U 456
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U 456 ( previous / next - all submarines ) |
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| Type : | VII C |
| Field Post Number : | 17 549 |
| Shipyard: | German works , Kiel |
| Construction contract: | January 16, 1940 |
| Build number: | 287 |
| Keel laying: | September 3, 1940 |
| Launch: | June 21, 1941 |
| Commissioning: | September 18, 1941 |
| Commanders: |
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| Calls: | eight ventures two relocation trips |
| Sinkings: |
5 ships with 31,470 GRT and 1 warship with 251 t sunk |
| Whereabouts: | sunk by torpedo hits on May 13, 1943 in the central North Atlantic |
U 456 was a German submarine from the Type VII C , a so-called "Atlantic Boat". It was used by the Navy in the submarine war of the Second World War, mainly in the North Sea against the North Sea convoys traveling there .
Technical specifications
Deutsche Werke Kiel was the first shipyard to build submarines for the Reichsmarine again after the First World War . Based on initial discussions in 1932, a contract was signed two years later for the construction of small submarines, which from 1935 were manufactured under secrecy in camouflaged assembly halls. Otherwise, however, the shipyard's capacities were full with the construction of capital ships. Immediately after the start of the war, the shipyard was finally included again in the U-boat building program of the Kriegsmarine and was intended for the annual output of twelve Type VII C boats. A boat of this type, which was also known as the “Atlantic boat” because of its usability, was 67.1 m long and 6.2 m wide. The maximum speed for diesel-powered overwater travel was 17 kn . Two electric motors, each with 375 hp, enabled a ride of 7.6 knots under water. On the tower, U 456 had a game cube with a 6 on top as a boat coat of arms, which was framed by a horseshoe.
Commitment and history
U 456 patrolled mainly in the North Sea and operated there against the Allied convoys , which ran along the ice border to the ports of Murmansk and Arkhangelsk to supply the Soviet Union .
HMS Edinburgh
The HMS Edinburgh was part of the securing of the convoy QP 11, which was mainly traveling in ballast from Murmansk to Scotland. The British cruiser had Soviet gold on board, which was intended as payment for the American goods and war goods that were previously delivered with convoy trains. Commander Teichert managed to damage the cruiser with a torpedo on April 30, 1942 so severely that the British ship was no longer capable of independent maneuvers and had to be towed. When the Allies tried to salvage Edinburgh , the cruiser was attacked again by German naval forces and finally had to be abandoned. The Edinburgh and her valuable cargo was sunk by the British destroyer HMS Foresight with a torpedo shot.
Sinking
U 456 was located northwest of Cabo Ortegal near the convoy HX 237 when it was discovered and attacked by a Liberator bomber despite poor visibility. The British aircraft dropped an acoustically controlled Fido torpedo , which damaged the boat, which had been submerged in the meantime, whereupon Commander Teichert obviously decided to let U 456 appear; because the crew of the Liberator observed that the submarine came to the surface of the water. The pilot instructed a destroyer from the guard of HX 237, which however no longer found a submarine at the specified location. U 456 was the first German submarine to be sunk by one of the new acoustic torpedoes.
Alternative theories
For a long time, the sinking of U 456 was attributed to a combined attack by the British frigate HMS Lagan and the Canadian corvette HMCS Drumheller . In the meantime, it is certain that their successful attack was aimed at another submarine at almost the same time. In fact, they sank U 753 .
literature
- 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 .
- Paul Kemp: The German and Austrian submarine losses in both world wars. Urbes Verlag, Graefelfing before Munich 1998, ISBN 3-924896-43-7 .
Individual evidence
- ^ Georg Högel: Emblems, coats of arms, Malings German submarines 1939-1945. 5th edition. Koehlers Verlagsgesellschaft mbH, Hamburg 2009, ISBN 978-3-7822-1002-7 , p. 109.
- ^ P. Kemp: The German and Austrian submarine losses in both world wars. 1998, p. 120.