German submarine U-752

History
Nazi Germany
Name: U-752
Ordered: 9 October 1939
Builder: Kriegsmarinewerft Wilhelmshaven
Laid down: 5 January 1940
Launched: 29 March 1941
Commissioned: 24 May 1941
Status: Scuttled 23 May 1943 after air rocket attack in North Atlantic
General characteristics
Class and type: Type VIIC submarine
Displacement:
  • 769 tonnes (757 long tons) surfaced
  • 871 t (857 long tons) submerged
Length:
Beam:
  • 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in) o/a
  • 4.70 m (15 ft 5 in) pressure hull
Height: 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in)
Draught: 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in)
Installed power:
  • 2,800–3,200 PS (2,100–2,400 kW; 2,800–3,200 bhp) (diesels)
  • 750 PS (550 kW; 740 shp) (electric)
Propulsion:
Speed:
  • 17.7 knots (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph) surfaced
  • 7.6 knots (14.1 km/h; 8.7 mph) submerged
Range:
  • 8,500 nmi (15,700 km; 9,800 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced
  • 80 nmi (150 km; 92 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth:
  • 230 m (750 ft)
  • Crush depth: 250–295 m (820–968 ft)
Complement: 4 officers, 40–56 enlisted
Armament:
Service record
Part of:
Commanders:
Operations: 9 patrols
Victories:
  • 6 commercial ships sunk for a total of (32,358 GRT)
  • 1 commercial ship damaged (4,799 GRT)
  • 2 auxiliary warships sunk (1,134 tons)

German submarine U-752 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II.

Design

German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-752 had a displacement of 769 tonnes (757 long tons) when at the surface and 871 tonnes (857 long tons) while submerged.[1] She had a total length of 67.10 m (220 ft 2 in), a pressure hull length of 50.50 m (165 ft 8 in), a beam of 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in), a height of 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in), and a draught of 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in). The submarine was powered by two Germaniawerft F46 four-stroke, six-cylinder 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 Garbe, Lahmeyer & Co. RP 137/c 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).[1]

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).[1] When submerged, the boat could operate for 80 nautical miles (150 km; 92 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 8,500 nautical miles (15,700 km; 9,800 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). U-752 was fitted with five 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and one at the stern), fourteen torpedoes, one 8.8 cm (3.46 in) SK C/35 naval gun, 220 rounds, and an anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.[1]

Service history

She served with 3rd U-boat Flotilla from 24 May 1941 to 23 May 1943 under the command of Karl-Ernst Schroeter.[2] U-752 completed nine[3] wartime patrols and sank eight ships and damaged one.

Fate

Thirty-two days into her ninth patrol, on 23 May 1943, U-752 was attacked by Fairey Swordfish aircraft attached to the British escort carrier HMS Archer in the mid-Atlantic. A Rocket Spear, a new weapon with a solid cast iron head,[4] entered and left the pressure hull leaving large holes, thus preventing the U-boat to dive. At the arrival of enemy surface craft, the surviving crew of 17 scuttled the boat and abandoned ship.[5] This was the first success of the Rocket Spear. U-752 sank with 30 men. Heinz Krey was one of them.

Wolfpacks

U-752 took part in ten wolfpacks, namely.

Summary of raiding history

Date Ship Name Nationality Tonnage[Note 1] Fate[6]
25 August 1941 T-898 (No 44)  Soviet Navy 553 Sunk
15 November 1941 T-889 (No 34)  Soviet Navy 581 Sunk
21 April 1942 West Imboden  United States 5,751 Sunk
23 April 1942 Reinholt  Norway 4,799 Damaged
1 May 1942 Bidevind  Norway 4,956 Sunk
23 July 1942 Garmula  United Kingdom 5,254 Sunk
27 July 1942 Leikanger  Norway 4,003 Sunk
9 August 1942 Menanau  Netherlands 6,047 Sunk
13 August 1942 Cripple Creek  United States 6,347 Sunk

References

Notes

  1. Merchant ship tonnages are in gross register tons. Military vessels are listed by tons displacement.

Citations

  1. 1 2 3 4 Gröner 1991, pp. 43-46.
  2. Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-752". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net.
  3. Helgason, Guðmundur. "War Patrols by German U-boat U-752". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
  4. Gerald Pawle, The Wheezers & Dodgers, Seaforth Publishing 2009 ISBN 978-1-84832-026-0
  5. Busch, Röll 1999, p. 100-3.
  6. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-752". 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). Deutsche U-Boot-Verluste von September 1939 bis Mai 1945 [German U-boat losses from September 1939 to May 1945]. Der U-Boot-Krieg (in German). IV. Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn: Mittler. ISBN 3-8132-0514-2. 
  • Gröner, Erich; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. German Warships 1815–1945. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4. 

External links

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