U-37, (an identical U-boat to U-41) at Lorient in 1940 | |
History | |
---|---|
Nazi Germany | |
Name | U-41 |
Ordered | 21 November 1936 |
Builder | DeSchiMAG AG Weser, Bremen |
Yard number | 946 |
Laid down | 27 November 1937 |
Launched | 28 January 1939 |
Commissioned | 22 April 1939 |
Fate | Sunk on 5 February 1940 south of Ireland. All 49 of her crew went down with the submarine |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Type IXA submarine |
Displacement | |
Length |
|
Beam |
|
Height | 9.40 m (30 ft 10 in) |
Draught | 4.70 m (15 ft 5 in) |
Installed power |
|
Propulsion |
|
Speed |
|
Range |
|
Test depth | 230 m (750 ft) |
Complement | 4 officers, 44 enlisted |
Armament |
|
Service record | |
Part of: |
|
Identification codes: | M 11 423 |
Commanders: |
|
Operations: |
|
Victories: |
The German submarine U-41 was a Type IXA [1] 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. [2]
On 5 February 1940, U-41 was hit by depth charges from the British A class destroyer HMS Antelope after sinking two enemy merchant vessels and was sunk off the south coast of Ireland. All 49 of her crew members were lost with the boat.
U-41 was ordered by the Kriegsmarine on 21 November 1936 (as part of Plan Z and in violation of the Treaty of Versailles). She was laid down on 27 November 1937 by AG Weser, Bremen as yard number 946. She was launched on 28 January 1939 and commissioned on 22 April of that same year under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Gustav-Adolf Mugler. [2]
As one of the eight original Type IX submarines, later designated IXA, U-41 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. [3] 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). [3]
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). [3] 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-41 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. [3]
During her service in the Kriegsmarine, U-41 sank five commercial ships for 22,815 gross register tons (GRT); damaged one commercial vessel of 8,096 GRT and captured two ships totalling 2,073 GRT. [4]
U-41 left Wilhelmshaven on 19 August 1939, before World War II began, with then Oblt. Gustav Adolf-Mugler in command. Her first patrol involved traveling as far south as Portugal after entering the North Sea and circumnavigating the British Isles. During this patrol, two ships were captured: the Finnish Vega, of 974 GRT, and the 1,099 GRT Suomen Poika. U-41 then returned to Wilhelmshaven, arriving on 17 September 1939. [5]
U-41 left Wilhelmshaven with Mugler in command once again on 7 November 1939. On 12 November, both the 275 GRT British vessel Cresswell and the 11,019 GRT Norwegian ship Arne Kjøde were sunk by torpedoes. The 1,351 GRT British merchant vessel Darino went to the bottom on the 19th. The last enemy vessel to be sunk by U-41 was the French vessel Les Barges II. She displaced a total of 296 GRT and was sunk by a single torpedo on 21 November. The U-boat then returned to port on 7 December 1939. [6]
U-41 left the port of Helgoland on 27 January 1940 with Mugler still in command. During her final patrol, one enemy ship was sunk and one was damaged; both of these attacks took place on 5 February. The first ship that was hit was the 8,096 GRT Dutch vessel Ceronia. The Ceronia was damaged and the 9,874 GRT British ship Beaverburn was sunk. Nevertheless, U-41 did not return to her home port, she was sunk on the same day. [7]
Following the attacks on the Dutch Ceronia and the British Beaverburn on 5 February 1940, U-41 was attacked by the British A class destroyer HMS Antelope with depth charges. She was hit and sunk off the south coast of Ireland. All 49 of her crew members were lost with the boat during the attack. [2] [7] [8]
Date [4] | Ship [4] | Nationality [4] | Tonnage [4] | Fate [4] |
---|---|---|---|---|
16 September 1939 | Suomen Poika | Finland | 1,099 | Captured as prize |
16 September 1939 | Vega | Finland | 974 | Captured as prize |
12 November 1939 | Arne Kjøde | Norway | 11,019 | Sunk |
12 November 1939 | Cresswell | United Kingdom | 275 | Sunk |
19 November 1939 | Darino | United Kingdom | 1,351 | Sunk |
21 November 1939 | Les Barges II | France | 296 | Sunk |
5 February 1940 | Beaverburn | United Kingdom | 9,874 | Sunk |
5 February 1940 | Ceronia | Netherlands | 8,096 | Damaged |
German submarine U-47 was a Type VIIB U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. She was laid down on 25 February 1937 at Friedrich Krupp Germaniawerft in Kiel as yard number 582 and went into service on 17 December 1938 under the command of Günther Prien.
German submarine U-28 was a Type VIIA U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.
German submarine U-509 was a Type IXC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 1 November 1940 at the Deutsche Werft yard in Hamburg as yard number 305. She was launched on 19 August 1941, and commissioned on 4 November 1941 under the command of Korvettenkapitän Karl-Heinz Wolff.
German submarine U-98 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II, operating from March 1941 until she was sunk in November 1942.
German submarine U-42 was a Type IXA U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine that operated during World War II.
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-40 was a Type IXA U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine that operated during World War II.
German submarine U-511 was a Type IXC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 21 February 1941 at the Deutsche Werft yard in Hamburg as yard number 307, launched on 22 September 1941 and commissioned on 8 December 1941 under the command of Kapitänleutnant Friedrich Steinhoff.
German submarine U-759 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 15 November 1940 at the Kriegsmarinewerft yard at Wilhelmshaven, launched on 30 May 1942, and commissioned on 15 August 1942 under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Rudolf Friedrich.
German submarine U-43 was a Type IXA U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. The keel for U-43 was laid down in August 1938 at Bremen; she was launched in May 1939 and commissioned in August.
German submarine U-14 was a Type IIB U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. It served with 3rd U-boat Flotilla from 18 January 1936 to 31 October 1939. U-14 completed six wartime patrols and sank nine ships totalling 12,344 GRT.
German submarine U-35 was a Type VIIA U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine. She was built three years before the start of World War II. The submarine was laid down on 2 March 1936 by Friedrich Krupp Germaniawerft at Kiel, launched on 24 September 1936, and commissioned on 3 November that year under the command of Kapitänleutnant (Kptlt.) Klaus Ewerth. The U-boat was featured on the cover of Life magazine on 16 October 1939, as in the days preceding, it "courteously" rescued all the sailors of a Greek ship that it was about to sink.
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.
German submarine U-751 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II. Built as yard number 134 of the Kriegsmarinewerft shipyard in Wilhelmshaven, she was commissioned on 31 January 1941. She served with 7th U-boat Flotilla until 1 June as a training boat, and as an operational boat until 17 July 1942, under the command of Kapitänleutnant Gerhard Bigalk. U-751 served in seven patrols with the 7th U-boat Flotilla, sinking the escort carrier HMS Audacity. The U-boat was attacked with depth charges from aircraft on 17 July 1942 and sank with the loss of all 48 crew members.
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.
The German Type IXB submarine was a sub-class of the German Type IX submarine built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine between 1938 and 1940. The U-boats themselves were designed to be fairly large ocean-going submarines. The inspiration for the Type IXB submarine came from the earlier original Type IX submarine, the Type IXA submarine. The design of the IXA was developed to give an increased range, a change which resulted in a slightly heavier overall tonnage. This design was improved even further in the later Type IXC submarines.
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-775 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II. She was laid down on 22 January 1943 by Kriegsmarinewerft Wilhelmshaven as yard number 158, launched on 11 February 1944 and commissioned on 23 March 1944 under Oberleutnant zur See Erich Taschenmacher.