German submarine U-384
History | |
---|---|
Nazi Germany | |
Name | U-384 |
Ordered | 15 August 1940 |
Builder | Howaldtswerke, Kiel |
Yard number | 15 |
Laid down | 29 March 1941 |
Launched | 28 May 1942 |
Commissioned | 18 July 1942 |
Fate | Sunk by a British aircraft on 19 March 1943, west of Malin Head[1] |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Type VIIC submarine |
Displacement | |
Length |
|
Beam |
|
Height | 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in) |
Draught | 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in) |
Installed power |
|
Propulsion |
|
Speed |
|
Range | |
Test depth |
|
Complement | 4 officers, 40–56 enlisted |
Armament |
|
Service record[2] | |
Part of: |
|
Identification codes: | M 30 536 |
Commanders: |
|
Operations: |
|
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
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
The submarine was
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
- ^ a b Kemp 1999, p. 107.
- ^ a b Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-384". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 6 September 2012.
- ^ a b c d Gröner 1991, pp. 43–46.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-384". 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). 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.
- 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-384". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 26 December 2014.