German submarine U-141 (1940)

For other ships with the same name, see German submarine U-141.

History
Germany
Name	U-141
Ordered	25 September 1939
Builder	Deutsche Werke, Kiel
Laid down	20 November 1939
Launched	12 December 1940
Commissioned	21 August 1940
Fate	Scuttled on 2 May 1945 at Wilhelmshaven
General characteristics
Class and type	Type IID Diesel-electric submarine
Displacement	314 Tons (Surfaced) 364 Tons (Submerged)
Length	144 ft. 3 in. (43.97 meters)
Beam	16 ft. 2 in. (4.92 meters)
Draught	12 ft. 11 in (3.93 meters)
Propulsion	2 × MWM RS127S 6-cylinder diesel engines, 700 hp (522 kW) 2 × SSW PGVV322/26 double-acting electric motors, 402 hp (300 kW)
Speed	12.7 knots (Surfaced) 7.4 knots (Submerged)
Range	5,650 miles at 8 knots (Surfaced) 56 miles at 4 knots (Submerged)
Test depth	492 ft. (150 meters)
Complement	22-24
Armament	3 × torpedo tubes (bow), five torpedoes 1 × 20mm anti-aircraft gun
Service record
Part of:	1st U-boat Flotilla (21 October–23 October 1940) 3rd U-boat Flotilla (1 May–30 September 1941) 21st U-boat Flotilla (1 October 1941–1 March 1945) 31st U-boat Flotilla (22 March–2 May 1945)
Commanders:	Oblt. Heinz-Otto Schultze (21 August–30 March 1941) Oblt. Horst ElfePhilip Schüler (31 March–15 June 1941) Oblt. Jürgen Kruger (30 November 1941–15 June 1942) Oblt. Günther Möller (16 June 1942–15 February 1943) Dietrich Rauch (16 February–28 July 1943) Oblt. Bernhard Luttmann (29 July 1943–6 November 1944) Oblt. Heinrich-Dietrich Hoffmann (7 November 1944–2 February 1945)
Operations:	1st patrol: 29 April–11 May 1941 2nd patrol: 31 May–26 June 1941 3rd patrol: 14 July–1 August 1941 4th patrol: 18 August–18 September 1941
Victories:	four ships sunk, one ship damaged

German submarine U-141 was a Type IID U-boat of the Nazi German Kriegsmarine during World War II. Her keel was laid down on 12 December 1939 by Deutsche Werke in Kiel as 'werk' 270. She was launched on 27 July 1940 and commissioned on 21 August 1940 with Oberleutnant Heinz-Otto Schultze in command.

U-141 began her service life with the 1st U-boat Flotilla. She was then assigned to the 3rd flotilla and subsequently to the 21st flotilla where she conducted four patrols, sinking four ships and damaging another, between May and September, 1941. She spent the rest of the war as a training vessel, moving over to the 31st flotilla.

She was scuttled in May 1945.

Operational career

The U-boat began her operational career with a trip from Kiel to Bergen in Norway in April 1941.

1st patrol

The submarine's first patrol commenced with her departure from Bergen on 29 April 1941. Her destination was Lorient in occupied France which she reached, having crossed the North Sea and made her way north of the Faroe Islands, on 11 May. During the voyage, she was unsuccessfully attacked by a Lockheed Hudson of No. 269 Squadron RAF west of the Outer Hebrides.

2nd patrol

She sank the Calabria on 22 June 1941 about 100 mi (160 km) northwest of the Inishull Lightship (Ireland).

3rd patrol

She damaged the Atlantic City and sank the Botney on 26 July 1941, west of Bloody Foreland, (also in Ireland).

4th patrol

U-141's last sortie took her north of Northern Ireland where she sank the Jarlinn and the King Erik in September 1941.

Raiding career

Date	Ship	Nationality	Tonnage	Fate
22 June 1941	Calabria	Sweden	1,277	Sunk
26 July 1941	Atlantic City	Great Britain	5,133	Damaged
26 July 1941	Botney	Great Britain	5,106	Sunk
5 September 1941	Jarlinn	Iceland	190	Sunk
6 June 1941	King Erik	Great Britain	228	Sunk

References

• U-boat.net webpage for U-141