German submarine U-100 (1940) | |
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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 | |
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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.[1]
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.[2] 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.[3] Another destroyer, HMS Walker, was also present.[4] 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
- ↑ "Type VIIB U-100". ubootwaffe.net. http://ubootwaffe.net/ops/boat.cgi?boat=100. Retrieved 2010-01-08.
- ↑ Rohwer & Hummelchen (1992) p.54
- ↑ Macintyre, Donald, CAPT RN "Shipborne Radar" United States Naval Institute Proceedings September 1967 pp.78-79
- ↑ http://uboat.net/boats/u100.htm
- 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[]
Coordinates: 61°04′N 11°30′W / 61.067°N 11.5°W
The original article can be found at German submarine U-100 (1940) and the edit history here.