German submarine U-739
| History | |
|---|---|
 Nazi Germany | |
| Name | U-739 |
| Ordered | 10 April 1941 |
| Builder | Danzig |
| Yard number | 1536 |
| Laid down | 17 April 1942 |
| Launched | 23 December 1942 |
| Commissioned | 6 March 1943 |
| Fate | Surrendered on 13 May 1945 at Emden. Sunk on 16 December 1945, in position 56°10′N 10°05′W / 56.167°N 10.083°W in Operation Deadlight. |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Type VIIC submarine |
| Displacement | |
| Length |
|
| Beam |
|
| Draught | 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in) |
| Installed power |
|
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed |
|
| Range | |
| Test depth |
|
| Complement | 4 officers, 40–56 enlisted |
| Armament |
|
| Service record[1] | |
| Part of: |
|
| Identification codes: | M 50 545 |
| Commanders: |
|
| Operations: |
|
| Victories: |
1 warship sunk (625 tons) |
German submarine U-739 was a
. She wasDanzig as yard number 1536, launched on 23 December 1942 and commissioned on 6 March 1943 under Leutnant zur See
Ernst Mangold.
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 AEG GU 460/8–27 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 guns. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.[2]
Service history
The boat's career began with training at 8th U-boat Flotilla on 6 March 1943, followed by active service on 1 November 1943 as part of the 9th Flotilla. Just two months later she transferred to 13th Flotilla for the remainder of her service.
In eight patrols she sank one warship for a total of 625 tons.
Wolfpacks
U-739 took part in eight wolfpacks, namely:
- Isegrim (16 – 27 January 1944)
- Werwolf (27 January – 2 February 1944)
- Boreas (28 February – 5 March 1944)
- Keil (16 – 20 April 1944)
- Donner & Keil (20 April – 3 May 1944)
- Trutz (7 – 10 July 1944)
- Greif (5 August – 26 September 1944)
- Rasmus (6 – 13 February 1945)
Fate
U-739 surrendered on 13 May 1945 at Emden. Sunk later on 16 December 1945, in position 56°10′N 10°05′W / 56.167°N 10.083°W in Operation Deadlight.
Summary of raiding history
| Date | Ship Name | Nationality | Tonnage[Note 1] | Fate[3] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 September 1944 | T-120 |  Soviet Navy
|
625 | Sunk |
References
Notes
- gross register tons. Military vessels are listed by tons displacement.
Citations
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-739". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 12 November 2014.
- ^ a b c d Gröner 1991, pp. 43–46.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-739". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 12 November 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.
- 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-739". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in December 1945 | |
|---|---|
| Shipwrecks |
|
| Other incidents |
|
