German submarine U-326

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History
Nazi Germany
NameU-326
Ordered16 July 1942
BuilderFlender Werke, Lübeck
Yard number326
Laid down26 April 1943
Launched22 April 1944
Commissioned6 June 1944
FateSunk by an American aircraft on 30 April 1945[1]
General characteristics
Class and type
Type VIIC/41 submarine
Displacement
Length
  • 67.23 m (220 ft 7 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
  • 250 m (820 ft)
  • Crush depth
    : 275–325 m (902–1,066 ft)
Complement4 officers, 40–56 enlisted
Armament
Service record[1][2]
Part of:
Identification codes: M 14 594
Commanders:
  • Kptlt.
    Peter Matthes
  • 6 June 1944 – 30 April 1945
Operations:
  • 1 patrol:
  • 28 March – 30 April 1945
Victories: None

German submarine U-326 was a

Type VIIC/41 U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. While she carried out one patrol U-326 failed to sink or damage any ships. The boat was sunk on 30 April 1945 in the Bay of Biscay
by an American aircraft.

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).[3]

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).

2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft guns. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.[3]

Service history

The submarine was laid down on 26 April 1943 by the Flender Werke yard at Lübeck as yard number 326, launched on 22 April 1944 and commissioned on 6 June under the command of Kapitänleutnant Peter Matthes.

She served with the 4th U-boat Flotilla for training, from 6 June 1944 to 28 February 1945. She was then transferred to the 11th flotilla for operations on 1 March.

Patrol

Having carried out a series of short voyages between Kiel in Germany and Horten Naval Base, Stavanger and Bergen in Norway in February and March 1945, U-326 departed Bergen on 28 March and passing western Scotland and Ireland, entered the Bay of Biscay.

Fate

The boat was sunk by a retro bombs dropped from a US Navy

PBY Catalina of VP-63 west of Brest on 30 April 1945.[4]

Forty-three men died; there were no survivors.

See also

  • Battle of the Atlantic (1939-1945)

References

  1. ^ a b Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC/41 boat U-326". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 20 August 2012.
  2. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "War Patrols by German U-boat U-326". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 20 August 2012.
  3. ^ a b c d Gröner 1991, pp. 43–46.
  4. ^ Hofmann, Markus. "U 326". Deutsche U-Boote 1935-1945 - u-boot-archiv.de (in German). Retrieved 6 December 2014.

Bibliography

External links