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German submarine U-638
Career (Nazi Germany) War Ensign of Germany 1938-1945
Name: U-638
Ordered: 20 January 1941
Builder: Blohm & Voss, Hamburg
Yard number: 614
Laid down: 16 October 1941
Launched: 8 July 1942
Commissioned: 3 September 1942
Fate: Sunk 5 May 1943 in the North Atlantic in position 54°12′N 44°05′W / 54.2°N 44.083°W / 54.2; -44.083, by depth charges from HMS Sunflower.
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
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
(3 September 1942 - 31 January 1943) - Training
9th U-boat Flotilla
(1 February - 5 May 1943)
Commanders: Oblt.z.S. Oskar Staudinger
(3 September - 8 December 1942)
Kptlt. Hinrich-Oscar Bernbeck
(9 December 1942 - 31 March 1943)
Kptlt. Oskar Staudinger
(1 April - 5 May 1943)
Operations: 1st patrol:
4 February - 31 March 1943
2nd patrol:
20 April - 5 May 1943
Victories: 1 merchant ship sunk (5,507 GRT)
1 merchant ship damaged (6,537 GRT)

German submarine U-638 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II. She was laid down on 16 October 1941 by Blohm & Voss, Hamburg as yard number 614, launched on 8 July 1942 and commissioned on 3 September 1942 under Kapitänleutnant Oskar Staudinger.

Service History[]

The boat's career began with training at 5th U-boat Flotilla on 3 September 1942, followed by active service on 1 February 1943 as part of the 9th Flotilla for the remainder of her service.

In three patrols she sank one merchant ship, for a total of 5,507 gross register tons (GRT) and one ship damaged.

Wolfpacks[]

U-638 took part in four wolfpacks, namely

  • Burggraf (26–28 February 1943)
  • Wildfang (28 February – 5 March 1943)
  • Raubgraf (7–15 March 1943)
  • Amsel 1 (3–5 May 1943)

Fate[]

U-638 was sunk on 5 May 1943 in the North Atlantic in position 54°12′N 44°05′W / 54.2°N 44.083°W / 54.2; -44.083Coordinates: 54°12′N 44°05′W / 54.2°N 44.083°W / 54.2; -44.083, by depth charges from HMS Sunflower. All hands were lost.

Summary of Raiding Career[]

Date Name Nationality Tonnage
(GRT)
Fate[3]
7 March 1943 Empire Light Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom United Kingdom 6,537 Damaged
5 May 1943 Dollus Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom United Kingdom 5,507 Sunk

References[]

  1. Gröner 1985, pp. 72-74.
  2. Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-638". http://www.uboat.net/boats/u638.html. Retrieved 1 September 2014. 
  3. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-638". http://uboat.net/boats/successes/u638.html. Retrieved 1 September 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 Wolfpacks - The U-boats at War. pp. 199. 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-638 and the edit history here.
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