German submarine U-8 (1935)

For other ships with the same name, see German submarine U-8.

U-9, a typical Type IIB boat
History
Nazi Germany
Name	U-8
Ordered	20 July 1934
Builder	Germaniawerft, Kiel
Yard number	542
Laid down	25 March 1935
Launched	16 July 1935
Commissioned	5 August 1935
Fate	Scuttled on 5 May 1945, in the Raeder Lock at Wilhelmshaven.
General characteristics
Class & type	Type IIB coastal submarine
Displacement	279  t (275 long tons) surfaced 328 t (323 long tons) submerged
Length	42.70 m (140 ft 1 in) o/a 27.80 m (91 ft 2 in) pressure hull
Beam	4.08 m (13 ft 5 in) (o/a) 4.00 m (13 ft 1 in) (pressure hull)
Height	8.60 m (28 ft 3 in)
Draught	3.90 m (12 ft 10 in)
Installed power	700 PS (510 kW; 690 bhp) (diesels) 410 PS (300 kW; 400 shp) (electric)
Propulsion	2 shafts 2 × diesel engines 2 × electric motors
Speed	13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph) surfaced 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph) submerged
Range	1,800 nmi (3,300 km; 2,100 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) surfaced 35–43 nmi (65–80 km; 40–49 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth	80 m (260 ft)
Complement	3 officers, 22 men
Armament	3 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes 5 × torpedoes or up to 12 TMA or 18 TMB mines 1 × 2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft gun
Service record
Part of	U-boat School Flotilla 1 September 1935 – 1 August 1939 1 September 1939 – 3 January 1940 U-boat Defense School 4 January – 12 April 1940 1st U-boat Flotilla 13 April – 30 June 1940 24th U-boat Flotilla 1 July – 17 December 1940 22nd U-boat Flotilla 18 December 1940 – 31 March 1945
Identification codes	M 06 994
Commanders	Kptlt. Harald Grosse 13 August 1935 – 3 November 1936 Oblt.z.S. / Kptlt. Georg Peters 24 June 1938 – 5 September 1939 Kptlt. Otto Schuhart 2 September - 29 October 1938 Kptlt. Wolf-Harro Stiebler 6 September - 13 October 1939 Kptlt. Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock 14 October - 30 November 1939 Kptlt. Georg-Heinz Michel 1 December 1939 - 4 May 1940 Kptlt. Eitel-Friedrich Kentrat 5 May - 7 June 1940 Lt.z.S. Heinz Stein 5 - 9 June 1940 Oblt.z.S. Walter Kell 10 June - 6 July 1940 Oblt.z.S. Hans-Jürgen Zetzsche 7 - 28 July 1940 Oblt.z.S. Walter Kell 13 September - 17 December 1940 Kptlt. Heinrich Heinsohn 18 December 1940 - 25 April 1941 Kptlt. Ulrich Borcherdt 26 April - 22 May 1941 Oblt.z.S. Rolf Steinhaus 23 May - 31 July 1941 Lt.z.S. / Oblt. Horst Deckert 1 August 1941 - 16 May 1942 Oblt.z.S. Rudolf Hoffmann 17 May 1942 - 15 March 1943 Oblt.z.S.d.R Alfred Werner 16 March 1943 - 12 May 1944 Oblt.z.S. Jürgen Iversen 13 May - 24 November 1944 Oblt.z.S. Jürgen Kriegshammer 25 November 1944 - 31 March 1945
Operations	1 patrol: a. 19 May – 5 June 1940 b. 5–7 June 1940
Victories	No ships sunk or damaged

The German submarine U-8 was a Type IIB U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine , based at Kiel during World War II. It was one of the smaller versions, and was first launched on 16 July 1935. Its first commander was Harald Grosse. U-8 would have 18 commanders over the course of its service, the last being Jürgen Kriegshammer.

Design

German Type IIB submarines were enlarged versions of the original Type IIs. U-8 had a displacement of 279 tonnes (275 long tons) when at the surface and 328 tonnes (323 long tons) while submerged. Officially, the standard tonnage was 250 long tons (254 t), however. ^[1] The U-boat had a total length of 42.70 m (140 ft 1 in), a pressure hull length of 28.20 m (92 ft 6 in), a beam of 4.08 m (13 ft 5 in), a height of 8.60 m (28 ft 3 in), and a draught of 3.90 m (12 ft 10 in). The submarine was powered by two MWM RS 127 S four-stroke, six-cylinder diesel engines of 700 metric horsepower (510 kW; 690 shp) for cruising, two Siemens-Schuckert PG VV 322/36 double-acting electric motors producing a total of 460 metric horsepower (340 kW; 450 shp) for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 0.85 m (3 ft) propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to 80–150 metres (260–490 ft). ^[1]

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph). ^[1] When submerged, the boat could operate for 35–42 nautical miles (65–78 km; 40–48 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 3,800 nautical miles (7,000 km; 4,400 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph). U-8 was fitted with three 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes at the bow, five torpedoes or up to twelve Type A torpedo mines, and a 2 cm (0.79 in) anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of twenty. ^[1]

Service history

U-8 was ordered on 20 July 1934, i.e. in violation of the Versailles Treaty, which denied Germany possession of submarines. The U-boat was not laid down until 25 March 1935, and launched on 16 July 1935, within weeks of the Anglo-German Naval Agreement, which granted Germany parity with the British Empire in submarines.

Commissioned on 5 August 1935 with Kapitänleutnant Harald Grosse in command, U-8 was used as a training boat until 31 March 1945, when the U-boat was decommissioned.

Fate

U-8 was scuttled in the Raeder Lock at Wilhelmshaven on 5 May 1945. ^[2]

References

1. Gröner 1991, pp. 39–40.
2. Neistlé 2014, p. 22.

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.
• Gröner, Eric; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). German Warships 1815-1945: U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. Vol. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN   0-85177-593-4.
• Neistlé, Axel (2014). German U-Boat Losses during World War II: Details of Destruction (2 ed.). Havertown: Frontline Books (published 30 June 2014).

External links

• Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type IIB boat U-8". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
• Hofmann, Markus. "U 8". Deutsche U-Boote 1935–1945 - u-boot-archiv.de (in German). Retrieved 6 December 2014.

53°31′N8°10′E / 53.517°N 8.167°E / 53.517; 8.167