U 154 (Navy)
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U 154 (Kriegsmarine) ( previous / next - all submarines ) |
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| Type : | IX C |
| Field Post Number : | M-45 897 |
| Shipyard: | AG Weser , Bremen |
| Construction contract: | September 25, 1939 |
| Build number: | 996 |
| Keel laying: | September 21, 1940 |
| Launch: | April 21, 1941 |
| Commissioning: | August 2, 1941 |
| Commanders: |
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| Calls: | 8 activities |
| Sinkings: |
10 ships (49,916 GRT) |
| Whereabouts: | sunk on July 3, 1944 in the mid-Atlantic north-west of Madeira |
U 154 was a German submarine from the Type IX C , which in World War II by the German navy was used.
Technology and history
U 154 was designed for oceanic use. Boats of this submarine class were therefore also referred to as "ocean boats". U 154 was a two-hull type submarine and had a water displacement of 1,120 t above and 1,232 t under water. It had a length of 76.76 m , a width of 6.76 m and a draft of 4.70 m. With the two 2,200 PS MAN nine-cylinder four-stroke diesel engines M 9 V 40/46 with supercharging, a top speed over water of 18.3 kn could be achieved. At a speed of 10 kn, 12,000 nautical miles could be covered. The two 500 PS SSM double E-machines GU 345/34 had 62 × 62 AFA type 44 MAL 740 W battery cells. A top speed of 7.3 knots was achieved under water. A distance of 64 nautical miles could be covered at a speed of 4 kn. 22 torpedoes or up to 44 TMA or 66 TMB mines could be ejected from 4 bow and 2 stern torpedo tubes . The diving depth was 100 - 200 m. The quick dive time was 35 seconds. It had a 10.5-cm Utof L / 45 gun with 180 rounds and 1 × 3.7-cm anti-aircraft gun with 2,625 rounds, 1 × 2-cm anti-aircraft gun with 4,250 rounds. From 1943/44, the 10.5 cm cannon was removed from this type of boat and 4 × 2 cm twin anti-aircraft guns with 8,500 rounds were installed. The crew could consist of four officers and 44 men. The cost of building was 6,448,000 Reichsmarks .
The order for the boat was awarded to AG Weser in Bremen on September 25, 1939 . The keel was laid on September 21, 1940, the launch on April 21, 1941, the commissioning under Corvette Captain Walther Kölle finally took place on August 2, 1941.
After its commissioning on August 2, 1941 until January 31, 1942, the boat was part of the 4th U-Flotilla in Stettin as a training boat . After the training period, U 154 belonged to the 2nd U-Flotilla in Lorient as a front boat from February 1, 1942 until it was sunk on July 3, 1944 .
U 154 completed eight operations during its service, on which ten ships with a total tonnage of 49,916 GRT were sunk and three ships with 15,771 GRT were damaged. Another ship with 8,166 GRT was so badly damaged that it was considered a total loss.
Use statistics
First venture
The boat ran on February 7, 1942 at 11:50 of Kiel and ran at 7.35 pm on February 8, 1942 Helgoland one. It was on February 9, 1942 at 17:14 there again and ran on 12 February 1942 at 16:07 in mountains one. It left Bergen on February 14, 1942 at 5:09 p.m. and arrived in Lorient on March 1, 1942 at 11:22 a.m. No ships were sunk or damaged during this 23-day and 3,602 nm above and 230 nm underwater venture into the North Atlantic to transfer the boat to France .
Second venture
The boat left Lorient on March 11, 1942 at 6.46 p.m. and returned there on May 9, 1942 at 8:52 a.m. On this 59 day long and approx. 10,610 nm above and 253 nm underwater expedition into the West Atlantic , the Caribbean and the Greater Antilles , five ships with 28,715 GRT were sunk.
On April 4, 1942, the US steamer Comol Rico ( Lage ), measured at 5,034 GRT, was sunk by two torpedoes . He had loaded 8,068 tons of sugar molasses and was on the way from Humacoa Puerto Rico to Boston . There were three dead and 40 survivors.
On April 5, 1942, the American steamer Catahoula ( Lage ), measured at 5,030 GRT, was sunk by two torpedoes. He had molasses loaded and was on his way from San Pedro de Macorís to Wilmington . There were seven dead and 38 survivors.
On April 12, 1942, the American steamer Delvalle ( Lage ), measured at 5,032 GRT, was sunk by three torpedoes. He had loaded 5,165 t of general cargo and was on the way from New Orleans via Saint Thomas to Buenos Aires . There were two dead and 61 survivors.
On April 13, 1942, the British tanker Empire Amethyst ( Lage ), measured at 8,032 GRT, was sunk by two torpedoes. He had loaded 12,000 tons of detergent and was on his way from New Orleans via Freetown to Great Britain. There were 41 dead and five survivors.
On April 20, 1942, the British steamer Vineland ( Lage ), measured at 5,587 GRT, was sunk by three torpedoes and five rounds from the 10.5 cm cannon. He was ballasted and on his way from Portland, Maine to Saint Thomas. There was one dead and 36 survivors.
