German submarine U-128 (1941)
 Air attack on U-128
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 Nazi Germany | |
| Name | U-128 |
| Ordered | 7 August 1939 |
| Builder | |
| Yard number | 991 |
| Laid down | 10 July 1940 |
| Launched | 20 February 1941 |
| Commissioned | 12 May 1941 by Ulrich Heyse |
| Fate | Sunk, 17 May 1943 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Type IXC submarine |
| Displacement | |
| Length |
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| Beam |
|
| Height | 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in) |
| Draught | 4.70 m (15 ft 5 in) |
| Installed power |
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| Propulsion |
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| Speed |
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| Range |
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| Test depth | 230 m (750 ft) |
| Complement | 4 officers, 44 enlisted |
| Armament |
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| Service record[1] | |
| Part of: |
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| Identification codes: | M 41 096 |
| Commanders: |
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| Operations: |
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| Victories: |
12 merchant ships sunk (83,639 GRT) |
German submarine U-128 was a
Type IXC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. She was sunk 17 May 1943, by American
action.
Design
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).[2]
The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 18.3 knots (33.9 km/h; 21.1 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 7.3 knots (13.5 km/h; 8.4 mph).2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of forty-eight.[2]
Service history
Ordered on 7 August 1939 from
DeSchiMAG AG Weser in Bremen, U-128 was laid down on 10 July 1940, launched on 20 February 1941 and commissioned by Kapitänleutnant Ulrich Heyse
on 12 May 1941.
The boat was a training vessel in the second flotilla until 30 November 1941 based in Wilhelmshaven. She was then based in Lorient.
During her six completed war patrols, U-128 sank 12 ships, for a total of 83,639 tons. On 1 March 1943 command was transferred to Kptlt. Hermann Steinert, who commanded her until her loss a few months later.
Fate
On 17 May 1943, while operating in the South Atlantic near
depth charges. Two US Navy destroyers (USS Jouett and Moffett) also hit her with 5-inch gunfire. The crew opened the submarine's seacocks
as they abandoned ship, scuttling the submarine. The final toll was seven dead but there were 47 survivors.
Summary of raiding history
References
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type IXC boat U-128". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 16 October 2014.
- ^ a b c d Gröner 1991, p. 68.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-128". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 30 November 2009.
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.
- Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (1999). Deutsche U-Boot-Verluste von September 1939 bis Mai 1945 [German U-boat losses from September 1939 to May 1945]. Der U-Boot-Krieg (in German). Vol. IV. Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn: Mittler. ISBN 3-8132-0514-2.
- Gröner, Erich; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. German Warships 1815–1945. Vol. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4.
External links
- Hofmann, Markus. "U 128". Deutsche U-Boote 1935-1945 - u-boot-archiv.de (in German). Retrieved 7 December 2014.
- Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type IXC boat U-128". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
