U 245
U 245 was a German submarine of the type VII C , which was used by the navy of the German Reich during the Second World War . The submarine was laid on November 10, 1942 in the Friedrich Krupp Germania shipyard near the city of Kiel as number 679, had the field post number M-52094 and is a submarine model of the U 233 to U 250 series took place on November 25, 1943, and on December 18, 1943 U 245 was put into service under the command of Korvettenkapitän Friedrich Schumann-Hindenberg.
During three operations, the submarine sank three ships with a total of 17,087 gross tons .
It surrendered to the Allies in May 1945.
design
Type VII C submarines have a greater overall length than their predecessors, Type VII B submarines. U 245 had a surface weight of 769 t and a submerged weight of 871 t. It had a total length of 67.1 m, a pressure hull length of 50.5 m, a ship width of 6.2 m, a height of 9.6 m and a draft of 4.74 m. The submarine was powered by two four-stroke six-cylinder diesel engines of the Germaniawerft F46 type, which generated a total of between 2,800 and 3,200 hp (2,060–2,350 kW). Two electric motors of the type AEG GU 460 / 8-27 were used for underwater journeys, which together produced 750 HP (550 kW). The submarine had two drive shafts and 2 propellers with a diameter of 1.23 m each.
U 245 had a maximum surface speed of 17.7 knots (32.8 km / h) and a maximum underwater speed of 7.6 knots (14.1 km / h). Submerged, the submarine could cover 80 nautical miles (150 km) at 4 knots (7.4 km / h). At the surface of the water, it was able to reach 8,500 nautical miles (15,700 km) at 10 knots (19 km / h). The submarine was equipped with five 53.3 cm torpedo tubes (four at the bow and one at the stern), 14 torpedoes , an 8.8 cm SK C / 35 ship cannon, 220 rounds and an anti-aircraft cannon. The crew consisted of 44 to 60 people.
Mission history
After exercises with the 5th submarine flotilla as a training boat in Kiel, U 245 was assigned to the 3rd flotilla on August 1, 1944 for service at the front. On October 1, 1944, it was assigned to the 33rd Flotilla.
First laying
U 245, under the command of Kapitänleutnant Friedrich Schumann-Hindenberg, moved together with other U-boats of the German Navy (U 482, U 979, U 1223 and U 680) from Kiel to Horten. The submarine carried out snorkeling exercises in the Oslofjord at the AGRU front.
First venture
After the transfer trip from Kiel to Horten, the first mission began with the departure of the submarine from Horten on August 14, 1944. After fuel and provisions replenishment in Kristiansand and further additions in Bergen, the U 245 operated as a weather boat in the North Atlantic. It could not sink or damage any ships. U 245 reached the Atlantic Ocean after crossing the channel between Iceland and the Faroe Islands. On September 30, 1944, the submarine was attacked by a Consolidated PBY "Catalina" maritime reconnaissance aircraft, but it suffered no losses or damage. On the march back we went via Flekkefjord (air hazard) to Marviken. After 71 days and covered 3,261 nautical miles above and 3,195 nautical miles under water, U 245 reached Marviken on October 24, 1944.
Second relocation
U 245, under Kapitänleutnant Friedrich Schumann-Hindenberg, moved together with U 518, U 534 and U 714 from Marviken to Flensburg. In November and December 1944 the boat was completely overhauled, first in Kiel and later - because of the constant air raids - in Schwerin.
Third relocation
The submarine then moved from Kiel to Helgoland. The rest of the equipment for the next venture took place there in the submarine bunker.
Second venture
U 245 left Heligoland on January 13, 1945. After receiving orders in Kalundborg, the boat operated in the North Sea, southeast of North Foreland (England) near South Falls. On February 5, 1945, U 245 sank the American ship Henry B. Plant about 17 nautical miles (31 km) east of Ramsgate . Another ship, the Dutch Liseta , was so badly damaged on February 15, 1945 that the ship was considered a total loss. In this undertaking, the U 245 sank 7,240 gross register tons.
Third company
The submarine left Wilhelmshaven on April 6, 1945. After additions to Heligoland, the boat operated in the North Sea, southeast of England and the North Forelands. The submarine sank the British ship Filleigh and the Karmt , a Norwegian cargo ship, approximately 10 nautical miles (19 km) east of North Foreland in Kent . In total, the U-245 sank 9,847 gross tons in this operation. U 245 arrived in Bergen after 33 days.
Loss of the submarine
U 245 surrendered on May 9, 1945 and was transferred via Scapa Flow to Loch Ryan for Operation Deadlight . Six months later, on December 7, 1945, U 245 was sunk when the tug connection to HMS Enchanter was cut.
Summary of subsidence
| date | Ship name | nationality | Gross register tons | fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 5, 1945 | Henry B. Plant |
 United States
|
7,240 | Sunk |
| April 18, 1945 | Filleigh |
 United Kingdom
|
4,856 | Sunk |
| April 18, 1945 | Karmt |
 Norway
|
4,991 | Sunk |
literature
- Rainer Busch, Hans-Joachim Röll: German U-boat commanders of World War II: a biographical dictionary ( English ). Greenhill Books, Naval Institute Press, London / Annapolis, Md 1999, ISBN 1-55750-186-6 .
- Rainer Busch, Hans-Joachim Röll: The U-Boat War 1939-1945 , Volume IV: German U-Boat Losses from September 1939 to May 1945 . Mittler, Hamburg / Berlin / Bonn 1999, ISBN 3-8132-0514-2 .
- Erich Gröner, Dieter Jung, Martin Maass: German Warships 1815-1945 ( English ), Volume 2: U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels . Conway Maritime Press, London 1991, ISBN 1-55750-301-X .
Web links
- Guðmundur Helgason: The Type VIIC boat U-245 ( en ) Retrieved December 26, 2014.
- Markus Hofmann: U 245 . Retrieved December 26, 2014.