German submarine U-993
![]() Type VIIC submarine U-570 which looked almost identical to U-993.
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History | |
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Name | U-993 |
Ordered | 25 May 1941 |
Builder | Blohm & Voss, Hamburg |
Yard number | 193 |
Laid down | 16 November 1942 |
Launched | 8 July 1943 |
Commissioned | 19 August 1943 |
Fate | Sunk by British Air Raid on 4 October 1944 |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Type VIIC submarine |
Displacement | 864.7 t (851 long tons) submerged |
Length |
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Beam |
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Height | 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in) |
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 | 44–57 crew |
Armament |
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Service record | |
Part of: |
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Identification codes: | M 55 038 |
Commanders: |
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Operations: |
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Victories: | None |
German submarine U-993 was a
Construction
The U-993 was
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/93/SRH009-p58.jpg/300px-SRH009-p58.jpg)
When she was completed, the submarine was 67.10 metres (220 ft 2 in) long, with a beam of 6.18 metres (20 ft 3 in), a height of 9.60 metres (31 ft 6 in) and a draft of 4.74 metres (15 ft 7 in). She was assessed at 864.7 t (851 long tons) submerged. The submarine was powered by two
The submarine was fitted with five 53.3 cm (21 in)
Service history
U-993 was used as a Training ship in the 5th U-boat Flotilla from 19 August 1943 until 29 February 1944 where she had been trained and tested at the individual commands (UAK, TEK, AGRU-Front, etc.) and had been part of Ausbildungsflottillen (26th U-boat Flotilla, 27th U-boat Flotilla, etc.) for remaining works and equipment, before serving in the 3rd U-boat Flotilla for active service on 1 March 1944.[2]
Patrols And Incidents
During her active service, U-993 made 3 patrols. She left
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/37/B-24_hit_by_Flak.jpg/230px-B-24_hit_by_Flak.jpg)
U-993 left Lorient for her second patrol on 6 June 1944 and patrolled the Atlantic Ocean, but she stayed close to the French coast. She arrived in Brest on 14 June 1944 after a patrol of 9 days.[2]
The submarine left Brest for her third and last patrol on 17 August 1944 under the command of a new commander, Oberleutnant zur See Karl-Heinz Steinmetz. The submarine was also fitted with a Schnorchel underwater-breathing apparatus in August 1944. She patrolled the North Atlantic and sailed West off the coast of Ireland and north of the Faroe Islands. On 12 September 1944, a crew member died of jaundice in the North Atlantic. The submarine arrived Bergen on 18 September 1944 after a patrol of 33 days. In total, U-993 spend 76 days at sea.[2]
Sinking
On 4 October 1944, U-993 was stationed in the Laksevaag shipyard at
However, U-993 and U-228 both capsized and sank in a floating dock outside the bunker and U-92 and U-437 were so badly damaged that they had to be decommissioned. Twenty of the Allied machinery had received specific objective instructions for damaging and/or destroying unprotected submarines in the port. One man died on U-993 and another man died the following day of his injuries; the survivor count is unknown. The submarine was later salvaged and decommissioned. After the war in May 1945, the submarine was captured by British forces and broken up.[3]
References
- ^ a b c "U-993 (+1944)". wrecksite.eu. 29 November 2009. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f Helgason, Guðmundur (1995). "U-993". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
- ^ Hofmann, Markus (23 December 2013). "U-993". Deutsche U-Boote 1935–1945 - u-boot-archiv.de (in German). Retrieved 7 April 2016.
Bibliography
- 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.