German submarine U-382

Last updated

History
War ensign of Germany (1938-1945).svg Nazi Germany
NameU-382
Ordered16 October 1939
Builder Howaldtswerke, Kiel
Yard number13
Laid down30 July 1941
Launched21 March 1942
Commissioned25 April 1942
FateBadly damaged in Wilhelmshaven by British bombs on 12 January 1945; raised on 20 March; scuttled on 5 May [1]
General characteristics
Class and type Type VIIC submarine
Displacement
Length
Beam
  • 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in) o/a
  • 4.70 m (15 ft 5 in) pressure hull
Height9.60 m (31 ft 6 in)
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
  • 17.7 knots (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph) surfaced
  • 7.6 knots (14.1 km/h; 8.7 mph) submerged
Range
  • 8,500  nmi (15,700  km; 9,800  mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced
  • 80 nmi (150 km; 92 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth
  • 230 m (750 ft)
  • Crush depth: 250–295 m (820–968 ft)
Complement4 officers, 40–56 enlisted
Armament
Service record [2] [3]
Part of:
Identification codes: M 46 120
Commanders:
  • Kptlt. Herbert Juli
  • 25 April 1942 – 1 April 1943
  • Oblt.z.S. Leopold Koch
  • 1 April – 14 November 1943
  • Oblt.z.S. Rudolf Zorn
  • 15 November 1943 – 16 July 1944
  • Oblt.z.S. Ernst-August Gerke
  • May – 29 June 1944
  • Oblt.z.S. Hans-Dietrich Wilke
  • 25 August 1944 – 14 January 1945
  • Oblt.z.S. Günther Schimmel
  • 24 January – 20 March 1945
Operations:
  • 7 patrols:
  • 1st patrol:
  • 10 September – 31 October 1942
  • 2nd patrol:
  • 7 February – 8 March 1943
  • 3rd patrol:
  • 8 – 24 April 1943
  • 4th patrol:
  • 19 June – 7 September 1943
  • 5th patrol:
  • 8 December 1943 – 26 January 1944
  • 6th patrol:
  • 6 – 15 June 1944
  • 7th patrol:
  • a. 10 September – 19 October 1944
  • b. 22 October – 5 November 1944
Victories: 1 merchant ship damaged
(9,811  GRT)

German submarine U-382 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

Contents

She carried out seven patrols before being badly damaged by British bombs in Wilhelmshaven on 12 January 1945.

She was a member of eight wolfpacks.

She damaged one ship.

Design

German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-382 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 Garbe, Lahmeyer & Co. RP 137/c 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-382 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 a 2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty. [4]

Service history

The submarine was laid down on 30 July 1941 at the Howaldtswerke yard at Kiel as yard number 13, launched on 21 March 1942 and commissioned on 25 April under the command of Kapitänleutnant Herbert Juli.

First patrol

The boat's first patrol commenced with her departure from Kiel on 10 September 1942. Passing through the gap between Iceland and the Faroe Islands, she was depth charged by an unknown aircraft in mid-Atlantic on 12 October. The damage sustained was serious enough to cut the patrol short. The submarine docked in St. Nazaire in occupied France on the 31st.

Second and third patrols

Another depth charge attack by the escorts of Convoy UC 1 south of the Azores forced the boat to withdraw to Lorient on 8 March 1943.

During her third foray, she was depth charged for 16 hours by the escorts of Convoy HX 233 west of the Bay of Biscay before arriving at St. Nazaire on 24 April 1943.

Fourth, fifth and sixth patrols

This sortie (number four), took the boat to Liberia and the Ivory Coast on the west African coast and at 81 days, it was her longest.

During her fifth patrol, U-382 was attacked and severely damaged northeast of the Azores on 11 January 1944. Two days later, she was also attacked by destroyers of the USS Block Island hunter/killer group.

With the Allied landings at Normandy on 6 June 1944, the boat left St. Nazaire and docked further south at La Pallice on the 15th.

Seventh patrol

It was decided to move U-382 from France to Norway. She left La Pallice on 10 September 1944, negotiated the Iceland/Faroes 'gap' in the other direction and arrived in Bergen on 19 October.

Fate

Having sailed to Flensburg in November 1944, U-382 was badly damaged by the RAF in a raid on Wilhelmshaven on 12 January 1945. She was raised on 20 March but scuttled on 5 May.

Wolfpacks

U-382 took part in eight wolfpacks, namely:

Summary of raiding history

DateShip NameNationalityTonnage
(GRT)
Fate [5]
23 February 1943 Empire Norseman Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 9,811Damaged

Related Research Articles

German submarine U-262 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

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-953 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's navy (Kriegsmarine) during World War II.

German submarine U-309 was a Type VIIC U-boat of the German Navy (Kriegsmarine) during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 24 January 1942 at the Flender Werke yard at Lübeck, launched on 5 December 1942, and commissioned on 27 January 1943 under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Hans-Gert Mahrholz. She sailed on nine combat patrols, but damaged only one ship, before being sunk off Scotland on 16 February 1945.

German submarine U-338 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 4 April 1941 at the Nordseewerke yard at Emden, launched on 20 April 1942, and commissioned on 25 June 1942 under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Manfred Kinzel.

German submarine U-402 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II.

German submarine U-704 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

German submarine U-758 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II. Commissioned on 5 May 1942, she served with the 6th U-boat Flotilla until 1 November as a training boat, and as a front boat until 14 October 1944 mostly under the command of Kapitänleutnant Helmut Manseck before joining the 33rd U-boat Flotilla as a training boat for the remainder of her service in the war.

German submarine U-212 was a Type VIIC U-boat that served with the Kriegsmarine during World War II. Laid down on 17 May 1941 as yard number 641 at F. Krupp Germaniawerft in Kiel, she was launched on 11 March 1942 and commissioned on 25 April under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Helmut Vogler.

German submarine U-231 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

German submarine U-257 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. She was laid down at the Bremer Vulkan yard at Bremen-Vegesack on 22 February 1941 as yard number 22. She was launched on 19 November and commissioned on 14 January 1942 under the command of Kapitänleutnant Heinz Rahe.

German submarine U-263 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 8 June 1941 at the Bremer-Vulkan-Vegesacker Werft (yard) in Bremen as yard number 28. She was launched on 18 March 1942 and commissioned on 6 May under the command of Kapitänleutnant Kurt Nölke.

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-270 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 15 October 1941 at the Bremer-Vulkan-Vegesacker Werft (yard) in Bremen as yard number 35. She was launched on 11 July 1942 and commissioned on 5 September under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Paul-Fredrich Otto.

German submarine U-275 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 18 January 1942 at the Bremer-Vulkan-Vegesacker Werft (yard) in Bremen as yard number 40. She was launched on 8 October 1942 and commissioned on 25 November under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Helmut Bork.

German submarine U-281 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

German submarine U-302 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 2 April 1941 at the Flender Werke yard at Lübeck as yard number 302, launched on 25 April 1942 and commissioned on 16 June under the command of Kapitänleutnant Herbert Sackel.

German submarine U-445 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

German submarine U-454 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

German submarine U-569 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

References

  1. Kemp 1999, p. 228.
  2. Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-382". German U-boats of WWII – uboat.net. Retrieved 6 September 2012.
  3. Helgason, Guðmundur. "War Patrols by German U-boat U-382". German U-boats of WWII – uboat.net. Retrieved 6 September 2012.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Gröner 1991, pp. 43–46.
  5. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-382". German U-boats of WWII – uboat.net. Retrieved 26 December 2014.

Bibliography