German submarine U-517

	U-505, a typical Type IXC boat
History
Nazi Germany
Name	U-517
Ordered	14 February 1940
Builder	Deutsche Werft, Hamburg
Yard number	313
Laid down	5 June 1941
Launched	30 December 1941
Commissioned	21 March 1942
Fate	Sunk, November 1942 southwest of Ireland by British carrier aircraft
General characteristics
Class and type	Type IXC submarine
Displacement	1,120 t (1,100 long tons) surfaced; 1,232 t (1,213 long tons) submerged;
Length	76.76 m (251 ft 10 in) o/a; 58.75 m (192 ft 9 in) pressure hull;
Beam	6.76 m (22 ft 2 in) o/a; 4.40 m (14 ft 5 in) pressure hull;
Height	9.60 m (31 ft 6 in)
Draught	4.70 m (15 ft 5 in)
Installed power	4,400 PS (3,200 kW; 4,300 bhp) (diesels); 1,000 PS (740 kW; 990 shp) (electric);
Propulsion	2 shafts; 2 × diesel engines; 2 × electric motors;
Speed	18.3 knots (33.9 km/h; 21.1 mph) surfaced; 7.3 knots (13.5 km/h; 8.4 mph) submerged;
Range	13,450 nmi (24,910 km; 15,480 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced; 63 nmi (117 km; 72 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged;
Test depth	230 m (750 ft)
Complement	4 officers, 44 enlisted
Armament	6 × torpedo tubes (4 bow, 2 stern); 22 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedoes; 1 × 10.5 cm (4.1 in)deck gun (180 rounds); 1 × 3.7 cm (1.5 in) AA gun; 1 × twin 2 cm FlaK 30 AA guns;
Service record
Part of:	4th U-boat Flotilla; 21 March – 31 August 1942; 10th U-boat Flotilla; 1 September – 21 November 1943;
Commanders:	Kptlt. Paul Hartwig; 21 March – 21 November 1942;
Operations:	1st patrol:; 8 August – 19 October 1942; 2nd patrol:; 17–21 November 1942;
Victories:	Eight ships sunk, total (26,383 GRT); one warship sunk, 900 tons

German submarine U-517 was a Type IXC U-boat of the Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

She was laid down at the Deutsche Werft in Hamburg as yard number 313 on 24 September 1940, launched on 30 December 1941 and commissioned on 21 March 1942 with Kapitänleutnant Paul Hartwig in command.

U-517 began her service career with training as part of the 4th U-boat Flotilla from 21 March 1942. She was reassigned to the 10th flotilla for operations on 1 September.

She carried out two patrols and sank eight ships. She was sunk by British carrier aircraft in November 1942.

Design

German Type IXC submarines were slightly larger than the original Type IXBs. U-517 had a displacement of 1,120 tonnes (1,100 long tons) when at the surface and 1,232 tonnes (1,213 long tons) while submerged.^[2] The U-boat had a total length of 76.76 m (251 ft 10 in), a pressure hull length of 58.75 m (192 ft 9 in), a beam of 6.76 m (22 ft 2 in), a height of 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in), and a draught of 4.70 m (15 ft 5 in). The submarine was powered by two MAN M 9 V 40/46 supercharged four-stroke, nine-cylinder diesel engines producing a total of 4,400 metric horsepower (3,240 kW; 4,340 shp) for use while surfaced, two Siemens-Schuckert 2 GU 345/34 double-acting electric motors producing a total of 1,000 shaft horsepower (1,010 PS; 750 kW) for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 1.92 m (6 ft) propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to 230 metres (750 ft).^[2]

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 18.3 knots (33.9 km/h; 21.1 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 7.3 knots (13.5 km/h; 8.4 mph).^[2] When submerged, the boat could operate for 63 nautical miles (117 km; 72 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 13,450 nautical miles (24,910 km; 15,480 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). U-517 was fitted with six 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and two at the stern), 22 torpedoes, one 10.5 cm (4.13 in) SK C/32 naval gun, 180 rounds, and a 3.7 cm (1.5 in) as well as a 2 cm (0.79 in) anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of forty-eight.^[2]

