Unterseeboot 2513

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Career

Laid down:	19 July 1944
Commissioned:	12 October 1944
Surrendered:	8 May 1945
Career
Transferred:	August 1945
Acquired:	August 1946
Retired:	July 1949
Fate:	Sunk, 7 October 1951
General characteristics
Displacement:	Surfaced: 1,621 tons Submerged: 1,819 tons
Length:	251 ft 9 in
Beam:	21 ft 9 in
Draft:	20 ft 3 in
Speed:	16 knots
Propulsion:	Surfaced: 15.6 knots (29 km/h), 4000 hp (3 MW) Submerged = 17.2 knots (32 km/h), 4400 hp(3.3 MW)
Range:	Surfaced: 25,000 km (15,500 miles) at 10 knots (19 km/h) Submerged: 550 km (340 miles) at 5 knots (9 km/h)
Complement:	57
Armament:	6 × 21 in torpedo tubes 4 x 20 mm anti aircraft guns

Unterseeboot 2513 (U-2513) was a Type XXI U-boat of the Kriegsmarine that was operated by the United States Navy for several years after World War II.

Her keel was laid down 19 July 1944 by Blohm + Voss of Hamburg. She was commissioned 12 October 1944 with Kapitänleutnant Hans Bungards in command. Bungards was relieved on 27 April 1945 by Fregattenkapitän Erich Topp, who commanded the boat for less than two weeks.

U-2513 conducted no war patrols. On 8 May 1945, Topp surrendered his command at Horten, Norway. U-2513 was taken to Oslo on 20 May, then to Lishally, Northern Ireland, which she reached on 7 June. In August 1945, the U-boat was transferred to the United States.

A year later, August 1946, U-2513 began an extensive overhaul in Charleston, South Carolina, which was completed late in September. On 24 September, she departed Charleston and headed for Key West, Florida. The following day, she began six months of duty which included both evaluation tests of the U-boat's design and duty in conjunction with the development of submarine and antisubmarine tactics. The Greater Underwater Propulsion Power Program (GUPPY) would be initiated because of the results of these tests.

On 15 March 1947, U-2513 headed north from Key West, Florida, bound for the New England coast, and arrived at Portsmouth, New Hampshire, on 22 March. She remained there until 8 September when she began six weeks of operations out of Portsmouth and New London, Connecticut, under the auspices of the Commander, Submarines, Atlantic Fleet. She concluded that duty on 15 October and departed New London to return to Key West. U-2513 resumed her old duties at Key West five days later and continued them until the summer of 1949.

On 5 December 1947 President Harry S. Truman became the first American President to travel on a submarine when he visited U-2513.^[1]

In mid-June 1949, the submarine moved from Key West, Florida, north via Norfolk, Virginia, to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, where she was placed out of service in July 1949. She remained at Portsmouth until August 1951 at which time she returned to Key West. On 2 September 1951, the Chief of Naval Operations ordered that the boat be sunk by gunfire. U-2513 was sunk west of Key West, Florida during rocket tests by the destroyer Robert A. Owens (DD-827) on 7 October 1951.