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German submarine U-630
Career (Nazi Germany) War Ensign of Germany 1938-1945
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 / 52.517; -44.833, 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 / 52.517; -44.833, 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 Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom United Kingdom 5,529 Sunk
5 April 1943 Waroonga Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom United Kingdom 9,365 Sunk

References[]

  1. Gröner 1985, pp. 72-74.
  2. Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-630". http://www.uboat.net/boats/u630.html. Retrieved 7 August 2014. 
  3. 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[]


All or a portion of this article consists of text from Wikipedia, and is therefore Creative Commons Licensed under GFDL.
The original article can be found at German submarine U-630 and the edit history here.
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