Service history

1st patrol

The boat departed Kiel on 8 August 1942, moved through the North Sea and negotiated the gap between Iceland and the Faroe Islands. She crossed the Atlantic Ocean and attacked Allied shipping in the area of the Gulf of St. Lawrence.^[3]

One of her early victims was the Arlyn. This ship had already been torpedoed by U-165. U-517 finished her off on 28 August 1942.

She also sank the Donald Stewart on 3 September 1942 northeast of Cape Whittle. The Canadian escort HMCS Weyburn tried to ram, but the distance between the two vessels was too great. U-517 then evaded a depth charge pattern. A few hours later, she was attacked by a Digby aircraft of No. 10 Squadron RCAF; but the depth charges detonated prematurely, causing more damage to the aircraft than to the U-boat.

The submarine subsequently sank the Canadian corvette HMCS Charlottetown about 5 nautical miles (9.3 km; 5.8 mi) off Cap-Chat on 11 September.

U-517 docked at Lorient in occupied France on 19 October 1942.

2nd patrol and loss

The boat departed Lorient on 17 November 1942 and sailed west. She was hardly out of the Bay of Biscay when she was sunk by Fairey Albacores of 817 Naval Air Squadron from the aircraft carrier HMS Victorious.

One man died; there were 52 survivors.^[1]

Summary of raiding history

Date	Name	Nationality	Tonnage (GRT)	Fate^[4]
27 August 1942	Chatham	United States	5,649	Sunk
28 August 1942	Arlyn	United States	3,304	Sunk
3 September 1942	Donald Stewart	Canada	1,781	Sunk
7 September 1942	Mount Pindus	Greece	5,729	Sunk
7 September 1942	Mount Taygetus	Greece	3,286	Sunk
7 September 1942	Oakton	Canada	1,727	Sunk
11 September 1942	HMCS Charlottetown	Royal Canadian Navy	900	Sunk
15 September 1942	Inger Elisabeth	Norway	2,166	Sunk
15 September 1942	Saturnus	Netherlands	2,741	Sunk

References

^ ^a ^b Gröner 1985, p. 110.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Gröner 1991, p. 68.
^ The Times Atlas of the World - Third edition, revised 1995, ISBN 0 7230 0809 4, p. 55
^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-517". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 29 January 2014.

Bibliography

Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (1999). Deutsche U-Boot-Verluste von September 1939 bis Mai 1945 (in German). Vol. IV. Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn: Mittler. ISBN 3-8132-0514-2. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help); Invalid |ref=harv (help)
Gröner, Erich; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. Vol. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |last-author-amp= (help)

External links

Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type IXC boat U-517". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 7 December 2014.

46°16′N 17°09′W / 46.267°N 17.150°W / 46.267; -17.150

[FOOTNOTEGröner1985110-1] Gröner 1985, p. 110.

[FOOTNOTEGröner199168-2] Gröner 1991, p. 68.

[3] The Times Atlas of the World - Third edition, revised 1995, ISBN 0 7230 0809 4, p. 55

[4] Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-517". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 29 January 2014.

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v t e German Type IXC submarine
U-66 U-67 U-68 U-125 U-126 U-127 U-128 U-129 U-130 U-131 U-153 U-154 U-155 U-156 U-157 U-158 U-159 U-160 U-161 U-162 U-163 U-164 U-165 U-166 U-171 U-172 U-173 U-174 U-175 U-176 U-501 U-502 U-503 U-504 U-505 U-506 U-507 U-508 U-509 U-510 U-511 U-512 U-513 U-514 U-515 U-516 U-517 U-518 U-519 U-520 U-521 U-522 U-523 U-524
Preceded by: Type IXB Followed by: Type IXC/40
List of U-boats of Germany