German submarine U-100 (1940)

For other ships of the same name, see German submarine U-100.

German submarine U-100 (1940)
Career
Name:	U-100
Ordered:	15 December 1937
Builder:	Germaniawerft, Kiel
Yard number:	594
Laid down:	22 May 1939
Launched:	10 April 1940
Commissioned:	30 May 1940
Fate:	Sunk, 17 March 1941 by British warships
General characteristics
Class & type:	Type VIIB U-boat
Displacement:	Surfaced 753 tons tons submerged 857 tons
Length:	Overall 66.6 m (218 ft 6 in) pressure hull 48.8 m (160 ft 1 in)
Beam:	Overall 6.2 m (20 ft 4 in) pressure hull 4.7 m (15 ft 5 in)
Draught:	4.74 m (15 ft 7 in)
Propulsion:	Surfaced: two supercharged MAN, 6 cylinder, 4-stroke M6V 40/46 diesels totalling 2,800 - 3,200bhp(2,400 kW). Max rpm: 470-490.
Speed:	Surfaced 17.9 knots (33 km/h) submerged eight knots (15 km/h)
Range:	Surfaced: 16,095 km (8,691 nmi) submerged: 175 km (109 mi)
Test depth:	230 m (754 ft). Calculated crush depth: 250-295 m (820-967 ft)
Complement:	44 to 48 officers and ratings
Armament:	• 5 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes: four bow, one stern • 14 × torpedoes or 26 TMA mines • 1 × 8.8 cm (3.5 in) deck gun with 220 rounds • 1 × C30 20 mm AA

Service record
Part of:	Kriegsmarine: 7th U-boat Flotilla
Commanders:	Kptlt. Joachim Schepke (30 May 1940–17 March 1941)
Operations:	Six patrols 1st patrol: 9 August–1 September 1940 2nd patrol: 11–25 September 1940 3rd patrol: 12–23 October 1940 4th patrol: 7 –27 November 1940 5th patrol: 2 December 1940–1 January 1941 6th patrol: 9–17 March 1941
Victories:	25 ships sunk for a total of 135,614 gross register tons (GRT) Four ships damaged for a total of 17,229 GRT One ship a total loss of 2,205 GRT

German submarine U-100 was a Type VIIB U-boat of the Nazi German Kriegsmarine during World War II. She, given her short-lived existence, was one of the most successful and deadly U-Boats to have served in the conflict.

Combat record

First patrol

The boat was launched on 10 April 1940, with a crew of 53, under the command of Kapitänleutnant Joachim Schepke. On her first active patrol, U-100 came into contact with two Allied convoys, OA-198 and OA-204. She shadowed both convoys with the following results:

• 16 August 1940:
  • Sank the British 4,864 ton Empire Merchant, sailing with convoy OA-198
• 25 August 1940:
  • Sank the British 5,471 ton Jamaica Pioneer
• 29 August 1940:
  • Sank the Swedish 2,373 ton Alida Gorthon, a member of convoy OA-204
  • Sank the British 2,393 ton Astra II, part of convoy OA-204
  • Sank the British 4,608 ton Dalblair, from convoy OA-204
  • Damaged the British 5,498 ton Hartismere, sailing with convoy OA-204
  • Sank the British 6,103 ton Empire Moose, a member of convoy OA-204

Second patrol

U-100 departed for her second active patrol on 11 September 1940, coming into contact with the Allied convoy HX 72, with the following results:

• 21 September 1940
  • Sank the British 4,608 ton Dalcairn
  • Sank the British 8,286 ton SS Canonesa
  • Sank the British 10,364 ton Torinia
• 22 September 1940
  • Sank the British 3,940 ton Scholar
  • Sank the Norwegian 6,031 ton Simla
  • Sank the British 6,586 ton Empire Airman
  • Sank the British 10,525 ton Frederick S Fales

Third patrol

After resupplying, U-100 departed for her third active patrol on 12 October 1940. She came into contact with two Allied convoys, HX-79 and SC-7, with the following results:

• 18 October 1940:
  • Damaged the Dutch 2,118 ton SS Boekelo, a member of convoy SC-7
  • Damaged the British 5,458 ton SS Shekatika, part of convoy SC-7
• 19 October 1940:
  • Damaged the British 4,155 ton SS Blairspey, from convoy SC-7
• 20 October 1940
  • Sank the British 5,452 ton Loch Lomond, sailing with convoy HX-79
  • Sank the British 6,218 ton Sitala, a member of convoy HX-79
  • Sank the British 8,230 ton Caprella, part of convoy HX-79

Fourth patrol

U-100 departed on her fourth patrol on 7 November 1940. On 22 November She came into contact with the Allied convoy SC-11 and began to shadow it with the following results:

• 23 November 1940
  • Fatally damaged the Norwegian 2,205 ton Bruse
  • Sank the Norwegian 2,694 ton Salonica
  • Sank the British 3,136 ton Leise Mærsk
  • Sank the Dutch 3,628 ton Ootmarsum
  • Sank the Dutch 3,636 ton Bussum
  • Sank the British 4,562 ton Justitia
  • Sank the British 4,740 ton Bradfyne

Fifth patrol

U-100 left for her fifth active patrol on 2 December 1940, sinking two vessels from convoy OB-256, then a third solo vessel. They were:

• 14 December 1940:
  • Sank the British ship Euphorbia, 3,380 tons, part of convoy OB-256
  • Sank the British ship Kyleglen, 3,670 tons, part of convoy OB-256
• 18 December 1940:
  • Sank the British ship Napier Star, 10,116 tons

Sixth and final patrol

U-100 departed on her sixth and what would be her final patrol on 9 March 1941. She approached convoy HX 112 from astern in the pre-dawn hours of 17 March, but was detected at a range of 1,000 meters by the Type 286 RADAR aboard HMS Vanoc. U-100 was the first U-boat to be so discovered during World War II; she was rammed and sunk by Vanoc while attempting to submerge. Another destroyer, HMS Walker, was also present. Six of the boat's 53 crew-members survived, spending the remainder of the war as POWs. Schepke was not one of them.[1].

References

Notes

Bibliography

• Rohwer, J. and Hummelchen, G. (1992). Chronology of the War at Sea 1939-1945. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-105-X. 

Further reading

• U-100 at uboat.net
• U-100 at ubootwaffe.net
• Canonesa, Convoy HX72 & U-100
• U-100 U-boat watch