German submarine U-74 (1940)

Last updated

U 52.jpg
U-52, a similar Type VIIB boat.
History
War ensign of Germany (1938-1945).svg Nazi Germany
NameU-74
Ordered2 June 1938
Builder Bremer Vulkan of Bremen-Vegesack
Cost4,760,000 Reichsmark
Yard number2
Laid down5 November 1939
Launched31 August 1940
Commissioned31 October 1940
FateSunk, 2 May 1942 by British warships HMS Wishart and HMS Wrestler [1]
General characteristics
Class and type Type VIIB U-boat
Displacement
  • 753  t (741 long tons) surfaced
  • 857 t (843 long tons) submerged
Length
Beam
  • 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in) o/a
  • 4.70 m (15 ft 5 in) pressure hull
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
  • 17.9 knots (33.2 km/h; 20.6 mph) surfaced
  • 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) submerged
Range
  • 8,700  nmi (16,100 km; 10,000 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced
  • 90 nmi (170 km; 100 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth
  • 230 m (750 ft)
  • Calculated crush depth: 250–295 m (820–968 ft)
Boats & landing
craft carried		1 inflatable rubber boat
Complement4 officers, 40 to 56 enlisted
Sensors and
processing systems		FuMO 61 Hohentwiel U
Armament
Service record
Part of:
Identification codes: M 14 151
Commanders:
  • Kptlt. Eitel-Fredrich Kentrat
  • 31 October 1940 – 23 March 1942
  • Oblt.z.S. Karl Frederich
  • 24 March – 2 May 1942
Operations:
  • 8 patrols:
  • 1st patrol:
  • 5 March – 11 April 1941
  • 2nd patrol:
  • 8 – 30 May 1941
  • 3rd patrol:
  • 5 July – 12 August 1941
  • 4th patrol:
  • 8 – 26 September 1941
  • 5th patrol:
  • 22 October – 12 November 1941
  • 6th patrol:
  • 9 – 24 December 1941
  • 7th patrol:
  • 27 December 1941 – 8 January 1942
  • 8th patrol:
  • 23 April – 2 May 1942
Victories:
  • 4 merchant ships sunk
    (24,694  GRT)
  • 1 warship sunk
    (925 tons)
  • 1 merchant ship damaged
    (123  GRT)
  • 1 auxiliary warship damaged
    (11,402  GRT)

German submarine U-74 was a Type VIIB U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

Contents

Her keel was laid down on 5 November 1939, by Bremer Vulkan of Bremen-Vegesack, Germany as yard number 2. She was launched on 31 August 1940 and commissioned on 31 October, with Kapitänleutnant (Kptlt.) Eitel-Friedrich Kentrat in command until 23 March 1942, when he was succeeded by Oberleutnant zur See (Oblt.z.S.) Karl Friederich, who remained in charge until the U-boat's loss. [2]

Design

German Type VIIB submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIA submarines. U-74 had a displacement of 753 tonnes (741 long tons) when at the surface and 857 tonnes (843 long tons) while submerged. [3] She had a total length of 66.50 m (218 ft 2 in), a pressure hull length of 48.80 m (160 ft 1 in), a beam of 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in), a height of 9.50 m (31 ft 2 in), and a draught of 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in). The submarine was powered by two MAN M 6 V 40/46 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 BBC GG UB 720/8 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 17.9 knots (33.2 km/h; 20.6 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph). [3] When submerged, the boat could operate for 90 nautical miles (170 km; 100 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 8,700 nautical miles (16,100 km; 10,000 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). U-74 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 one 2 cm (0.79 in) anti-aircraft gun The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty. [3]

Service history

U-74 conducted eight patrols, sinking four ships totalling 25,619 GRT and damaging two others, totalling 11,525 GRT. [2] She was a member of three wolfpacks.

First patrol

Having first moved from Kiel to the German controlled island of Helgoland (sometimes called 'Heligoland') and Bergen in Norway, U-74 departed for her first patrol on 5 March 1941. Her route took her through the gap between Iceland and the Faroe Islands and into the Atlantic Ocean, although one source - Uboat.net - gives her position as off the Belgian coast on 21 March. She sank Leonidas Z. Canbamis on 3 April southwest of Iceland, followed by damage to the armed merchant cruiser HMS Worcestershire close by on the same day. The auxiliary warship was fortunate because Kentrat, in U-74, had run out of torpedoes. [4]

U-74 docked in St. Nazaire in occupied France on 11 April.

Second patrol

The boat's second foray was in a northwesterly direction, toward Greenland.

