| German submarine U-252 | |
|---|---|
| Career |  |
| Name: | U-252 |
| Ordered: | 23 September 1939[1] |
| Builder: | Vegesacker Werft, Bremen |
| Yard number: | werk 17[1] |
| Laid down: | 1 November 1940[1] |
| Launched: | 7 December 1941[1] |
| Commissioned: | 4 October 1941[1] |
| Fate: | Sunk, 14 April 1942[2] |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Type VIIC submarine |
| Displacement: |
769 tonnes (757 long tons) surfaced 871 t (857 long tons) submerged |
| Length: |
67.1 m (220 ft 2 in) o/a 50.5 m (165 ft 8 in) pressure hull |
| Beam: |
6.2 m (20 ft 4 in) o/a 4.7 m (15 ft 5 in) pressure hull |
| Draft: | 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in) |
| Propulsion: |
2 × supercharged Germaniawerft 6-cylinder 4-stroke F 46 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: |
17.7 knots (20.4 mph; 32.8 km/h) surfaced 7.6 knots (8.7 mph; 14.1 km/h) submerged |
| Range: |
15,170 km (8,190 nmi) at 10 kn (19 km/h) surfaced 150 km (81 nmi) at 4 kn (7.4 km/h) submerged |
| Test depth: |
230 m (750 ft) Crush depth: 250–295 m (820–968 ft) |
| Complement: | 48 officers and ratings |
| Armament: |
• 5 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four bow, one stern) • 14 × G7e torpedoes or 26 TMA mines • 1 × 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun(220 rounds) • Various AA guns |
| Service record[3][4] | |
|---|---|
| Part of: |
6th U-boat Flotilla (11 January–14 April 1941 |
| Commanders: |
Kptlt. Gunter Schiebusch (4 October–20 December 1941) Kplt. Kai Lerchen (21 December 1941–14 April 1942) |
| Operations: | 1st patrol: 1 April–14 April 1942 |
| Victories: | None |
German submarine U-252 was a Type VIIC U-boat of the Nazi German Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 1 November 1940 at the Vegesacker Werft at Bremen as Werk 17, launched on 14 August 1941 and commissioned on 4 October under the command of Kapitänleutnant Gunter Schiebusch.
Schiebusch was replaced by Kapitänleutnant Kai Lerchen on 21 December 1941. After training with the 6th U-boat Flotilla at Kiel, U-252 was deemed to be ready for front-line service and sailed on her first patrol on 1 April 1942. U-252 is thought to have sunk the 1,355 Norwegian Fanefield on 9 April.[5] Five days later she encountered convoy OG 82, and was attacked and sunk by depth charges from the sloop HMS Stork (L81) and the corvette HMS Vetch on 14 April 1942.[6][7]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 "U-252 Type VIIC". ubootwaffe.net. http://ubootwaffe.net/ops/boat.cgi?boat=252. Retrieved 20 May 2012.
- ↑ Kemp, Paul: U-Boats Destroyed - German Submarine Losses in the World Wars, 1999, Arms & Armour, ISBN 1-85409-515-3, p. 81.
- ↑ "U-252". German U-boats of WWII. Uboat.net. http://www.uboat.net/boats/u252.htm. Retrieved 20 May 2012.
- ↑ "War Patrols by U-252". Boats. Uboat.net. http://www.uboat.net/boats/patrols/u252.html. Retrieved 20 May 2012.
- ↑ Fanefjeld at uboat.net. Retrieved 18 December 2012
- ↑ Kemp, p 81
- ↑ Neistle p50
- Paul Kemp : U-Boats Destroyed (1997) ISBN 1-85409-515-3
- Axel Neistle : German U-Boat Losses during World War II (1998) ISBN 1-85367-352-8
The original article can be found at German submarine U-252 and the edit history here.