German submarine U-307

Coordinates: 69°24′N 33°44′E / 69.400°N 33.733°E / 69.400; 33.733
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
History
Nazi Germany
NameU-307
Ordered20 January 1941
BuilderFlender Werke, Lübeck
Yard number307
Laid down5 November 1941
Launched30 September 1942
Commissioned18 November 1942
FateSunk by depth charges, 29 April 1945[1]
General characteristics
Class and type
Type VIIC submarine
Displacement
Length
  • 67.10 m (220 ft 2 in)
    o/a
  • 50.50 m (165 ft 8 in)
    pressure hull
Beam
  • 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in) o/a
  • 4.70 m (15 ft 5 in) pressure hull
Height9.60 m (31 ft 6 in)
Draught4.74 m (15 ft 7 in)
Installed power
  • 2,800–3,200 PS (2,100–2,400 kW; 2,800–3,200 bhp) (diesels)
  • 750 PS (550 kW; 740 shp) (electric)
Propulsion
Speed
  • 17.7 knots (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph) surfaced
  • 7.6 knots (14.1 km/h; 8.7 mph) submerged
Range
  • 8,500 nmi (15,700 km; 9,800 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced
  • 80 nmi (150 km; 92 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth
  • 230 m (750 ft)
  • Crush depth: 250–295 m (820–968 ft)
Complement4 officers, 40–56 enlisted
Armament
Service record
Part of:
Identification codes: M 50 406
Commanders:
  • Oblt.z.S.
    Friedrich-Georg Herrle
  • 18 November 1942 – 1 December 1944
  • Oblt.z.S. Erich Krüger
  • 2 December 1944 – 29 April 1945
Operations:
  • 13 patrols:
  • 1st patrol:
  • 9 – 12 July 1943
  • 2nd patrol:
  • 16 July – 21 August 1943
  • 3rd patrol:
  • 2 September – 9 October 1943
  • 4th patrol:
  • a. 27 October – 9 December 1943
  • b. 12 – 15 December 1943
  • 5th patrol:
  • 23 February – 27 March 1944
  • 6th patrol:
  • 16 April – 5 May 1944
  • 7th patrol:
  • a. 25 May – 12 July 1944
  • b. 2 – 3 August 1944
  • 8th patrol:
  • a. 4 – 23 August 1944
  • b. 24 – 25 August 1944
  • c. 29 – 31 August 1944
  • 9th patrol:
  • a. 9 September – 4 October 1944
  • b. 5 – 7 October 1944
  • c. 8 – 10 October 1944
  • d. 15 – 20 January 1945
  • 10th patrol:
  • 24 January – 16 February 1945
  • 11th patrol:
  • 20 – 28 February 1945
  • 12th patrol:
  • 12 March – 1 April 1945
  • 13th patrol:
  • 16 – 29 April 1945
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

Bear Island, and the 50 GRT Norwegian Army motor boat Lennox in Van Mijenfjorden, Spitsbergen
, 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

  1. ^ Kemp 1999, p. 254.
  2. ^ a b c d Gröner 1991, pp. 43–46.
  3. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-307". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 26 December 2014.

Bibliography

External links