U-373 is a medium German VIIC submarine from World War II .
| U-373 | |
|---|---|
| Ship history | |
| Flag state |  Germany |
| Port of registry | Kiel , Lorient , Brest , La Rochelle |
| Launching | April 5, 1941 |
| Withdrawn from the fleet | June 8, 1944 |
| Current status | sunk |
| Main characteristics | |
| Type of ship | average DPL |
| Project designation | VIIC |
| Speed (surface) | 17.7 knots |
| Speed (underwater) | 7.6 knots |
| Working depth | 250 m |
| Immersion depth | 295 m |
| Autonomy of swimming | 15 170 km , 150 km under water |
| Crew | 44-52 people |
| Dimensions | |
| Surface displacement | 769 t |
| Underwater displacement | 871 t |
| The length is the greatest (on design basis) | 67.1 m |
| The width of the body naib. | 6.2 m |
| Average draft (on design basis) | 4.74 m |
| Power point | |
Diesel electric
| |
| Armament | |
| Artillery | C35 88 mm / L45 with 220 charges |
| Torpedo mine weapons | 4 bow and one stern TA caliber 533 mm, 14 torpedoes or 26 min TMA |
| Air defense | various, it is necessary to clarify |
Content
History
The order for the construction of the submarine was given on September 23, 1939 . The boat was laid down on December 8, 1939 at the Hovaldswerke shipyard , Kiel , under building number 4, launched on April 5, 1941 . The boat went into operation on May 22, 1941 under the command of Oberleutenant Paul-Karl Löser.
Commanders
- May 22, 1941 - September 25, 1943 Captain-Lieutenant Paul-Karl Loeser
- September 26, 1943 - June 8, 1944 Detlef von Lensten
Flotillas
- May 22 - September 1, 1941 - 3rd Flotilla (training)
- September 1, 1941 - June 8, 1944 - 3rd Flotilla
Service History
The boat made 15 military campaigns, sunk 3 vessels with a total displacement of 10,263 gb . Sunk on June 8, 1944 in the Bay of Biscay, west of Brest , France , in an area with coordinates of depth charges from a British Liberator- type aircraft. 4 people died, 47 crew members escaped. The same plane twenty minutes later launched to the bottom of the U-441 .
Wolf Packs
U-373 was part of the following "wolf packs":
- Lachs August 15 - September 27, 1942
- Ungestum December 14 - 23, 1942
- Neuland 6 - March 12, 1943
- Dranger March 14 - 20, 1943
- Seewolf March 25 - 30, 1943
Boat Attacks
- On March 2, 1943, the boat was attacked by an American Libererator-type aircraft, which dropped 5 bombs. The boat received significant damage, which was partially corrected by the crew, the boat remained on patrol.
- On July 24, 1943, near Madeira , Portugal , U-373 was attacked by Avenger and Wildcat airplanes from the USS Santee escort aircraft carrier . The boat was damaged by a Fido homing torpedo, two submariners were killed, seven were injured, but the boat did not interrupt the campaign.
- On January 3, 1944, the boat was attacked by depth charges from British Wellington and Liberator aircraft. U-373 was severely damaged, but the next day was able to independently arrive in Brest . Upon arrival at the port, two stuck, unexploded depth charges were discovered in the wheelhouse. The crew had to withdraw their ship from the port and get rid of the bombs there, which was successfully produced.
See also
- List of submarines of the Third Reich
Literature
- Bishop K. Submarines Kriegsmarine. 1939-1945. Reference Guide for Flotillas = Kriegsmarine U-boats 1939-1945. - M .: Eksmo , 2007 .-- 192 p. - (Military equipment of the III Reich). - ISBN 978-5-699-22106-6 .
- Rover Yu. Submarines carrying death. Victories of submarines of Hitler Axis countries = Jürgen Rohwer. Axis submarine successes 1939-1945. - M .: ZAO Tsentrpoligraf Publishing House, 2004. - 416 p. - 2000 copies. - ISBN 5-9524-1237-8 .