

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

German submarine U-214, was a Type VIID mine-laying U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

German submarine U-44 was a Type IXA U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine that operated during World War II. She was ordered in November 1936 and laid down in September 1938 in Bremen. She was launched in August 1939 and commissioned in November.

The German Type IXA submarine was a sub-class of the German Type IX submarine built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine between 1937 and 1938. These U-boats were designed between 1935 and 1936 and were intended to be fairly large ocean-going submarines. The inspiration for the Type IXA submarine came from the German Type IA submarine, which had a similar diving depth and identical submerged horsepower.

German submarine U-111 was a Type IXB U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

German submarine U-65 was a Type IXB U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. Over the course of six war patrols between 9 April 1940 and 28 April 1941, she sank twelve ships and damaged three others for a total loss of 88,664 gross register tons (GRT).

German submarine U-104 was a Type IXB U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. She was ordered by the Kriegsmarine on 24 May 1938 as part of the German naval rearmament program Plan Z. Her keel was laid down by DeSchiMAG AG Weser in Bremen in November 1939. Following about six and a half months of construction, she was launched on 25 May 1940 and formally commissioned into the Kriegsmarine on 19 August 1940.

German submarine U-105 was a Type IXB U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine. She was ordered on 24 May 1938 as part of Germany's naval rearmament program. Her keel was laid down in Bremen on 16 November 1938. After roughly seven months of construction, she was launched on 15 June 1940 and formally commissioned into the Kriegsmarine on 10 September 1940.

German submarine U-442 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

German submarine U-226 was a Type VIIC U-boat that served with the Kriegsmarine during World War II. Laid down on 1 August 1941 as yard number 656 at F. Krupp Germaniawerft in Kiel, she was launched on 18 June 1942 and commissioned on 1 August under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Albrecht Gänge.

German submarine U-1109 was a Type VIIC/41 U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

References

1 2 3 4 Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type IXA boat U-39". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 3 April 2010.
1 2 Kemp 1999, p. 60.
↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Type IX long range boats". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 1 April 2010.
1 2 3 "U-39 The First U-boat to be Sunk in World War II". HMS Firedrake Page 20. HMS Firedrake.com. Retrieved 3 April 2010.
1 2 Helgason, Guðmundur. "U-boat losses-1939". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 17 February 2015.
1 2 3 4 Gröner 1991, p. 68.
↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Patrol info for U-39 (First patrol)". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 3 April 2010.
↑ Rossiter, pp. 74-77

Bibliography

Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (1999). German U-boat commanders of World War II : a biographical dictionary. Translated by Brooks, Geoffrey. London, Annapolis, Md: Greenhill Books, Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-186-6.
Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (1999). Deutsche U-Boot-Verluste von September 1939 bis Mai 1945[German U-boat losses from September 1939 to May 1945]. Der U-Boot-Krieg (in German). Vol. IV. Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn: Mittler. ISBN 3-8132-0514-2.
Edwards, Bernard (1996). Dönitz and the Wolf Packs - The U-boats at War. Cassell Military Classics. p. 87. ISBN 0-304-35203-9.
Gröner, Erich; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. German Warships 1815–1945. Vol. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4.
Rossiter, Mike (2007). Ark Royal: the life, death and rediscovery of the legendary Second World War aircraft carrier. London: Corgi Books. ISBN 978-0-552-15369-0.
Kemp, Paul (1999). U-Boats Destroyed - German Submarine Losses in the World Wars. London: Arms & Armour. ISBN 1-85409-515-3.

External links

Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type IXA boat U-39". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 17 February 2015.
Hofmann, Markus. "U 39". Deutsche U-Boote 1935-1945 - u-boot-archiv.de (in German). Retrieved 7 December 2014.

58°32′N11°49′W / 58.533°N 11.817°W / 58.533; -11.817

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.

[U-39-1] 1 2 3 4 Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type IXA boat U-39". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 3 April 2010.

[FOOTNOTEKemp199960-2] 1 2 Kemp 1999, p. 60.

[Type-3] Helgason, Guðmundur. "Type IX long range boats". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 1 April 2010.

[U.39-4] 1 2 3 "U-39 The First U-boat to be Sunk in World War II". HMS Firedrake Page 20. HMS Firedrake.com. Retrieved 3 April 2010.

[Sunk-5] 1 2 Helgason, Guðmundur. "U-boat losses-1939". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 17 February 2015.

[FOOTNOTEGröner199168-6] 1 2 3 4 Gröner 1991, p. 68.

[Patrol-7] Helgason, Guðmundur. "Patrol info for U-39 (First patrol)". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 3 April 2010.