On 13 May she was assigned to group West in the area SSE of Cape Farewell, Groenland. [5] On 16 May she comes across a group of American warships with 2 battleships and 3 destroyers. [6]

On 21/22 May she was trying to attack convoy HX-126 but was driven off and attacked by two British warships ; the vessels were the corvette HMS Verbena and the destroyer HMS Burnham. A mix of gunfire and depth charges (about 125 of them), were used. The damage inflicted was such that U-74 was obliged to return to France, but to Lorient, on the 30th. On 29 May, just before reaching the harbour she is fired upon with 6 fan of torpedoes by a British submarine, but she can evade the torpedoes. [7]

U-74's involvement with the Bismarck

On 24 May 1941, the German battleship Bismarck and the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen sank the British battlecruiser HMS Hood and damaged the accompanying battleship HMS Prince of Wales, beginning a three-day hunt that would involve nearly a hundred ships. [8]

That concentration of ships was a very attractive set of targets; Kentrat was ordered to attack the British forces in this area. In the evening U-74 dived in order to listen for contact and detected another U-boat. By dawn on May 27, she surfaced; a hundred meters away, another U-boat appeared – U-556, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Wohlfarth.

Earlier, Flottenchef Admiral Lütjens requested that Befehlshaber der Unterseeboote (Commander-in-Chief for Submarines, Karl Dönitz) provide a U-boat to recover Bismarck's war diary. BdU had given the order to Wohlfarth, but U-556 was both out of torpedoes and very low on fuel. Using a megaphone, Wohlfarth now passed the order on to Kentrat. He accepted and proceeded toward Bismarck's last known position. [8]

Bismarck was crippled and under fire from the battleships HMS Rodney and HMS King George V and the cruisers HMS Norfolk and HMS Dorsetshire. It was clear to her crew that she would not survive.

At 10:36 U-74 heard sinking sounds but Kentrat could not determine whether it was Bismarck or a British ship. He came to periscope depth and saw battleships and cruisers directly in front of him. He tried to maneuver into an attack position, but the weather was too bad and the seas too high to remain at periscope depth or to fire a torpedo. Wreckage and yellow life-jackets were visible. [8]

After the British ships left, Kentrat surfaced amid debris and dead bodies. The sounds they had heard that morning was Bismarck's destruction. They searched but they could find no one alive until that evening when they came across a raft carrying three sailors, Georg Herzog, Otto Höntzsch, and Herbert Manthey. [8] U-74 searched for another day but found no one else alive and was ordered to return to Lorient. On the return trip, the three survivors recovered from their shock and gave the first statements of Bismarck's loss.

Third patrol

For her third sortie, U-74 sank Kumasian on 5 August 1941 west of Ireland. She returned to St. Nazaire on the 12th.

Fourth patrol

Departing St. Nazaire on 8 September 1941, U-74 sank HMCS Levis about 120 nautical miles (220 km; 140 mi) east of Cape Farewell (Greenland) [9] on 19 September 1941. This success was followed the next day when she sank the Catapult Armed Merchantman SS Empire Burton. [10]

Fifth patrol

On 7 November 1941 U-74 sank MV Nottingham 550 nautical miles (1,020 km) southeast of Cape Farewell. This ship was on her maiden voyage, which was from Glasgow to New York. There were no survivors. The U-boat returned to St. Nazaire for the last time on 12 November 1941.

Sixth patrol

U-74's next patrol was into the Mediterranean. Leaving St. Nazaire on 9 December 1941, she had slipped past the heavily defended Straits of Gibraltar by the 16th. She entered La Spezia in Italy on 24 December.

Seventh patrol

The German submarine's first patrol in new surroundings was between Sicily and the Italian mainland and toward the British controlled port of Alexandria, which was reached on 3 January 1942. She returned to La Spezia on the eighth.

Eighth patrol and loss

Having been ordered to operate against Allied aircraft carriers at the western end of the Mediterranean, U-74 was diverted to search for U-573 (which had been damaged in an air attack), when she was bombed by a Lockheed Hudson of No. 233 Squadron RAF on 1 May 1942. That evening, she also had torpedoes fired at her by the British submarine HMS Unbroken off the southeastern Spanish coast. Both attacks were unsuccessful.

U-74 was detected and sunk by depth charges and 'Hedgehog' from the British destroyers HMS Wishart and HMS Wrestler east southeast of Cartagena in Spain on 2 May 1942.

47 men died; there were no survivors.

Wolfpacks

U-74 took part in three wolfpacks, namely:

Previously recorded fate

U-74 was sunk by the British destroyers HMS Wishart and HMS Wrestler and a PBY Catalina of 202 Squadron east southeast of Cartagena in Spain on 2 May 1942.

