| German submarine U-535 | |
|---|---|
| Career |  |
| Name: | U-535 |
| Ordered: | 10 April 1941 |
| Builder: | Deutsche Werft, Hamburg |
| Yard number: | 353 |
| Laid down: | 6 March 1942 |
| Launched: | 8 October 1942 |
| Commissioned: | 23 December 1942 |
| Fate: | Sunk, 5 July 1943 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Type IXC/40 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: |
6.9 m (22 ft 8 in) o/a 4.4 m (14 ft 5 in) pressure hull |
| Height: | 9.6 m (31 ft 6 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: |
19 knots (35 km/h) surfaced 7.3 knots (13.5 km/h) submerged |
| Range: |
25,620 nmi (47,450 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 (4 bow, 2 stern) • 22 × 533 mm (21 in) torpedoes • 1 × Utof 105 mm/45 deck gun (110 rounds) • AA guns |
| Service record[1][2] | |
|---|---|
| Part of: |
4th U-boat Flotilla (23 December 1942–31 May 1943) 10th U-boat Flotilla (1 June 1943–5 July 1943) |
| Commanders: |
Kptlt. Helmut Ellmenreich (23 December 1942–5 July 1943) |
| Operations: | 1st patrol: 25 May–5 July 1943 |
| Victories: | None |
German submarine U-535 was a Type IXC/40 U-boat of the German Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 6 March 1942 at the Deutsche Werft yard at Hamburg, launched on 8 October 1942, and commissioned on 23 December 1942 under the command of Kapitänleutnant Helmut Ellmenreich. After training with 4th U-boat Flotilla in the Baltic Sea, U-535 was transferred to 10th U-boat Flotilla for front-line service. U-535 completed one patrol, but did not sink any ships.[1]
Service history[]
U-535 sailed from Kiel on 25 May 1943 on her first and only war patrol in the north Atlantic.[3]
On 8 June at about 14:00, the U-boat was attacked with depth charges by a Hudson light bomber from No. 269 Squadron RAF, close to Convoy SC-132. A follow-up attack by another Hudson from the same squadron was aborted when the depth charges failed to release in two attack runs. The aircraft was damaged by the U-boat's flak, and the pilot warned an arriving United States Navy Catalina patrol bomber of Squadron VP-84 that the boat would stay up and fight, so the flying boat shadowed U-535 until it escaped at dusk.[1]
Sinking[]
At 16:55 on 5 July 1943, a group of three inbound U-boats; U-170, U-535 and U-536 were attacked by a British Liberator maritime reconnaissance aircraft of No. 53 Squadron RAF, north-east of Cape Finisterre, Spain. The U-boats evaded the first attack, and U-536 was strafed in the second. U-536 gave the signal to crash-dive, but for unknown reasons U-535 remained on the surface. Despite hitting the aircraft with her AA guns, the U-boat was straddled by eight depth charges and sank with all hands in position 43°38′N 09°13′W / 43.633°N 9.217°WCoordinates: 43°38′N 09°13′W / 43.633°N 9.217°W. Damaged and with one crewman wounded, the aircraft immediately left the area and returned to base.[1]
References[]
- Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "The Type IXC/40 boat U-535 - German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net". uboat.net. http://www.uboat.net/boats/u535.htm. Retrieved 6 February 2010.
- ↑ "War Patrols by German U-boat U-535 - Boats - uboat.net". uboat.net. http://www.uboat.net/boats/patrols/u535.html. Retrieved 6 February 2010.
- ↑ "Patrol of U-boat U-535 from 25 May 1943 to 5 Jul 1943 - U-boat patrols - uboat.net". uboat.net. http://www.uboat.net/boats/patrols/patrol_1220.html. Retrieved 6 February 2010.
- Bibliography
- U-535 at uboat.net
- U-535 at ubootwaffe.net
- Bishop, C. Kriegsmarine U-Boats, 1939-45. Amber Books, 2006.
See also[]
The original article can be found at German submarine U-535 and the edit history here.