German submarine U-845
| History | |
|---|---|
 Nazi Germany | |
| Name | U-845 |
| Ordered | 20 January 1941 |
| Builder | |
| Yard number | 1051 |
| Laid down | 20 June 1942 |
| Launched | 18 January 1943 |
| Commissioned | 1 May 1943 |
| Fate | Sunk in position 48°20′N 20°33′W / 48.333°N 20.550°W on 10 March 1944 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Type IXC/40 submarine |
| Displacement | |
| Length |
|
| Beam |
|
| Height | 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in) |
| Draught | 4.67 m (15 ft 4 in) |
| Installed power |
|
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed |
|
| Range |
|
| Test depth | 230 m (750 ft) |
| Complement | 4 officers, 44 enlisted |
| Armament |
|
| Service record | |
| Part of: |
|
| Identification codes: | M 41 779 |
| Commanders: |
|
| Operations: |
|
| Victories: |
1 merchant ship damaged (7,039 GRT) |
German submarine U-845 was a
.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).[1]
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.[1]
Service history
U-845 was ordered on 20 January 1941 from
yard number 1051. Her keel was laid down on 20 June 1942. The U-boat was launched the following year on 18 January 1943. she was commissioned into service under the command of Kapitänleutnant Udo Behrens (Crew 30) in 4th U-boat Flotilla
on 1 May 1943.
On 3 July 1943, Kapitänleutnant Rudolf Hoffmann (Crew 36) took over command. On her way to
Newfoundland in February 1944. A first attack on an unescorted freighter on 6 February 1944 failed, but three days later a British steamer, Kelmscott (7,039 GRT), fell victim to U-845's torpedo. On 14 February the U-boat was spotted by an aircraft. In the subsequent attack one crew member died and two others were wounded. An attack on another unescorted freighter the next day failed to sink the ship. On 10 March 1944, U-845 made contact with convoy SC 154, but was picked up by an escort, HMCS St. Laurent, in the late afternoon and depth-charged. When the U-boat surfaced late at night, she was attacked by St. Laurent and three other escorts of 9th Escort Group, HMCS Swansea, HMCS Owen Sound and HMS Forester, with artillery, killing Weber and the bridge crew as well as the crew servicing the AA guns. The rest of the crew survived the attack and was picked up by the escorts. Swansea picked up 23, Forester 17, and St. Laurent five men.[2]
Summary of raiding history
| Date | Ship Name | Nationality | Tonnage ( GRT )
|
Fate[3] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 February 1944 | Kelmscott |  United Kingdom
|
7,039 | Damaged |
References
- ^ a b c d Gröner 1991, p. 68.
- ^ Busch & Röll 1999, p. 203-4.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-845". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 13 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 IXC/40 boat U-845". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 2 February 2015.