German submarine U-240
History | |
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Nazi Germany | |
Name | U-240 |
Ordered | 20 January 1941 |
Builder | Germaniawerft, Kiel |
Yard number | 670 |
Laid down | 14 May 1942 |
Launched | 18 February 1943 |
Commissioned | 3 April 1943 |
Fate | Missing since 15 May 1944 |
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 50 810 |
Commanders: |
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Operations: |
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Victories: | None |
German submarine U-240 was a
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).
Service history
After training with the 5th U-boat Flotilla at Kiel, U-240 was transferred to the 9th U-boat Flotilla for front-line service on 1 February 1944.[1]
She sailed from Kiel to Kristiansand in Norway, on 27 to 28 March 1944, departing from there on her first combat patrol on 13 May.[2]
The U-boat was listed as missing in the North Sea west of Norway from 15 May 1944. No definite explanation exists for her loss,[1] but Sunderland JM667/V of No. 330 Norwegian Squadron (RAF Coastal Command) attacked and sank an unidentified U-boat in that area on 16 May. This is believed to be U-240.[4]
Previously recorded fate
U-240 was originally thought to have been sunk west of Norway by
References
- ^ a b c d Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-240". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 31 March 2010.
- ^ a b Helgason, Guðmundur. "War Patrols by German U-boat U-240". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 31 March 2010.
- ^ a b c d Gröner 1991, pp. 43–46.
- ISBN 978-1473840911.
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
- Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-240". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
- Hofmann, Markus. "U 240". Deutsche U-Boote 1935-1945 - u-boot-archiv.de (in German). Retrieved 26 December 2014.