Summary of raiding history

DateShipNationalityTonnage [Note 1] Fate [11]
11 March 1941 Frodi Flag of Iceland.svg  Iceland 123Damaged
3 April 1941 HMS Worcestershire Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy 11,402Damaged
3 April 1941 Leonidas Z. Cambanis Flag of Greece.svg  Greece 4,274Sunk
5 August 1941 Kumasian Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 4,922Sunk
19 September 1941 HMCS Lévis Canadian Blue Ensign (1921-1957).svg  Royal Canadian Navy 925Sunk
20 September 1941 Empire Burton Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 6,966Sunk
7 November 1941 Nottingham Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 8,532Sunk

See also

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 <i>U-75</i> (1940) German World War II submarine

German submarine U-75 was a Type VIIB U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. U-75 was moderately successful in her early career in the Battle of the Atlantic, but in autumn 1941 she was dispatched to the Mediterranean Sea with poor results, leading to the eventual destruction of the boat and her crew.

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-596 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II. She was laid down on 4 January 1941 by Blohm & Voss in Hamburg as yard number 572, launched on 17 September 1941 and commissioned on 13 November under Kapitänleutnant Gunter Jahn. He was replaced on 28 July 1943 by Oberleutnant zur See Victor-Whilhelm Nonn who was superseded by Oblt.z.S. Hans Kolbus in July 1944.

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 <i>U-255</i> German World War II submarine

German submarine U-255 was a Type VIIC U-boat that served in Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 21 December 1940 at the Bremer Vulkan yard at Bremen-Vegesack, launched on 8 October 1941 and commissioned on 29 November 1941 under the command of Kapitänleutnant Reinhart Reche.

German submarine U-557 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II. She was laid down on 6 January 1940, launched on 22 December 1940 and commissioned on 13 February 1941. Oberleutnant zur See Ottokar Arnold Paulssen was in command throughout her career. For her first three war patrols her 2nd Watch Officer was Herbert Werner, who later wrote the memoir of U-boat service, Iron Coffins. She sank six merchant ships and one warship, a total of 31,729 gross register tons (GRT) and 5,220 tons over four patrols.

German submarine <i>U-77</i> (1940) German World War II submarine

German submarine U-77 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine built by the Bremer Vulkan-Vegesacker Werft, Bremen-Vegesack. Her keel was laid down on 28 March 1940, by Bremer Vulkan of Bremen-Vegesack, Germany as yard number 5. She was launched on 23 November 1940 and commissioned on 18 January 1941, with Oberleutnant zur See Heinrich Schonder in command until 2 September 1942, when he was succeeded by Oblt.z.S. Otto Hartmann, who remained in charge until the U-boat's loss.

German submarine <i>U-751</i> German World War II submarine

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.

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-87 was a Type VIIB U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 18 April 1940 at the Flender Werke (yard) at Lübeck as yard number 283 and launched on 21 June 1941. She was commissioned on 21 June under the command of Kapitänleutnant Joachim Berger. U-87 trained with 6th U-boat Flotilla until 1 December 1941, when she was put on front-line service.

German submarine <i>U-105</i> (1940) German World War II submarine

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-568 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II. She conducted five patrols, sinking one merchant ship, two warships, and severely damaging another warship. On 28 May 1942, she was depth charged and sunk in the Mediterranean Sea; all hands survived.

German submarine U-206 was a Type VIIC U-boat of the Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 17 June 1940 by the Friedrich Krupp Germaniawerft yard at Kiel as yard number 635, launched on 4 April 1941 and commissioned on 17 May under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Herbert Opitz.

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-264 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 21 June 1941 at the Bremer-Vulkan-Vegesacker Werft (yard) in Bremen as yard number 29. She was launched on 2 April 1942 and commissioned on 22 May under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Hartwig Looks.

German submarine U-358 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

German submarine U-390 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

German submarine U-578 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

German submarine U-581 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. ↑ Kemp 1999, pp. 81–2.
  2. 1 2 Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIB boat U-74". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 8 January 2010.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Gröner 1991, pp. 43–44.
  4. ↑ Fairbank White, David (2006). Bitter Ocean – The dramatic story of the Battle of the Atlantic 1939–1945. Headline Publishing Group. p. 108. ISBN   978-0-7553-1089-0.
  5. ↑ Rohwer, p.62
  6. ↑ Hirschfeld, p. 43
  7. ↑ Hirscfeld, p.82
  8. 1 2 3 4 Helgason, Guðmundur. "U-74 and the Bismarck tragedy". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 8 January 2010.
  9. ↑ Jones, Moira (1995). The Times Atlas of the World (3rd ed.). p. 55. ISBN   0-7230-0809-4.
  10. ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Empire Burton (Catapult armed merchant)". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 8 January 2010.
  11. ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-74". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net.

Bibliography

37°32′N0°10′E / 37.533°N 0.167°E / 37.533; 0.167

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.