German submarine U-130 (1941)
History | |
---|---|
Germany | |
Name | U-130 |
Ordered | 7 August 1939 |
Builder | AG Weser in Bremen |
Laid down | 20 August 1940 |
Launched | 14 March 1941 |
Commissioned | 11 June 1941 |
Fate | Sunk west of the Azores on 12 March 1943 by USS USS Champlin[1] |
General characteristics | |
Type | Type IXC 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) overall 58.7 m (192 ft 7 in) pressure hull |
Beam | list error: <br /> list (help) 6.8 m (22 ft 4 in) overall 4.4 m (14 ft 5 in) pressure hull |
Height | 9.4 m (30 ft 10 in) |
Draft | 4.7 m (15 ft 5 in) |
Propulsion | list error: <br /> list (help) 2 × MAN M9V40/46 supercharged 9-cylinder diesel engines, 4,000 hp (2,983 kW) 2 × SSW GU345/34 double-acting electric motors, 1,000 hp (746 kW) |
Speed | list error: <br /> list (help) 18.2 knots (33.7 km/h) surfaced 7.3 knots (13.5 km/h) submerged |
Range | list error: <br /> list (help) 24,880 nmi (46,080 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 × 55 cm (22 in) torpedoes 1 × 10.5 cm SK C/32 naval gun[2] (110 rounds) |
Service record
Part of:
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4th U-boat Flotilla
(21 May 1941–30 June 1941)
2nd U-boat Flotilla
(1 July 1941–1 July 1944)Commanders:
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Krvtkpt. Ernst Kals
(11 June 1941–1 January 1943)
Oberleutnant Siefried Keller
(7 February 1943–12 March 1943)Operations:
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1st patrol:
1 December–16 December 1941
2nd patrol:
27 December–25 February 1942
3rd patrol:
24 March 1942–6 June 1942
4th patrol:
4 July–12 September 1942
5th patrol:
29 Octoberl–30 December 1942
6th patrol:
28 February 1943–12 March 1943Victories:
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21 commercial ships sunk (127,608 GRT GRT uses unsupported parameter (help))
three auxillary warships sunk (34,407 GRT)
one ship damaged (6,986 GRT)
German submarine U-130 was a Type IXC U-boat of the Nazi German Kriegsmarine during World War II. She was laid down at the AG Weser yard, Bremen as 'werk' 993 on 20 August 1940, launched on 14 March 1941 and commissioned on 11 June.
Her service life began with training in the 4th U-boat Flotilla; she moved to the 2nd Flotilla for more training on 1 September 1941 and operations with the same organization on 1 December.
She sank 21 ships, a total of 127,608 GRT GRT uses unsupported parameter (help) and three auxiliary warships totalling 34,407 GRT in six patrols. She also damaged one ship of 6,986 GRT. She was a member of three wolf packs.
Operational career
1st and 2nd patrols
The boat's operational debut was her departure from Kiel on 1 December 1941. Crossing the North Sea, she entered the Atlantic Ocean via the gap between the Faroe and the Shetland Islands. She sank the Kurdistan northwest of Northern Ireland on the 10th before docking at Lorient in occupied France on the 16th. U-130 would use this port for the rest of her career. The Kurdistan survivors were picked up by HMS Kingcup (K33) and landed at Derry.
The submarine was unsuccessfully attacked by an aircraft on 12 January 1942 in the Cabot Strait, between Nova Scotia and Newfoundland on her second patrol. She then sank two ships on the 13th east of Nova Scotia. She was almost sunk by two Canadian destroyers on the 18th, but the winter weather played a part, hampering both sides. The U-boat moved south, to warmer waters.
3rd, 4th and 5th patrols
U-130's third patrol was marked by using her deck gun in conjunction with her torpedoes in the western north Atlantic and the eastern Caribbean when she sank the Grenanger on 11 April 1942 and the Esso Boston a day later.
The boat's fourth sortie also brought success, this time near the Cape Verde islands. Among others, she sank the Tankexpress, the Elmwood and the Danmark, all in July 1942.
She tried to impede the landings for Operation Torch, the invasion of North Africa, when she sank three troop transports at anchor off Morocco on 12 November 1942. They were the USS Tasker H. Bliss, Edward Rutledge and Hugh L. Scott. The boat then headed off into the Atlantic, north of the Azores.
6th patrol and loss
Her last patrol was not without success; she sank the Trefusis, Fidra, Empire Tower and Ger-y-Bryn, all on 5 March 1943.
She was sunk on 12 March 1943 by depth charges from the American destroyer USS Champlin west of the Azores. 53 men died. There were no survivors.
Summary of raiding history
Date[3] | Name | Flag | Tonnage | Fate |
---|---|---|---|---|
10 December 1941 | Kirnwood | United Kingdom | 3,829 | Sunk |
10 December 1941 | Kurdistan | United Kingdom | 5,844 | Sunk |
10 December 1941 | Star of Luxor | Egypt | 5,298 | Sunk |
13 January 1942 | Friar Rock | Panama | 5,427 | Sunk |
13 January 1942 | Frisco | Norway | 1,582 | Sunk |
21 January 1942 | Alexander Høegh | Norway | 8,248 | Sunk |
25 January 1942 | Varanger | Norway | 9,305 | Sunk |
27 January 1942 | Francis E. Powell | USA | 7,096 | Sunk |
27 January 1942 | Halo | USA | 6,986 | Damaged |
11 April 1942 | Grenanger | Norway | 5,393 | Sunk |
11 April 1942 | Esso Boston | USA | 7,699 | Sunk |
25 July 1942 | Tankexpress | Norway | 10,095 | Sunk |
27 July 1942 | Elmwood | Norway | 7,167 | Sunk |
30 July 1942 | Danmark | United Kingdom | 8,391 | Sunk |
9 August 1942 | Malmanger | Norway | 7,078 | Sunk |
11 August 1942 | Mirlo | Norway | 7,455 | Sunk |
25 August 1942 | Viking Star | United Kingdom | 6,445 | Sunk |
26 August 1942 | Beechwood | United Kingdom | 4,897 | Sunk |
12 November 1942 | USS Edward Rutledge | USA | 9,360 | Sunk |
12 November 1942 | USS Hugh L. Scott | USA | 12,479 | Sunk |
12 November 1942 | USS Tasker H. Bliss | USA | 12,568 | Sunk |
5 March 1943 | Empire Tower | United Kingdom | 4,378 | Sunk |
5 March 1943 | Fidra | United Kingdom | 1,574 | Sunk |
5 March 1943 | Ger-y-Bryn | United Kingdom | 5,108 | Sunk |
5 March 1943 | Trefusis | United Kingdom | 5,299 | Sunk |
References
- ^ Kemp, Paul: U-Boats Destroyed - German Submarine Losses in the World Wars, 1997, Arms & Armour, ISBN 1-85409-515-3, p. 107
- ^ Campbell, John Naval Weapons of World War Two ISBN 0-87021-459-4 pp. 248 and 249
- ^ "Ships hit by U-130 - U-boat Successes - German U-boats - uboat.net". uboat.net. Retrieved 11 July 2012.
External links
See also
10°00′00″N 35°34′59″W / 10.000°N 35.583°W