German submarine U-657
History | |
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Name | U-657 |
Ordered | 9 October 1939 |
Builder | Howaldtswerke, Hamburg |
Yard number | 806 |
Laid down | 5 October 1940 |
Launched | 12 August 1941 |
Commissioned | 8 October 1941 |
Fate | Sunk on 17 May 1943 in the North Atlantic in position 58°54′N 42°33′W / 58.900°N 42.550°W, by depth charges from HMS Swale. |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Type VIIC submarine |
Displacement | |
Length |
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Beam |
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Draught | 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in) |
Installed power |
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Propulsion |
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Speed |
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Range | |
Test depth |
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Complement | 4 officers, 40–56 enlisted |
Armament |
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Service record[1] | |
Part of: |
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Identification codes: | M 38 963 |
Commanders: | |
Operations: |
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Victories: |
1 merchant ship sunk (5,196 GRT) |
German submarine U-657 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II. She was laid down on 5 October 1940 by Howaldtswerke, Hamburg as yard number 806, launched on 12 August 1941 and commissioned on 8 October 1941 under Oberleutnant zur See Hans-Jürgen Radke.
Radke was killed in a fire while the boat was undergoing trials on 14 December 1941.[2]
Design
[edit]German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-657 had a displacement of 769 tonnes (757 long tons) when at the surface and 871 tonnes (857 long tons) while submerged.[4] She had a total length of 67.10 m (220 ft 2 in), a pressure hull length of 50.50 m (165 ft 8 in), a beam of 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in), a height of 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in), and a draught of 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in). The submarine was powered by two Germaniawerft F46 four-stroke, six-cylinder supercharged diesel engines producing a total of 2,800 to 3,200 metric horsepower (2,060 to 2,350 kW; 2,760 to 3,160 shp) for use while surfaced, two Siemens-Schuckert GU 343/38–8 double-acting electric motors producing a total of 750 metric horsepower (550 kW; 740 shp) for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 1.23 m (4 ft) propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to 230 metres (750 ft).[4]
The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 17.7 knots (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 7.6 knots (14.1 km/h; 8.7 mph).[4] When submerged, the boat could operate for 80 nautical miles (150 km; 92 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 8,500 nautical miles (15,700 km; 9,800 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). U-657 was fitted with five 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and one at the stern), fourteen torpedoes, one 8.8 cm (3.46 in) SK C/35 naval gun, 220 rounds, and a 2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.[4]
Service history
[edit]The boat's career began with training at 8th U-boat Flotilla on 8 October 1941, followed by active service on 1 March 1942 as part of the 3rd Flotilla in La Pallice, France. Four months later, she transferred to 11th Flotilla, in Bergen, Norway, for the remainder of her service.[1]
In seven patrols she sank one merchant ship, for a total of 5,196 gross register tons (GRT).
Wolfpacks
[edit]U-657 took part in six wolfpacks, namely:
- Naseweis (31 March – 10 April 1942)
- Eisteufel (21 June – 8 July 1942)
- Nebelkönig (27 July – 14 August 1942)
- Nordwind (24 January – 4 February 1943)
- Iller (12 – 15 May 1943)
- Donau 1 (15 – 17 May 1943)
Fate
[edit]U-657 was sunk on 17 May 1943 in the North Atlantic, E of Cape Farewell, Greenland, in position 58°54′N 42°33′W / 58.900°N 42.550°W, by depth charges from Royal Navy frigate HMS Swale. All hands were lost.
Summary of raiding history
[edit]Date | Ship Name | Nationality | Tonnage (GRT) |
Fate[5] |
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17 May 1943 | Aymeric | ![]() |
5,196 | Sunk |
References
[edit]- ^ a b Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-657". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
- ^ a b Helgason, Guðmundur. "Hans-Jürgen Radke". German U-boats of World War II - Uboat.net. Retrieved 21 April 2015.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Heinrich Göllnitz". German U-boats of World War II - Uboat.net. Retrieved 21 April 2015.
- ^ a b c d Gröner 1991, pp. 43–46.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-657". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
Bibliography
[edit]- Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (1999). German U-boat commanders of World War II : a biographical dictionary. Translated by Brooks, Geoffrey. London, Annapolis, Md: Greenhill Books, Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-186-6.
- Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (1999). Der U-Boot-Krieg, 1939-1945: Deutsche U-Boot-Verluste von September 1939 bis Mai 1945 [German U-boat losses from September 1939 to May 1945] (in German). Vol. IV. Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn: Mittler. ISBN 3-8132-0514-2.
- Gröner, Eric; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). German Warships 1815-1945: U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. Vol. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4.
- Sharpe, Peter (1998). U-Boat Fact File. Great Britain: Midland Publishing. ISBN 1-85780-072-9.
External links
[edit]- Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-657". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
- German Type VIIC submarines
- 1941 ships
- U-boats commissioned in 1941
- Submarines lost with all hands
- U-boats sunk in 1943
- U-boats sunk by depth charges
- U-boats sunk by British warships
- World War II shipwrecks in the Atlantic Ocean
- World War II submarines of Germany
- Ships built in Hamburg
- Maritime incidents in May 1943