German submarine U-384

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History
Nazi Germany
NameU-384
Ordered15 August 1940
Builder
Howaldtswerke, Kiel
Yard number15
Laid down29 March 1941
Launched28 May 1942
Commissioned18 July 1942
FateSunk by a British aircraft on 19 March 1943, west of Malin Head[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[2]
Part of:
Identification codes: M 30 536
Commanders:
  • Oblt.z.S.
    Hans-Achim von Rosenberg-Gruszcynski
  • 18 July 1942 – 19 March 1943
Operations:
  • 2 patrols:
  • 1st patrol:
  • 12 December 1942 – 3 February 1943
  • 2nd patrol:
  • 6 – 19 March 1943
Victories: 2 merchant ships sunk
(13,407 GRT)

German submarine U-384 was a

.

She carried out two patrols and sank one ship on each patrol. She was a member of three wolfpacks. On her second patrol, she was sunk by a British aircraft southwest of Iceland on 19 March 1943.

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).

anti-aircraft guns. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.[3]

Service history

The submarine was

Howaldtswerke at Kiel as yard number 15, launched on 28 May 1942 and commissioned on 18 July under the command of Oberleutnant zur See
Hans-Achim von Rosenberg-Gruszcynski.

She served with the 5th U-boat Flotilla from 18 July 1942 and the 3rd flotilla from 1 January 1943.

First patrol

U-359's first patrol took her from Kiel in Germany on 12 December 1942. She sank the Louise Lykes in mid-Atlantic on 9 January 1943. She then docked at La Pallice in occupied France on 3 February.

Second patrol and loss

Having left La Pallice on 6 March 1943, she sank the Coracero on 17 March. On 19 March, she was sunk by a British Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress of No. 206 Squadron RAF.

47 men died in the U-boat; there were no survivors.[1]

Previously recorded fate

U-361 was originally noted as sunk on 20 March 1943 by a British Sunderland flying boat of 201 Squadron. This attack was against U-631.[2] No damage was sustained.

Wolfpacks

U-384 took part in three wolfpacks, namely:

  • Falke (28 December 1942 – 19 January 1943)
  • Landsknecht (19 – 26 January 1943)
  • Stürmer
    (11 – 19 March 1943)

Summary of raiding history

Date Ship Name Nationality Tonnage
(GRT)
Fate[4]
9 January 1943 Louise Lykes  United States 6,155 Sunk
17 March 1943 Coracero  United Kingdom 7,252 Sunk

References

  1. ^ a b Kemp 1999, p. 107.
  2. ^ a b Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-384". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 6 September 2012.
  3. ^ a b c d Gröner 1991, pp. 43–46.
  4. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-384". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 26 December 2014.

Bibliography

External links