German submarine U-186
| History | |
|---|---|
 Nazi Germany | |
| Name | U-186 |
| Ordered | 15 August 1940 |
| Builder | Weser AG, Bremen |
| Yard number | 1026 |
| Laid down | 24 July 1941 |
| Launched | 11 March 1941[1] |
| Commissioned | 10 July 1942[2] |
| Fate | Sunk by HMS Hesperus, 12 May 1943[2] |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Type IXC/40 submarine |
| Displacement | list error: <br /> list (help) 1,120 t (1,100 long tons) surfaced 1,232 t (1,213 long tons) submerged |
| Length | list error: <br /> list (help) 76.8 m (252 ft 0 in) o/a 58.7 m (192 ft 7 in) pressure hull |
| Beam | list error: <br /> list (help) 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 | list error: <br /> list (help) 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 | list error: <br /> list (help) 19 knots (35 km/h) surfaced 7.3 knots (13.5 km/h) submerged |
| Range | list error: <br /> list (help) 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 | list error: <br /> list (help) • 6 × torpedo tubes (four bow, two stern) • 22 × 533 mm (21 in) torpedoes • 1 × Utof 105 mm/45 deck gun (110 rounds) • AA guns |
| Service record[3] | |
| Part of: |
list error: <br /> list (help) Kriegsmarine 4th U-boat Flotilla (training boat) 10 July–31 December 1942 10th U-boat Flotilla 1 January –12 May 1943 |
| Commanders: |
list error: <br /> list (help) Krvtkpt. Siegfried Hesemann (10 July 1942–12 May 1943) |
| Operations: | Two patrols |
| Victories: | Three ships sunk, totalling 18,782 GRT GRT uses unsupported parameter (help) |
German submarine U-186 was a Type IXC/40 U-boat of the Nazi German Kriegsmarine built for service during World War II. Her keel was laid down on 24 July 1941 by AG Weser in Bremen as 'werk' 1026. She was launched on 11 March 1942 and commissioned on 10 July with Korvettenkapitän Siegfried Hesemann in command.
The U-boat's service began with training as part of the 4th U-boat Flotilla. She then moved to the 10th flotilla on 1 January 1943 for operations. The submarine carried out two patrols and was a member of nine wolf packs. She sank three ships totalling 18,782 GRT GRT uses unsupported parameter (help).
She was sunk by a British destroyer in May 1943.
Operational career
1st patrol
U-186's first patrol took her from Kiel, across the North Sea and into the Atlantic Ocean through the 'gap' between Iceland and the Faroe Islands. She sank the Ocean Vagabond on 11 January 1943 south of Iceland. This ship had already been damaged by U-513 in September 1942. U-186 also sank the Hastings and the Eulima on 23 February 1943 about 310 mi (500 km) south of Cape Race (Newfoundland). She arrived at Lorient in occupied France, on 5 March.
2nd patrol and loss
The boat departed Lorient on 17 April 1943. On 12 May she was sunk northwest of the Azores by depth charges dropped by the British destroyer HMS Hesperus. Fifty three men died. There were no survivors.
Summary of raiding history
| Date | Ship | Nationality | Tonnage | Fate[4] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 January 1943 | Ocean Vagabond |  Great Britain |
7,174 | Sunk |
| 23 February 1943 | Eulima | Great Britain |
6,204 | Sunk |
| 23 February 1943 | Hastings |  USA |
5,401 | Sunk |
See also
References
- Notes
- ^ Kemp, Paul: U-Boats Destroyed - German Submarine Losses in the World Wars, 1999, Arms & Armour, ISBN 1-85409-515-3, pp. 115-116
- ^ a b Kemp, pp. 115-116
- ^ "The Type IXC/40 boat U-186 - German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net". uboat.net. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
- ^ Ships hit by U-186 - U-boat Successes - German U-boats - uboat.net
- Bibliography