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German submarine U-136 (1941)

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History
NameU-136
Ordered7 August 1939
BuilderBremer Vulkan, Bremen-Vegesack
Yard number15
Laid down2 October 1940
Launched5 July 1941[1]
Commissioned30 August 1941[2]
FateSunk, 11 July 1942[3]
General characteristics
TypeType VIIC submarine
Displacementlist error: <br /> list (help)
769 tonnes (757 long tons) surfaced
871 t (857 long tons) submerged
Lengthlist error: <br /> list (help)
67.1 m (220 ft 2 in) o/a
50.5 m (165 ft 8 in) pressure hull
Beamlist error: <br /> list (help)
6.2 m (20 ft 4 in) o/a
4.7 m (15 ft 5 in) pressure hull
Draft4.72 m (15 ft 6 in)
Propulsionlist error: <br /> list (help)
2 × supercharged Germaniawerft, 6-cylinder, 4-stroke M6V 40/46 diesels totalling 2,800–3,200 hp (2,100–2,400 kW). Max rpm: 470–490
2 × electric motors, totalling 750 shp (560 kW)
Speedlist error: <br /> list (help)
17.7 knots (20.4 mph; 32.8 km/h) surfaced
7.6 knots (8.7 mph; 14.1 km/h) submerged
Rangelist error: <br /> list (help)
8,500 nmi (15,700 km) at 10 kn (19 km/h) ↑
80 nmi (150 km) at 4 kn (7.4 km/h) ↓
Test depthlist error: <br /> list (help)
230 m (750 ft)
Calculated crush depth: 250–295 m (820–968 ft)
Complement44–52 officers and ratings
Armamentlist error: <br /> list (help)
• 5 × 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four bow, one stern)
• 14 × torpedoes
• 1 × C35 88 mm gun/L45 deck gun (220 rounds)
• 1 × 20 mm Flak 38 gun
Service record
Part of: list error: <br /> list (help)
6th U-boat Flotilla
(30 August 1941–31 December 1941)
6th U-boat Flotilla
(1 January 1942–11 July 1942)
Commanders: list error: <br /> list (help)
Kptlt. Heinrich Zimmermann
30 August 1941–11 July 1942)
Operations: list error: <br /> list (help)
Three
1st patrol:
22 January 1942–1 March 1942
2nd patrol:
30 March–20 May 1942
3rd patrol:
29 June–11 July 1942
Victories: list error: <br /> list (help)
Five commercial ships sunk (23,649 GRT GRT uses unsupported parameter (help))
Two warships sunk (1,850 tons)
One ship damaged (8,955 GRT)

German submarine U-136 was a Type VIIC U-boat of the Nazi German Kriegsmarine during World War II.

She was laid down at the Vulkan-Vegesackerwerft in Bremen on 2 October 1940 as 'werk' 15, launched on 5 July 1941 and commissioned on 30 August with Kapitänleutnant Heinrich Zimmermann in command.

Her service career began with the commencement of crew training with the 6th U-boat Flotilla on her commissioning date. She became operational on 1 January 1942, also with the 6th flotilla.

She sank five ships, with a total of 23,649 GRT GRT uses unsupported parameter (help) and two warships totalling 1,850 tons. She also damaged one ship of 8,955 GRT.

Operational career

1st Patrol

Her first patrol was unusual in that it was divided into three parts. Part one saw the boat depart Kiel on 22 January 1942 and arrive at Kristiansand in Norway on the 24th. Part two was from Kristiansand to Bergen, also in Norway. Part three involved the boat crossing the North Sea and negotiating the passage between the Faroe and Shetland Islands into the Atlantic Ocean. While doing so, she sank HMS Arbutus on 5 February and HMCS Spikenard on the 11th. She also sank the Empire Comet on the 17th. She then sailed to St. Nazaire in occupied France, arriving on 1 March.

2nd patrol

During U-136'es second patrol, the boat damaged the Axtell J. Byles off the US North Carolina coast on 19 April 1942 and sink the Empire Drum about 280 mi (450 km) southeast of New York on the 24th. All the crew survived; one of them, the third engineer, was found floating with a part of the ship's cargo tucked under each arm - it was TNT.

3rd patrol and loss

The boat's third and last patrol began with her departure from St. Nazaire on 29 June 1942. On 11 July, she was sunk with all hands (45 men), by depth charges from the Free French destroyer Léopard, the British frigate HMS Spey and the British sloop HMS Pelican west of Madeira.

Summary of raiding history

Date Name Nationality Tonnage
(GRT)
Fate[4]
5 February 1942 HMS Arbutus  United Kingdom 925 Sunk
11 February 1942 Heina  Norway 4,028 Sunk
11 February 1942 HMCS Spikenard  Canada 925 Sunk
17 February 1942 Empire Comet  United Kingdom 6,914 Sunk
19 April 1942 Axtell J. Byles  USA 8,955 Damaged
24 April 1942 Empire Drum  United Kingdom 7,244 Sunk
28 April 1942 Arundo  Netherlands 5,163 Sunk
8 May 1942 Mildred Pauline  Canada 300 Sunk
Bibliography

See also


References

  1. ^ Kemp, Paul: U-Boats Destroyed - German Submarine Losses in the World Wars, 1999, Arms & Armour, ISBN 1-85409-515-3, p. 84.
  2. ^ Kemp, p. 84.
  3. ^ Kemp, p. 84.
  4. ^ http://uboat.net/boats/successes/u136.html