U 138

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U 138
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Type : II D
Field Post Number : M 02 840
Shipyard: German works , Kiel
Construction contract: September 25, 1939
Build number: 267
Keel laying: November 16, 1939
Launch: May 18, 1940
Commissioning: June 27, 1940
Commanders:
Calls: 5 activities
Sinkings:

6 ships (48,564 GRT)

Whereabouts: self- sunk on June 18, 1941 west of Cádiz

U 138 was a German submarine from type II D , which in World War II by the German navy was used.

history

The order for the boat was awarded to the shipyard Deutsche Werke , Kiel , on September 25, 1939 . The keel was laid on November 16, 1939, the launch on May 18, 1940. The commissioning under Oberleutnant zur See Wolfgang Lüth finally took place on June 27, 1940.

After its commissioning on June 27, 1940 until August 31, 1940, the boat belonged to the 1st U-Flotilla in Kiel as a training boat . After training, U 137 belonged to the 1st U-Flotilla in Kiel as a front boat from September 1, 1940 to December 31, 1940. After serving at the front, the boat came from January 1, 1941 to April 30, 1941 as a school boat for the 22nd U-Flotilla in Gotenhafen . Then reactivated, it came from May 1, 1941 until its sinking on June 18, 1941 as a front boat to the 3rd U-Flotilla in Kiel.

Use statistics

During its service, U 138 carried out five operations in which six ships with 48,564 GRT were sunk and two ships with 11,555 GRT were damaged.

First venture

The boat was launched on 10 September 1940 at 19.00 from Kiel, and expired on September 26, 1940 at 13:35 in Lorient one. On this 16-day and 2,346 nm above and 171 nm underwater expedition in the North Atlantic , west of the Hebrides and the North Canal , four ships with 34,644 GRT were sunk.

  • September 20, 1940: sinking of the Panamanian steamer Boka ( Lage ) with 5,560 GRT. The steamer was sunk by a torpedo. He had coal loaded and was on his way from Barry to Takoradi . The ship belonged to convoy OB-216 with 27 ships. There were eight dead and 26 survivors.
  • September 20, 1940: sinking of the British steamer Empire Adventure with 5,145 GRT. The steamer was sunk by a torpedo. He drove in ballast and was on the way from the Tyne to Wabana (Conception Bay). The ship belonged to convoy OB-216 with 27 ships. There were 21 dead and 18 survivors.
  • September 21, 1940: sinking of the British steamer City of Simla ( Lage ) with 10,138 GRT. The steamer was sunk by a torpedo. He had 3,000 tons of general cargo and 167 passengers on board and was on the way from London and Glasgow to Cape Town and Bombay . The ship belonged to convoy OB-216 with 27 ships. One crew member and two passengers were killed, 182 crew members and 165 passengers were rescued.

Second venture

The boat left Lorient on October 8, 1940 at 9:35 a.m., and returned there on October 19, 1940 at 6:30 p.m. On this twelve-day and approximately 2,100 nm above and 64 nm underwater expedition in the North Atlantic and west of the North Channel, a ship with 5,327 GRT was sunk and two ships with 11,555 GRT were damaged.

  • October 13, 1940: Damage to the Norwegian motor ship Dagrun with 4,562 GRT. The ship was damaged by a torpedo.
  • October 15, 1940: sinking of the British steamer Bonheur ( Lage ) with 5,327 GRT. The steamer was sunk by a torpedo. He had loaded 5,200 t general cargo and was on the way from Liverpool (Great Britain) to Rosario . The ship belonged to convoy OB-228 with 47 ships. There were no casualties, 39 survivors.
  • October 15, 1940: Damage to the British tanker British Glory with 6,993 GRT. The tanker was damaged by a torpedo. He was ballasted and on his way from Glasgow to Abadan . The ship belonged to convoy OB-228 with 47 ships. There were three dead.

Third company

The boat was launched on November 5, 1940 at 9:00 am of Lorient, and expired on November 23, 1940 at 15:05 in mountains one. It left there on November 28, 1940 at 3:45 p.m., and arrived in Kiel on December 1, 1940 at 3:50 p.m. No ships were sunk or damaged on this 27-day venture into the North Atlantic, Rockall Bank and the North Channel.

Fourth venture

The boat left Kiel on April 20, 1941 at 4:00 a.m. and entered Bergen on April 24, 1941 at 10:50 p.m. It left there on May 12, 1941 at 11:00 p.m., and entered Lorient on May 27, 1941 at 6:30 p.m. A ship with 8,593 GRT was sunk on this 20-day and approximately 2,870 nm above and 104 nm underwater expedition in the North Atlantic, the Faroe Islands and the North Canal.

  • May 20, 1941: sinking of the British motor ship Javanese Prince ( Lage ) with 8,593 GRT. The ship was sunk by a torpedo. It was ballasted, had four passengers on board and was on its way from Cardiff to New York (USA). The ship belonged to convoy OB-332 with 38 ships. There was one dead and 58 survivors.

Fifth venture

The boat left Lorient on June 12, 1941, and was sunk on June 18, 1941. No ships were sunk or damaged on this six day expedition in the Atlantic, west of Gibraltar .

Whereabouts

Under the Commander Franz Gramitzky the boat was west on 18 June 1941 by Cádiz by a six-hour water bombing the British destroyer HMS Faulknor , HMS Fearless , HMS Forester , HMS Foresight and HMS Foxhound forced to surface. The boat was sunk by the crew themselves. The position was 36 ° 4 ′  N , 7 ° 29 ′  W in marine grid reference CG 9457. There were no casualties, 28 survivors.

literature

  • Clay Blair : The Submarine War. Volume 1: The Hunters. 1939-1942. Heyne, Munich 1998, ISBN 3-453-12345-X .
  • Clay Blair: The Submarine War. Volume 2: The Hunted, 1942–1945. Heyne, Munich 1998, ISBN 3-453-16059-2 .
  • Robert M. Browning Jr .: US Merchant Vessel War casualties of World War II. Naval Institute Press, Annapolis MD 1996, ISBN 1-55750-087-8 .
  • Rainer Busch, Hans-Joachim Röll: The submarine war 1939-1945. Volume 1: The German submarine commanders. ES Mittler und Sohn, Hamburg et al. 1996, ISBN 3-8132-0490-1 .
  • Rainer Busch, Hans-Joachim Röll: The submarine war 1939-1945. Volume 2: U-boat construction in German shipyards. ES Mittler und Sohn, Hamburg et al. 1997, ISBN 3-8132-0512-6 .
  • Rainer Busch, Hans-Joachim Röll: The submarine war 1939-1945. Volume 3: German submarine successes from September 1939 to May 1945. ES Mittler und Sohn, Hamburg et al. 2001, ISBN 3-8132-0513-4 .
  • Rainer Busch, Hans-Joachim Röll: The submarine war 1939-1945. Volume 4: German submarine losses from September 1939 to May 1945. ES Mittler und Sohn, Hamburg et al. 1999, ISBN 3-8132-0514-2 .
  • Rainer Busch, Hans-Joachim Röll: The submarine war 1939-1945. Volume 5: The knight's cross bearers of the submarine weapon from September 1939 to May 1945. ES Mittler and Son, Hamburg et al. 2003, ISBN 3-8132-0515-0 .

See also