U 243
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U 243 ( previous / next - all submarines ) |
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|---|---|
| Type : | VII C |
| Field Post Number : | 54 310 |
| Shipyard: | Germania shipyard in Kiel |
| Construction contract: | April 10, 1941 |
| Build number: | 677 |
| Keel laying: | December 16, 1942 |
| Launch: | September 2, 1943 |
| Commissioning: | October 2, 1943 |
| Commanders: |
First lieutenant to the sea Hans Märtens |
| Flotilla: |
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| Calls: | 1 company |
| Sinkings: |
no |
| Whereabouts: | Sunk in the Bay of Biscay on July 8, 1944 (11 dead, 38 prisoners of war) |
U 243 was a German type VII C submarine . This type was called "Atlantic boat". U 243 was used by the Navy during the submarine war in the North Atlantic. It was unable to sink or damage any ships on its only venture and was sunk in the Bay of Biscay on July 8, 1944 , killing 11 crew members while 38 were taken prisoner by the Allies.
Technical specifications
Even before the war, the Germania shipyard in Kiel was building submarines on behalf of the Navy, in violation of the provisions of the Versailles Treaty and in some cases under secrecy. After the start of the war, the shipyard's capacities were fully utilized with the construction of submarines, with an annual output of 42 boats planned. This amount could never be reached. The Germania shipyard delivered a total of 58 type VII C boats from 1940 to 1944. This model was powered by two diesel engines, which allowed a speed of 17 knots , that is 31.5 km / h, when sailing above water . Under water, the two electric motors made it possible to travel at 7.6 knots, which corresponds to 14 km / h. The power of the batteries made it possible to travel underwater at top speed for only one hour.
commander
Hans Märtens was born on January 1, 1918 in Bernburg and joined the Navy in 1937. Until 1943 he served as an officer on watch and in command of various minesweeping flotillas. He completed his submarine and submarine command training from February to August 1943. A short time later, he was given command of U 243 .
Commitment and history
From commissioning until May 1944, U 243 was subordinate to the 5th U-Flotilla and stationed in Kiel . During this time, Commander Märtens undertook training trips in the Baltic Sea in order to familiarize the crew with the boat and to familiarize the crew members with one another. In June 1944, U 243 was assigned to the 1st U-Flotilla . On June 8, 1944, Commander Märtens left the Norwegian Flekkefjord on his first patrol with U 243 . Two days later, Märtens had an airplane fired that turned out to be a German Junkers Ju 88 . The plane was shot down. The boat was sunk on the way to Brest , the base of the 1st U-Flotilla.
Sinking
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A Short Sunderland of the Tenth RAF Squadron discovered a surfaced German submarine on July 8, 1944 at about half past three in the afternoon. As the aircraft approached, it was taken under fire by the boat's flak , which the Sunderland responded with machine gun fire. In the firefight that was now beginning, the Australian bow gunner succeeded in killing the German crew members who manned the submarine artillery with targeted fire. During a renewed approach flight threw the Sunderland more depth charges , detonated close to the boat that stopped then and have remained with whipped page. While the German crew was watering inflatables and disembarking, the submarine was attacked by another Sunderland belonging to the Tenth Squadron, as well as an additional US Navy bomber . Finally, U 243 raised the bow and then sank over the stern. The surviving German crew members were rescued by the Canadian destroyer Restigouche . Commander Märtens, who sustained a serious head injury during the battle with the Sunderland, later succumbed to his injuries. In the destruction of the submarine, eleven crew members including the commander Märtens died, while 38 survived and were taken prisoner by the Allies.
literature
- Rainer Busch, Hans-Joachim Röll: The submarine war 1939-1945. Volume 1: The German submarine commanders. Preface by Prof. Dr. Jürgen Rohwer, Member of the Presidium of the International Commission on Military History. ES Mittler and Son, Hamburg / Berlin / Bonn 1996, p. 152. ISBN 3-8132-0490-1 .
- Rainer Busch, Hans-Joachim Röll: The submarine war 1939-1945. Volume 2: Submarine construction in German shipyards. ES Mittler and Son, Hamburg / Berlin / Bonn 1997, pp. 129, 194. ISBN 3-8132-0512-6 .
- Rainer Busch, Hans-Joachim Röll: The submarine war 1939-1945. Volume 4: The German submarine losses from September 1939 to May 1945. ES Mittler und Sohn, Hamburg / Berlin / Bonn 2008, pp. 165f. ISBN 978-3-8132-0514-5 .
- Erich Gröner , Dieter Jung, Martin Maas: The German warships 1815-1945. Volume 3: Submarines, auxiliary cruisers, mine ships, net layers. Bernhard & Graefe Verlag, Munich 1985, ISBN 3-7637-4802-4 .
- Clay Blair : The Submarine War - The Hunted 1942–1945 . Heyne Verlag, 1999. pp. 691, 722. ISBN 3-4531-6059-2 .
- Paul Kemp: The German and Austrian submarine losses in both world wars. Urbes-Verlag, Graefelfing before Munich 1998, ISBN 3-924896-43-7 .
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