German submarine U-705
| History | |
|---|---|
 Nazi Germany | |
| Name | U-705 |
| Ordered | 9 October 1939[1] |
| Builder | HC Stülcken & Sohn, Hamburg |
| Yard number | 764 |
| Laid down | 11 October 1940[1] |
| Launched | 13 October 1941[1] |
| Commissioned | 30 December 1941[1] |
| Fate | Sunk on 3 September 1942 [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 |
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| Complement | 4 officers, 40–56 enlisted |
| Armament |
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| Service record | |
| Part of: |
|
| Identification codes: | M 46 975 |
| Commanders: |
|
| Operations: |
|
| Victories: |
1 merchant ship sunk (3,279 GRT) |
German submarine U-705 was a
.Commissioned on 30 December 1941, she served with the 5th U-boat Flotilla until 31 July 1942 as a training boat, and as a front boat of 6th U-boat Flotilla under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Karl-Horst Horn, until her sinking on 3 September 1942.
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
Departing on her first and only patrol on 1 August 1942, U-705 left Kiel to encircle the British Isles and turn back after crossing more than half of the Atlantic. On 15 August while cruising some 550 nautical miles (1,020 km) south-east of Iceland, she caught sight of a number of vessels; Convoy SC 95, and the merchant ship Balladier.
Diving after first being seen, she stayed submerged for nearly four hours before firing a torpedo at the starboard side of the Balladier. Listing to the starboard side, the armed guards were unable to return fire on U-705, with the ship sinking after seven minutes.[3]
On 24 August, the Norwegian corvette HNoMS Potentilla and HMS Viscount of convoy ON 122 located U-705. Dropping five depth charges from the Viscount, along with a further ten from the Potentilla, the two were unable to cause damage to the boat. A further fifty-seven charges were dropped at her and U-135, finally damaging her stern torpedo tube.
Fate
On 3 September 1942, Armstrong Whitworth Whitleys of No. 77 Squadron RAF dropped depth charges at U-705, causing her to sink with all hands lost in the Bay of Biscay.[4]
Wolfpacks
U-705 took part in one wolfpack, namely:
- Lohs (11 – 26 August 1942)
Summary of raiding history
| Date | Ship Name | Nationality | Tonnage ( GRT )
|
Fate[5] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 August 1942 | Balladier |  United States
|
3,279 | Sunk |
References
- ^ a b c d e f Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-705". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 12 March 2010.
- ^ a b c d Gröner 1991, pp. 43–46.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Balladier article". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 16 March 2010.
- )
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-705". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 9 February 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.
- 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.
External links
- Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-705". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
