German submarine U-503
 U-505, a typical Type IXC boat
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 Nazi Germany | |
| Name | U-503 |
| Ordered | 25 September 1939 |
| Builder | Deutsche Werft, Hamburg |
| Yard number | 293 |
| Laid down | 29 April 1940 |
| Launched | 5 April 1941 |
| Commissioned | 10 July 1941 |
| Fate | Sunk on 15 March 1942[1] |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Type IXC submarine |
| Displacement | |
| Length |
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| Beam |
|
| Height | 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in) |
| Draught | 4.70 m (15 ft 5 in) |
| Installed power |
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| Propulsion |
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| Speed |
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| Range |
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| Test depth | 230 m (750 ft) |
| Complement | 4 officers, 44 enlisted |
| Armament |
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| Service record[2][3] | |
| Part of: |
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| Identification codes: | M 43 854 |
| Commanders: |
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| Operations: |
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| Victories: | None |
German submarine U-503 was a
Type IXC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 29 April 1940 at the Deutsche Werft yard in Hamburg as yard number 293, launched on 5 April 1941 and commissioned on 10 July 1941 under the command of Kapitänleutnant
Otto Gericke.
The boat's service began with her being assigned to the 2nd U-boat Flotilla on her commissioning date for training and continuing with it for operations from 1 February 1942.
Design
supercharged four-stroke, nine-cylinder diesel engines producing a total of 4,400 metric horsepower (3,240 kW; 4,340 shp) for use while surfaced, two Siemens-Schuckert 2 GU 345/34 double-acting electric motors producing a total of 1,000 shaft horsepower (1,010 PS; 750 kW) for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 1.92 m (6 ft) propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to 230 metres (750 ft).[4]
The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 18.3 knots (33.9 km/h; 21.1 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 7.3 knots (13.5 km/h; 8.4 mph).2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of forty-eight.[4]
Service history
U-503's first and only active war patrol began at Bergen in Norway on 28 February 1942, following two previous port to port sailings.[3] The U-boat was sunk on 15 March by depth charges dropped by a PBO-1 Hudson of United States Navy squadron VP-82 south-east of Newfoundland, in position 45°50′N 48°50′W / 45.833°N 48.833°W.[2]
The aircraft, from
Convoy ON-72. The PBO-1s were twenty Hudson Mk.IIIA aircraft diverted from Lend-Lease to equip VP-82, and sank the first two U-boats by US forces; U-656 on 1 March 1942 and U-503.[2]
References
- ^ Kemp 1999, p. 79.
- ^ a b c Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type IXC boat U-503". German U-boats of WWII – uboat.net. Retrieved 24 January 2010.
- ^ a b Helgason, Guðmundur. "War Patrols by German U-boat U-503". German U-boats of WWII – uboat.net. Retrieved 24 January 2010.
- ^ a b c d Gröner 1991, p. 68.
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 IXC boat U-503". German U-boats of WWII – uboat.net. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
