German submarine U-642
Appearance
History | |
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Name | U-642 |
Ordered | 20 January 1941 |
Builder | Blohm & Voss, Hamburg |
Yard number | 618 |
Laid down | 19 November 1941 |
Launched | 6 August 1942 |
Commissioned | 1 October 1942 |
Fate | Sunk on 5 July 1944 in the Military port of Toulon in position 43°07′N 05°55′E / 43.117°N 5.917°E , in a US air raid. |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Type VIIC submarine |
Displacement | |
Length |
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Beam |
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Draught | 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in) |
Installed power |
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Propulsion |
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Speed |
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Range | |
Test depth |
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Complement | 4 officers, 40–56 enlisted |
Armament |
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Service record[1] | |
Part of: |
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Identification codes: | M 50 471 |
Commanders: |
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Operations: |
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Victories: |
1 merchant ship sunk (2,125 GRT) |
German submarine U-642 was a
. She wasBlohm & Voss, Hamburg as yard number 618, launched on 6 August 1942 and commissioned on 1 October 1942 under Kapitänleutnant
Herbert Brünning.
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 Brown, Boveri & Cie GG UB 720/8 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 gun. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.[2]
Service history
The boat's career began with training at
Mediterranean on 1 December 1943 to serve with 29th Flotilla
for the remainder of her service.
In 4 patrols she sank 1 merchant ship, for a total of 2,125 gross register tons (GRT).
Wolfpacks
U-642 took part in nine wolfpacks, namely:
- Neuland (4 – 6 March 1943)
- Ostmark (6 – 11 March 1943)
- Stürmer(11 – 20 March 1943)
- Seewolf (21 – 30 March 1943)
- Oder (17 – 19 May 1943)
- Mosel (19 – 24 May 1943)
- Trutz (1 – 16 June 1943)
- Trutz 1 (16 – 29 June 1943)
- Geier 3 (30 June – 15 July 1943)
Fate
U-642 was sunk on 5 July 1944 in the
Military port of Toulon in position 43°07′N 05°55′E / 43.117°N 5.917°E
, by a US air raid.
Summary of raiding history
Date | Ship Name | Nationality | Tonnage (GRT) |
Fate[3] |
---|---|---|---|---|
8 March 1943 | Leadgate | ![]() |
2,125 | Sunk |
See also
- Mediterranean U-boat Campaign (World War II)
References
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-642". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 2 September 2014.
- ^ a b c d Gröner 1991, pp. 43–46.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-642". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 2 September 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). Der U-Boot-Krieg, 1939-1945: Deutsche U-Boot-Verluste von September 1939 bis Mai 1945 [German U-boat losses from September 1939 to May 1945] (in German). Vol. IV. Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn: Mittler. ISBN 3-8132-0514-2.
- Edwards, Bernard (1996). Dönitz and the Wolf Packs - The U-boats at War. p. 169. ISBN 0-304-35203-9.
- Gröner, Eric; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). German Warships 1815-1945: U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. Vol. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4.
- Sharpe, Peter (1998). U-Boat Fact File. Great Britain: Midland Publishing. ISBN 1-85780-072-9.
External links
- Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-642". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 29 December 2014.