| German submarine U-420 | |
|---|---|
 U-995, a Type VIIC U-boat at the German navy memorial at Laboe which was almost identical to U-420 | |
| Career (Nazi Germany) |  |
| Name: | U-420 |
| Ordered: | 20 January 1941 |
| Builder: | Danziger Werft AG, Danzig |
| Laid down: | 3 December 1941 |
| Launched: | 18 August 1942 |
| Commissioned: | 16 December 1942 |
| Fate: | Disappeared without a trace in the North Atlantic in October 1943 |
| 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 M6V 40/46 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: | 44–52 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 |
German submarine U-420 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for the Kriegsmarine for service during World War II.
She was laid down in the Danziger Werft as 'Werk' 121, launched on 18 August 1942 and commissioned on 16 December the same year under Oberleutnant Peter Högqvist. She then joined the 8th U-boat Flotilla for training before transferring to the 11th flotilla for operations.
Operational career[]
1st patrol[]
U-420's first patrol involved her leaving Kiel on 12 June 1943 and arriving at Lorient in occupied France on 16 July 1943, having hugged the Norwegian coast and sailed around the north of Scotland. She then crossed the Atlantic, but was attacked on 3 July by a Canadian B-24 Liberator. The boat was hit by a Fido homing torpedo which killed two men and wounded a third. The boat sustained enough damage to force the patrol to be cut short.[1]
2nd patrol and loss[]
Following a short transit voyage from Lorient to Brest, U-420 set off on her second patrol on 9 October 1943. After 20 October, she was never heard from again.[2]
References[]
External links[]
Coordinates: 48°00′N 21°00′W / 48°N 21°W
The original article can be found at German submarine U-420 and the edit history here.