German submarine U-231
History | |
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Nazi Germany | |
Name | U-231 |
Ordered | 7 December 1940 |
Builder | Germaniawerft, Kiel |
Yard number | 661 |
Laid down | 30 January 1942 |
Launched | 1 October 1942 |
Commissioned | 14 November 1942 |
Fate | Sunk on 13 January 1944 by a British aircraft[1] |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Type VIIC submarine |
Displacement | |
Length |
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Beam |
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Height | 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in) |
Draught | 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in) |
Installed power |
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Propulsion |
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Speed |
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Range | |
Test depth |
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Complement | 4 officers, 40–56 enlisted |
Armament |
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Service record[1][2] | |
Part of: |
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Identification codes: | M 50 310 |
Commanders: |
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Operations: |
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Victories: | None |
German submarine U-231 was a
.The submarine was laid down on 30 January 1942 at the Friedrich Krupp Germaniawerft yard at Kiel as yard number 661, launched on 1 October, and commissioned on 14 November under the command of Kapitänleutnant Wolfgang Wenzel.[1]
After training with the 5th U-boat Flotilla at Kiel, U-231 was transferred to the 3rd U-boat Flotilla on 1 May 1943 which was based at La Pallice in France, for front-line service. In three war patrols, the U-boat sank or damaged no merchant ships. She was a member of eleven wolfpacks.
U-231 was sunk on 13 January 1944 in the North Atlantic northeast of the Azores by a British aircraft.
Design
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).[3] 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-231 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 an anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.[3]
Service history
First patrol
U-231 departed
Second patrol
This foray commenced from Bordeaux, took her to the middle of the Atlantic Ocean and terminated in La Pallice.
Third patrol and loss
U-231 was sunk northeast of the Azores by depth charges from a RAF Vickers Wellington of 172 Squadron on 13 January 1944. Seven men died, there were 47 survivors.
Wolfpacks
U-231 took part in eleven wolfpacks, namely:
- Star (27 April - 4 May 1943)
- Fink (4 – 6 May 1943)
- Elbe (7 – 10 May 1943)
- Elbe 1 (10 – 14 May 1943)
- Mosel (19 – 22 May 1943)
- Schlieffen (14 – 22 October 1943)
- Siegfried (22 – 27 October 1943)
- Siegfried 1 (27 – 30 October 1943)
- Körner (30 October - 2 November 1943)
- Borkum (1 – 3 January 1944)
- Borkum 3 (3 – 13 January 1944)
References
- ^ a b c Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-231". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 26 July 2012.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "War Patrols by German U-boat U-231". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 26 July 2012.
- ^ a b c d Gröner 1991, pp. 43–46.
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.
- Kemp, Paul (1999). U-Boats Destroyed - German Submarine Losses in the World Wars. London: Arms & Armour. ISBN 1-85409-515-3.
External links
- Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-231". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
- Hofmann, Markus. "U 231". Deutsche U-Boote 1935-1945 - u-boot-archiv.de (in German). Retrieved 26 December 2014.