German submarine U-307
History | |
---|---|
Nazi Germany | |
Name | U-307 |
Ordered | 20 January 1941 |
Builder | Flender Werke, Lübeck |
Yard number | 307 |
Laid down | 5 November 1941 |
Launched | 30 September 1942 |
Commissioned | 18 November 1942 |
Fate | Sunk by depth charges, 29 April 1945[1] |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Type VIIC submarine |
Displacement | |
Length |
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Beam |
|
Height | 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in) |
Draught | 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in) |
Installed power |
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Propulsion |
|
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 | |
Part of: |
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Identification codes: | M 50 406 |
Commanders: |
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Operations: |
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Victories: |
2 merchant ships sunk (7,226 GRT) |
German submarine U-307 was a
Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. The U-boat was laid down on 5 November 1941, and commissioned
on 18 November 1942.
Design
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).[2]
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).anti-aircraft guns. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.[2]
Service history
Despite carrying out 13 war patrols between July 1943 and April 1945, U-307 sank only two vessels; the 7,176 GRT American
, on 18 August 1944.In September 1944, together with the supply ship Carl J. Busch, U-307 transported the men of Operation Haudegen, a German military meteorological mission, to Svalbard.
Wolfpacks
U-307 took part in twelve wolfpacks, namely:
- Wiking (5 September – 8 October 1943)
- Monsun (3 October – 23 November 1943)
- Eisenbart (28 October – 8 December 1943)
- Boreas (28 February – 10 March 1944)
- Thor (17 – 26 March 1944)
- Donner (17 – 20 April 1944)
- Donner & Keil (20 April – 3 May 1944)
- Grimm (31 May - 6 June 1944)
- Trutz (8 June – 10 July 1944)
- Rasmus (6 – 13 February 1945)
- Hagen (13 – 21 March 1945)
- Faust (21 – 29 April 1945)
Fate
U-307 was sunk on 29 April 1945 in the
Loch class frigate HMS Loch Insh
. There were 37 dead and 14 survivors.
Summary of raiding history
Date | Ship Name | Nationality | Tonnage ( GRT )
|
Fate[3] |
---|---|---|---|---|
30 April 1944 | William S. Thayer | United States | 7,176 | Sunk |
18 August 1944 | Lennox | Norway | 50 | Sunk |
References
- ^ Kemp 1999, p. 254.
- ^ a b c d Gröner 1991, pp. 43–46.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-307". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
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). Der U-Boot-Krieg, 1939-1945: Deutsche U-Boot-Verluste von September 1939 bis Mai 1945 [German U-boat losses from September 1939 to May 1945] (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-307". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
- Hofmann, Markus. "U 307". Deutsche U-Boote 1935-1945 - u-boot-archiv.de (in German). Retrieved 26 December 2014.