Third company
The boat left Lorient on June 4, 1942 at 8:35 p.m. and returned there on August 23, 1942. On this 78-day, 13,295 nm above and 550 nm underwater expedition in the West Atlantic, the Caribbean, Cuba , the Gulf of Mexico and the Greater Antilles, two ships with a total of 3,265 GRT were sunk. U 153 was supplied with 26 m³ of fuel oil by U 463 on August 7, 1942 .
On June 28, 1942, the British steamer Clyde, measured at 3,200 GRT, was sunk by a torpedo.
On July 6, 1942, the Panamanian fishing cutter Lalita ( Lage ), measured at 65 GRT, was sunk by artillery from the 3.7 cm and 10.5 cm cannon. There were no casualties, eight survivors.
Fourth venture
The boat left Lorient on October 12, 1942 at 6.15 p.m. and returned there on January 7, 1943 at 10.53 a.m. On this 56 day long and 12,703.2 nm above and 487.7 nm underwater operation in the West Atlantic, the Caribbean, Trinidad, the Central Atlantic and the South Atlantic , three ships with 17,936 GRT were sunk. U 153 was supplied with 40 m³ of fuel oil from U 463 on December 27, 1942 .
On November 8, 1942, the British steamer D'Entrecasteaux ( Lage ), measured at 7,291 GRT, was sunk by three torpedoes. He had loaded 6,214 t general cargo and 1,002 t copper and was on the way from Beira (Mozambique) and Table Bay via Pernambuco to Great Britain. There were three dead and 63 survivors.
On November 9, 1942, the British steamer Nurmahal ( Lage ), measured at 5,419 GRT, was sunk by two torpedoes. He drove in ballast and was on the way from Safaga via Table Bay to Charleston (South Carolina) and New York. There were 14 dead and an unknown number survivors.
On November 18, 1942, the British motor ship Tower Grange ( Lage ), measured at 5,226 GRT, was sunk by five torpedoes (three missed shots). It loaded 8,332 t of general cargo including 1,800 t of manganese ore and was on its way from Calcutta via Cape Town and Trinidad to Great Britain. There were four dead and 41 survivors.
Fifth venture
The boat left Lorient on March 20, 1943 at 4:45 p.m. and returned there on July 6, 1943 at 5:00 p.m. On this 108-day and 15,272 nm over and 710 nm underwater expedition in the Central Atlantic and off the Brazilian coast near Recife and Ascension, one ship with 8,166 GRT was so badly damaged that it was considered a total loss, and two ships with 15,771 GRT damaged. On May 20, 1943, U 154 met the supply submarine U 460 , from which it took over 70 m³ of diesel fuel, 2 m³ of engine oil and provisions for 20 days.
On May 28, 1943, the American tanker Florida, measured at 8,580 GRT, was damaged by a torpedo.
On May 28, 1943, the American steamer Cardinal Gibbons, measured at 7,191 GRT, was damaged by a torpedo.
On May 28, 1943, the American tanker John Worthington, measured at 8,166 GRT, was badly damaged by a torpedo and was later declared a total loss. He drove in ballast and was on the way from Rio de Janeiro via Bahia to Trinidad. There were no casualties, 57 survivors.
Sixth venture
The boat was on September 23, 1943 at 18:00 from Lorient and ran on 24 September 1943 at 19:45 in Brest one. It left there on October 2, 1943 at 3:30 p.m. and returned to Lorient on December 20, 1943 at 11:50 a.m. No ships were sunk or damaged on this 88-day long approximately 10,420 nm over and 1,388 nm underwater undertaking in the Central Atlantic, off the Azores and off Sao Miguel .
Seventh venture
The boat left Lorient on January 31, 1944 at 4:30 p.m. and returned there on April 28, 1944 at 7:00 a.m. No ships were sunk or damaged on this 87-day, 7,695 nm over and 2,284 nm underwater expedition in the western Atlantic and the Caribbean.
Eighth venture
The boat left Lorient on June 20, 1944 and was sunk on July 3, 1944. No ships were sunk or damaged on this 13-day expedition in the mid-Atlantic, off the Azores and west of Madeira .
Whereabouts
The boat was sunk on July 3, 1944 in the mid-Atlantic northwest of Madeira by depth charges from the US destroyer escorts USS Inch and USS Frost at position 34 ° 0 ′ N , 19 ° 30 ′ W in naval grid reference DH 2176. It was a total loss with 57 dead.
literature
- Rainer Busch, Hans-Joachim Röll: The submarine war 1939-1945. Volume 2: U-boat construction in German shipyards. ES Mittler and Son, Hamburg a. a. 1997, ISBN 3-8132-0512-6 .
- Rainer Busch, Hans-Joachim Röll: The submarine war 1939-1945. Volume 4: German submarine losses from September 1939 to May 1945. ES Mittler and Son, Hamburg a. a. 1999, ISBN 3-8132-0514-2 .
- Heinrich Walle : The tragedy of the first lieutenant to the sea Oskar Kusch . Edited on behalf of the Ranke Society, Association for History in Public Life eV and the German Marine Institute by Michael Salewski and Christian Giermann, Stuttgart 1995. ISBN 3-515-06841-4 . [Historical communications / supplement] Historical communications, supplement; 13.
Web links
- U 154 on u-bootarchiv.de , a detailed site about German submarines (German)
Map with all coordinates: