German submarine U-630 | |
---|---|
Career (Nazi Germany) | |
Name: | U-630 |
Ordered: | 15 August 1940 |
Builder: | Blohm & Voss, Hamburg |
Yard number: | 606 |
Laid down: | 23 August 1941 |
Launched: | 12 May 1942 |
Commissioned: | 9 July 1942 |
Fate: | Sunk 6 May 1943 in the North Atlantic in position 52°31′N 44°50′W / 52.517°N 44.833°W, by depth charges from HMS Vidette. |
General characteristics [1] | |
Class & 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 |
Height: | 9.6 m (31 ft 6 in) |
Draft: | 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in) |
Propulsion: |
2 × supercharged Germaniawerft 6-cylinder 4-stroke F46 diesel engines, totalling 2,800–3,200 bhp (2,100–2,400 kW). Max rpm: 470-490 2 × BBC GG UB 720/8 electric motors, totalling 750 shp (560 kW) and max rpm: 296 |
Speed: |
17.7 knots (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph) surfaced 7.6 knots (14.1 km/h; 8.7 mph) submerged |
Range: |
8,500 nmi (15,700 km; 9,800 mi) at 10 kn (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced 80 nmi (150 km; 92 mi) at 4 kn (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged |
Test depth: |
230 m (750 ft) Crush depth: 250–295 m (820–968 ft) |
Complement: | 44–52 officers & ratings |
Armament: |
|
Service record[2] | |
---|---|
Part of: |
5th U-boat Flotilla (2 January - 30 November 1942) - Training 1st U-boat Flotilla (1 December 1942 - 1 March 1944) |
Commanders: |
Oblt.z.S. Werner Winkler (9 July 1942 - 6 May 1943) |
Operations: |
1st patrol: 18 March - 6 May 1943 |
Victories: | 2 merchant ships sunk (14,894 GRT) |
German submarine U-630 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II. She was laid down on 23 August 1941 by Blohm & Voss, Hamburg as yard number 606, launched on 12 May 1942 and commissioned on 9 July 1942 under Oberleutnant zur See Werner Winkler.
Service History[]
The boat's career began with training at 5th U-boat Flotilla on 9 July 1942, followed by active service on 1 April 1943 as part of the 3rd Flotilla for the remainder of her service.
In one patrol she sank two merchant ships, for a total of 14,894 gross register tons (GRT).
Wolfpacks[]
U-630 took part in four wolfpacks, namely
- Löwenherz (1–10 April 1943)
- Lerche (10–15 April 1943)
- Specht (22 April – 4 May 1943)
- Fink (4–6 May 1943)
Convoy HX 231[]
Convoy HX 231 set out across the Atlantic on 30 March 1943, only one U-tanker, U-463 was at sea, and she had sixteen U-boats queuing up to be topped up. These boats formed the wolfpack Löwenherz.
On 4 April U-635 attacked and damaged both the 5,529 GRT British motor vessel Shillong and 9,365 GRT British steamer Waroonga. U-630 is credited with finishing off both wounded vessels on the following day.
Fate[]
U-630 was sunk on 6 May 1943 in the North Atlantic in position 52°31′N 44°50′W / 52.517°N 44.833°W, by depth charges from HMS Vidette. All hands were lost.
Summary of Raiding Career[]
Date | Name | Nationality | Tonnage (GRT) |
Fate[3] |
---|---|---|---|---|
5 April 1943 | Shillong | United Kingdom | 5,529 | Sunk |
5 April 1943 | Waroonga | United Kingdom | 9,365 | Sunk |
References[]
- ↑ Gröner 1985, pp. 72-74.
- ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-630". http://www.uboat.net/boats/u630.html. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
- ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-630". http://uboat.net/boats/successes/u630.html. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
Bibliography[]
- Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (1999) (in German). Deutsche U-Boot-Verluste von September 1939 bis Mai 1945. IV. Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn: Mittler. ISBN 3-8132-0514-2.
- Gröner, Erich (1985) (in German). U-Boote, Hilfskreuzer, Minenschiffe, Netzleger, Sperrbrecher. III. Koblenz: Bernard & Graefe. ISBN 3-7637-4802-4.
- Edwards, Bernard (1996). Dönitz and the Wolf Packs - The U-boats at War. pp. 182, 184, 197. ISBN 0-304-35203-9.
- Sharpe, Peter (1998). U-Boat Fact File. Great Britain: Midland Publishing. ISBN 1-85780-072-9.
External links[]
- Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-630". http://www.uboat.net/boats/u630.html. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
The original article can be found at German submarine U-630 and the edit history here.