[8] Rossiter, pp. 74-77

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

v t e German Type IXA submarine
U-37 U-38 U-39 U-40 U-41 U-42 U-43 U-44
Preceded by: Type VII Followed by: Type IXB
List of U-boats of Germany

v t e German Type IX submarines
Type IXA	U-37 U-38 U-39 U-40 U-41 U-42 U-43 U-44
Type IXB	U-64 U-65 U-103 U-104 U-105 U-106 U-107 U-108 U-109 U-110 U-111 U-122 U-123 U-124
Type IXC	U-66 U-67 U-68 U-125 U-126 U-127 U-128 U-129 U-130 U-131 U-153 U-154 U-155 U-156 U-157 U-158 U-159 U-160 U-161 U-162 U-163 U-164 U-165 U-166 U-171 U-172 U-173 U-174 U-175 U-176 U-501 U-502 U-503 U-504 U-505 U-506 U-507 U-508 U-509 U-510 U-511 U-512 U-513 U-514 U-515 U-516 U-517 U-518 U-519 U-520 U-521 U-522 U-523 U-524
Type IXC/40	U-167 U-168 U-169 U-170 U-183 U-184 U-185 U-186 U-187 U-188 U-189 U-190 U-191 U-192 U-193 U-194 U-525 U-526 U-527 U-528 U-529 U-530 U-531 U-532 U-533 U-534 U-535 U-536 U-537 U-538 U-539 U-540 U-541 U-542 U-543 U-544 U-545 U-546 U-547 U-548 U-549 U-550 U-801 U-802 U-803 U-804 U-805 U-806 U-841 U-842 U-843 U-844 U-845 U-846 U-853 U-854 U-855 U-856 U-857 U-858 U-865 U-866 U-867 U-868 U-869 U-870 U-877 U-878 U-879 U-880 U-881 U-889 U-1221 U-1222 U-1223 U-1224 U-1225 U-1226 U-1227 U-1228 U-1229 U-1230 U-1231 U-1232 U-1233 U-1234 U-1235
Type IXD	U-177 U-178 U-179 U-180 U-181 U-182 U-195 U-196 U-197 U-198 U-199 U-200 U-847 U-848 U-849 U-850 U-851 U-852 U-859 U-860 U-861 U-862 U-863 U-864 U-871 U-872 U-873 U-874 U-875 U-876 U-883 U-884
Preceded by: Type VII Followed by: Type X List of U-boats of Germany

v t e Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in September 1939
Shipwrecks	1 Sep: ORP Mazur 3 Sep: Athenia, ORP Gryf, ORP Mewa, ORP Wicher 6 Sep: ORP General Haller 8 Sep: HNLMS Willem van Ewijck 10 Sep: SS Magdapur, HMS Oxley 12 Sep: Davara 14 Sep: Fanad Head, ORP Jaskółka, U-39 16 Sep: Rudyard Kipling 17 Sep: HMS Courageous 18 Sep: ORP Warszawa 20 Sep: U-27 23 Sep: Martti Ragnar 24 Sep: Phryné, Caldew 29 Sep: HMS Caledonia 30 Sep: ORP Komendant Piłsudski 30 Sep: SS Clement
Other incidents	2 Sep: USS Pigeon 3 Sep: Hannah Böge 4 Sep: Christian Van Doornum 10 Sep: Triton 16 Sep: City of Paris 18 Sep: ORP Orzeł (incident) 22 Sep: Martti Ragnar Unknown date: HMS Vanquisher, HMS Walker Unknown date: SS Toruń
1938 1939 1940 August 1939 October 1939

History
U-37, (an identical U-boat to U-39) at Lorient in 1940
Nazi Germany
Name	U-39
Ordered	29 July 1936
Builder	AG Weser, Bremen
Yard number	944
Laid down	2 June 1937
Launched	22 September 1938
Commissioned	10 December 1938
Fate	Sunk on 14 September 1939 north-west of Ireland. No dead and 44 or 43 survivors (sources vary)^[1]^[2]
General characteristics
Class and type	Type IXA submarine
Displacement	1,032 t (1,016 long tons) surfaced 1,153 t (1,135 long tons) submerged
Length	76.50 m (251 ft) o/a 58.75 m (192 ft 9 in) pressure hull
Beam	6.51 m (21 ft 4 in) o/a 4.40 m (14 ft 5 in) pressure hull
Height	9.40 m (30 ft 10 in)
Draught	4.70 m (15 ft 5 in)
Installed power	4,400 PS (3,200 kW; 4,300 bhp) (diesels) 1,000 PS (740 kW; 990 shp) (electric)
Propulsion	2 shafts 2 × diesel engines 2 × electric motors
Speed	18.2 knots (33.7 km/h; 20.9 mph) surfaced 7.7 knots (14.3 km/h; 8.9 mph) submerged
Range	10,500 nautical miles (19,400 km; 12,100 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced 65–78 nmi (120–144 km; 75–90 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth	230 m (750 ft)
Complement	4 officers, 44 enlisted
Armament	6 × torpedo tubes (4 bow, 2 stern) 22 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedoes 1 × 10.5 cm SK C/32 naval gun (180 rounds) 1 × 3.7 cm (1.5 in) SK C/30 AA gun 1 × twin 2 cm FlaK 30 AA guns
Service record
Part of:	6th U-boat Flotilla 10 December 1938 – 14 September 1939
Identification codes:	M 12 679
Commanders:	Kptlt. Gerhard Glattes 10 December 1938 – 14 Sep 1939
Operations:	1 patrol: 19 August – 14 September 1939
Victories:	No ships sunk or damaged