German submarine U-624
History | |
---|---|
Nazi Germany | |
Name | U-624 |
Ordered | 15 August 1940 |
Builder | Blohm & Voss, Hamburg |
Yard number | 600 |
Laid down | 15 July 1941 |
Launched | 31 March 1942 |
Commissioned | 28 May 1942 |
Fate | Sunk 7 February 1943 in the North Atlantic in position 55°42′N 26°17′W / 55.700°N 26.283°W, by a RAF Liberator aircraft. |
General characteristics [1] | |
Class and type | Type VIIC submarine |
Displacement | list error: <br /> list (help) 769 tonnes (757 long tons) surfaced 871 t (857 long tons) submerged |
Length | list error: <br /> list (help) 67.1 m (220 ft 2 in) o/a 50.5 m (165 ft 8 in) pressure hull |
Beam | list error: <br /> list (help) 6.2 m (20 ft 4 in) o/a 4.7 m (15 ft 5 in) pressure hull |
Height | 9.6 m (31 ft 6 in) |
Draft | 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in) |
Propulsion | list error: <br /> list (help) 2 × supercharged Germaniawerft 6-cylinder 4-stroke F46 diesel engines, totalling 2,800–3,200 bhp (2,100–2,400 kW). Max rpm: 470-490 2 × electric motors, totalling 750 shp (560 kW) and max rpm: 296 |
Speed | list error: <br /> list (help) 17.7 knots (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph) surfaced 7.6 knots (14.1 km/h; 8.7 mph) submerged |
Range | list error: <br /> list (help) 8,500 nmi (15,700 km; 9,800 mi) at 10 kn (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced 80 nmi (150 km; 92 mi) at 4 kn (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged |
Test depth | list error: <br /> list (help) 230 m (750 ft) Crush depth: 250–295 m (820–968 ft) |
Complement | 44–52 officers & ratings |
Armament | list error: mixed text and list (help)
|
Service record[2]
Part of:
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8th U-boat Flotilla
(28 May 1942 - 30 September 1942) - Training
7th U-boat Flotilla
(1 October 1942 - 7 February 1943)Commanders:
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Kptlt. Ulrich Graf von Soden-Fraunhofen
(28 May 1942 - 7 February 1943)Operations:
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1st patrol:
10 October - 4 December 1942
2nd patrol:
7 January - 7 February 1943Victories:
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5 merchant ships sunk (39,855 GRT)
1 merchant ship damaged (5,432 GRT)
3 warships sunk (873 tons)
German submarine U-624 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II.
She was laid down on 15 July 1941 by Blohm & Voss in Hamburg as yard number 600, launched on 31 March 1942 and commissioned on 28 May 1942 under Kapitänleutnant Ulrich Graf von Soden-Fraunhofen.
Service History
The boat's service began on 28 May 1942 with training as part of the 8th U-boat Flotilla. She was transferred to the 7th Flotilla, operating out of St.Nazaire, on 1 October 1942 for active service in the North Atlantic .
In just two patrols she sank five merchant ships, for a total of 39,855 gross register tons (GRT), plus one merchant ship damaged. Three Royal Navy landing craft were also sunk as they were being transported by Kosmos II at the time she was sunk.
Fate
U-624 was sunk on 7 February 1943 in the North Atlantic in position 55°42′N 26°17′W / 55.700°N 26.283°W. She was caught unawares on the surface whilst transmitting to base a lengthy report of the previous night's action around Convoy SC 118. A RAF Liberator aircraft of (Sqdn. 220/J), operating out of Londonderry, depth charged her 55 nautical miles (102 km; 63 mi) astern of the convoy. All 45 hands were lost.
Wolfpacks
U-624 took part in five wolfpacks, namely.
- Puma (23–29 October 1942)
- Natter (30 October - 8 November 1942)
- Kreuzotter (8–24 November 1942)
- Habicht (10–19 January 1943)
- Haudegen (19 January - 7 February 1943)
Summary of Raiding Career
Date | Name | Nationality | Tonnage (GRT) |
Fate[3]|- | 29 October 1942 | HMS LCT-2190 | Royal Navy | 291 | Sunk |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
29 October 1942 | HMS LCT-2192 | Royal Navy | 291 | Sunk | |||||
29 October 1942 | HMS LCT-2284 | Royal Navy | 291 | Sunk | |||||
29 October 1942 | Kosmos II | Norway | 16,966 | Sunk | |||||
29 October 1942 | Pan-New York | United States | 7,701 | Sunk | |||||
18 November 1942 | President Sergent | United Kingdom | 5,344 | Sunk | |||||
18 November 1942 | Parismina | United States | 4,732 | Sunk | |||||
18 November 1942 | Yaka | United States | 5,432 | Damaged | |||||
25 January 1943 | Lackenby | United Kingdom | 5,112 | Sunk |
References
- ^ Gröner 1985, pp. 72–74.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-624". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-624". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
Bibliography
- Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (1999). Deutsche U-Boot-Verluste von September 1939 bis Mai 1945 (in German). Vol. IV. Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn: Mittler. ISBN 3-8132-0514-2.
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(help) - Gröner, Erich (1985). U-Boote, Hilfskreuzer, Minenschiffe, Netzleger, Sperrbrecher (in German). Vol. III. Koblenz: Bernard & Graefe. ISBN 3-7637-4802-4.
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(help) - Edwards, Bernard (1996). Dönitz and the Wolf Packs - The U-boats at War. pp. 148–149. ISBN 0-304-35203-9.
- Sharpe, Peter (1998). U-Boat Fact File. Great Britain: Midland Publishing. ISBN 1-85780-072-9.
External links
- Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-624". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
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