German submarine U-128 (1941) | |
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Air attack on U-128 | |
Career (Germany) | ![]() |
Name: | U-128 |
Ordered: | 7 August 1939 |
Builder: | AG Weser in Bremen |
Laid down: | 10 July 1940 |
Launched: | 20 February 1941 |
Commissioned: | 12 May 1941 by Ulrich Heyse |
Fate: | Sunk, 17 May 1943 |
General characteristics | |
Type: | Type IXC submarine |
Displacement: |
1,120 t (1,100 long tons) surfaced 1,232 t (1,213 long tons) submerged |
Length: |
76.8 m (252 ft 0 in) overall 58.7 m (192 ft 7 in) pressure hull |
Beam: |
6.8 m (22 ft 4 in) overall 4.4 m (14 ft 5 in) pressure hull |
Height: | 9.4 m (30 ft 10 in) |
Draft: | 4.7 m (15 ft 5 in) |
Propulsion: |
2 × MAN M9V40/46 supercharged 9-cylinder diesel engines, 4,000 hp (2,983 kW) 2 × SSW GU345/34 double-acting electric motors, 1,000 hp (746 kW) |
Speed: |
18.2 knots (33.7 km/h) surfaced 7.3 knots (13.5 km/h) submerged |
Range: |
24,880 nmi (46,080 km) at 10 knots (19 km/h) surfaced 117 nmi (217 km) at 4 kn (7.4 km/h) submerged |
Test depth: | 230 m (750 ft) |
Complement: | 48 to 56 |
Armament: |
6 × torpedo tubes (four bow, two stern) 22 × 55 cm (22 in) torpedoes 1 × 10.5 cm SK C/32 naval gun[1] (110 rounds) |
German submarine U-128 was a Type IXC U-boat of the Nazi German Kriegsmarine during World War II. She was sunk 17 May 1943, by American action.
History[]
Ordered on 7 August 1939 from AG Weser in Bremen, U-128 was laid down on 10 July 1940, launched on 20 February 1941 and commissioned by Kapitänleutnant Ulrich Heyse on 12 May 1941.
The boat was a training vessel in the second flotilla until 30 November 1941 based in Wilhelmshaven. She was then based in Lorient.
During her six completed war patrols, U-128 sank 12 ships, for a total of 83,639 tons. On 1 March 1943 command was transferred to Kptlt. Hermann Steinert, who commanded her until her loss a few months later.
Fate[]
On 17 May 1943, while operating in the South Atlantic near Pernambuco, two Mariner flying boats, PBM 74-P5 and PBM-74-P6 of the US Navy Squadron VP-74, made U-128 surface with depth charges. Two US Navy destroyers (USS Jouett and Moffett) also hit her with 5-inch gunfire. The crew opened the submarine's seacocks as they abandoned ship, scuttling the submarine. The final toll was seven dead but there were 47 survivors.
Raiding career[]
Date | Ship Name | Flag | Tonnage (GRT) | Position | Deaths |
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19 February 1942 | Pan Massachusetts | 8,202 | 28°27′N 80°08′W / 28.45°N 80.133°W | 20 | |
22 February 1942 | Cities Service Empire | 8,103 | 28°25′N 80°02′W / 28.417°N 80.033°W | 14 | |
5 March 1942 | O.A. Knudsen | 11,007 | 26°17′N 75°50′W / 26.283°N 75.833°W | 2 | |
13 May 1942 | Denpark | 3,491 | 22°28′N 28°10′W / 22.467°N 28.167°W | 21 | |
8 June 1942 | South Africa | 9,234 | 12°47′N 49°44′W / 12.783°N 49.733°W | 6 | |
21 June 1942 | West Ira | 5,681 | 12°28′N 57°05′W / 12.467°N 57.083°W | 1 | |
23 June 1942 | Andrea Brøvig | 10,173 | 12°10′N 59°10′W / 12.167°N 59.167°W | 0 | |
27 June 1942 | Polybius | 7,041 | 10°55′N 57°40′W / 10.917°N 57.667°W | 10 | |
8 November 1942 | Maloja | 6,400 | 11°58′N 27°08′W / 11.967°N 27.133°W | 2 | |
10 November 1942 | Cerinthus | 3,878 | 12°27′N 27°45′W / 12.45°N 27.75°W | 20 | |
10 November 1942 | Start Point | 5,293 | 13°12′N 27°27′W / 13.2°N 27.45°W | 2 | |
5 December 1942 | Teesbank | 5,136 | 03°33′N 29°35′W / 3.55°N 29.583°W | 1 |
References[]
Notes[]
- ↑ Campbell, John Naval Weapons of World War Two ISBN 0-87021-459-4 pp.248&249
External links[]
- U-128 at u-boot-archiv.de (German)
See also[]
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Coordinates: 10°00′00″N 35°34′59″W / 10.000°N 35.583°W
The original article can be found at German submarine U-128 (1941) and the edit history here.