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German submarine U-518
Career War Ensign of Germany 1938-1945
Name: U-518
Ordered: 14 February 1940
Builder: Deutsche Werft, Hamburg
Yard number: 314
Laid down: 12 June 1941
Launched: 11 February 1942
Commissioned: 25 April 1942
Fate: Sunk, 22 April 1945[1]
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) o/a
58.7 m (192 ft 7 in) pressure hull
Beam: 6.8 m (22 ft 4 in) o/a
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, 4,400 hp (3,281 kW)
2 × SSW GU345/34 double-acting electric motors, 1,000 hp (746 kW)
Speed: 18.2 knots (33.7 km/h) surfaced
7.7 knots (14.3 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 × 533 mm (21 in) torpedoes
• 1 × 10.5 cm SK C/32 naval gun[2] (110 rounds)
• AA guns
Service record[3][4]
Part of: 4th U-boat Flotilla
(25 April–30 September 1942)
2nd U-boat Flotilla
(1 October 1942–31 October 1944)
33rd U-boat Flotilla
(1 November 1944–22 April 1945)
Commanders: FrgKpt. Hans-Günther Brachmann
(25 April–18 August 1942)
Kptlt. Friedrich-Wilhelm Wissmann
(19 August 1942–13 January 1944)
Oblt. Hans-Werner Offermann
(13 January 1944–22 April 1945)
Operations: 1st patrol: 26 September–15 December 1942
2nd patrol: 11 January–27 April 1943
3rd patrol: 24 June–3 July 1943
4th patrol: 18 August–1 December 1943
5th patrol: 23 January–7 May 1944
6th patrol: 15 July–24 October 1944
7th patrol: 12 March–22 April 1945
Victories: Nine commercial ships sunk (55,747 GRT)
three commercial ships damaged (22,616 GRT)

German submarine U-518 was a Type IXC U-boat of the German Navy during World War II. She saw considerable success from her launch in 11 February 1942 until she was sunk on 22 April 1945.[5] The U-boat was laid down at the Deutsche Werft in Hamburg as 'werk' 314 on 12 June 1941, and commissioned on 25 April 1942 with Fregattenkapitän Hans-Günther Brachmann in command. He was replaced on 19 August 1942 by Kapitänleutnant Friedrich-Wilhelm Wissmann.[6]

She sank nine ships and damaged three more in ten active patrols. U-518 had a crew of 56, and was by then commanded by Oberleutnant Hans-Werner Offermann from 13 January 1944.

Operational career[]

First patrol[]

She left Kiel on 26 September 1942, by-passed the British Isles via the gap between Iceland and the Faeroe Islands and crossed the Atlantic. She entered Conception Bay, Newfoundland and near Bell Island sank the British PLM 27 and the Canadian Rose Castle on 2 November. Moving out into the Atlantic proper, she attacked other ships, such as the British Empire Sailor on the 21st and the American Caddo on the 23rd. With these and other successes behind her, she moved to her new home base, Lorient in occupied France, arriving on 15 December 1942.

Second patrol[]

Leaving Lorient on 11 January 1943, she sailed to the eastern Brazilian coast and on 14 February 1943 came under attack from unidentified Allied aircraft; she sustained minimal damage Between 18 February and 25 March, she sank another four ships.On the return journey, she passed through the Cape Verde Islands, west of the Canaries and east of the Azores, arriving back at Lorient on 27 April 1943 after a patrol lasting 107 days.

Third patrol[]

Her third sortie was marred by a depth charge and strafing attack on 27 June 1943 by a Sunderland flying boat of 201 Squadron, RAF. The damage incurred was serious enough to warrant her return which was hampered by another attack by a Sunderland, this time from 10 Squadron, RAAF on 30 June in the Bay of Biscay. This incident caused no further damage, but the aircraft's rear gunner was mortally wounded.The boat docked in Bordeaux on 3 July.

Fourth patrol[]

She spent fifteen weeks on patrol which included a presence in the Gulf of Mexico, between 18 August and 1 December 1943, with no results.

Fifth patrol[]

Another long patrol saw the boat in the Caribbean where she torpedoed the Panamanian Valera. The ship broke in two before sinking. The submarine had departed Lorient on 23 January 1944 and returned there on 10 July.

Sixth patrol[]

This was a non-active Patrol, traveling from port to port, lasted from 4–10 July 1944, with no results

Seventh patrol[]

By now, the Allies were besieging the Atlantic ports on the landward side; the boat departed Lorient for the last time on 15 July 1944. Allied escort ships attacked a submarine in mid-ocean, probably U-518, on 9 August. She next turned up, on the eastern US coast, where she damaged the American George Ade. She then withdrew to Kristiansand in Norway, arriving on 24 October 1944.

Eighth and ninth patrols[]

Both of these voyages from 25–28 October 1944 and 5–10 March 1945 were between ports and produced no results.

Tenth and final patrol[]

Her last foray began when she departed Kristiansand on 12 March 1945. She was sunk northwest of the Azores on 24 April by depth charges from USS Carter and Scott. There were no survivors.

Raiding history[]

Date Name Nationality Tonnage
(GRT)
Fate[7]
2 November 1942 P.L.M. 27 Flag of the United Kingdom United Kingdom 5,633 Sunk
2 November 1942 Rose Castle Flag of Canada Canada 7,803 Sunk
21 November 1942 British Promise Flag of the United Kingdom United Kingdom 8,443 Damaged
21 November 1942 British Renown Flag of the United Kingdom United Kingdom 8,443 Damaged
21 November 1942 Empire Sailor Flag of the United Kingdom United Kingdom 6,997 Sunk
21 November 1942 Caddo Flag of the United States USA 10,172 Sunk
18 February 1943 Brasiloide Flag of Brazil Brazil 6,075 Sunk
1 March 1943 Fitz-John Porter Flag of the United States USA 7,176 Sunk
20 March 1943 Mariso Flag of the Netherlands Netherlands 7,659 Sunk
25 March 1943 Industria Flag of Sweden Sweden 1,688 Sunk
7 March 1944 Valera Flag of Panama Panama 3,401 Sunk
12 September 1944 George Ade Flag of the United States USA 7,176 Damaged

See also[]

Notes[]

  1. Kemp, Paul: U-Boats Destroyed - German Submarine Losses in the World Wars, 1997, Arms & Armour, ISBN 1-85409-515-3, p. 252.
  2. Campbell, John Naval Weapons of World War Two ISBN 0-87021-459-4 pp.248&249
  3. "The Type IXC boat U-518 - German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net". uboat.net. http://www.uboat.net/boats/u518.htm. Retrieved 26 February 2010. 
  4. "War Patrols by German U-boat U-518 - Boats - uboat.net". uboat.net. http://www.uboat.net/boats/patrols/u518.html. Retrieved 26 February 2010. 
  5. "U-Boat Operations". ubootwaffe.net. http://ubootwaffe.net/ops/boat.cgi?boat=518. Retrieved 26 February 2010. 
  6. http://uboat.net/boats/u518htm
  7. http://uboat.net/boats/successes/u518html

Bibliography[]

- Le abbuffate del sottomarino tedesco U-518 - 1965 1976 1987 1998 2009 2020 2031 2042 2053 2064

External links[]



Coordinates: 43°26′N 38°23′W / 43.433°N 38.383°W / 43.433; -38.383

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The original article can be found at German submarine U-518 and the edit history here.
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