Unterseeboot 30 (1936)

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Career (Nazi Germany)
Name:	U-30
Ordered:	April 1, 1935
Builder:	AG Weser, Bremen, yard 911
Laid down:	January 24, 1936
Launched:	August 4, 1936
Commissioned:	October 8, 1936
Fate:	Scuttled May 4, 1945 in the Kupfermühlen Bay.
Class and type:	Type VII U-boat
Service record
Part of	Kriegsmarine: 2. Unterseebootsflottille 22. Unterseebootsflottille 24. Unterseebootsflottille
Identification codes	M 05 559
Commanders	Hans Cohausz Hans Pauckstadt Fritz-Julius Lemp Robert Prützmann Paul-Karl Loeser Hubertus Purkhold Kurt Baberg Hermann Bauer Franz Saar Ernst Fischer Ludwig Fabricius Günther Schimmel
Operations	8
Victories	16 ships sunk for a total of 86.165 gross register tons (GRT) 1 auxiliary warship sunk for a total of 325 GRT 1 ship damaged for a total of 5.642 GRT 1 warship damaged for a total of 31.100 tons

Unterseeboot 30, or U-30, was a German Type VIIA submarine used in World War II. She was laid down on January 24, 1936 and commissioned October 8, 1936.

During her career U-30 was involved in 8 patrols, under several flotilles. U-30 was very successful, sinking 16 ships, totalling 86,165 GRT, and one auxiliary warships totalling 325 GRT. U-30 also damaged one ship totalling 5,642 GRT, and damaged the battleship HMS Barham.

U-30's career began ingloriously, when on September 3, 1939 she sank the 13,581 ton passenger ship Athenia, the first ship sunk in World War II. The commander, Fritz-Julius Lemp almost had his career wrecked, but pleaded it was a genuine error. Mistaking her for an Armed Merchant Cruiser or AMC, which he claimed was zig-zagging.

[edit] Fate

U-30 was used in the last months of World War II as a range boat. It was scuttled May 4, 1945 in the Kupfermühlen Bay and the wreck was later broken up in 1948.

[edit] Commanders

• Oct, 1936 - 31 Oct, 1938 - Hans Cohausz
• 15 Feb, 1938 - 17 Aug, 1938 - Hans Pauckstadt
• Nov, 1938 - Sep, 1940 - Kptlt. Fritz-Julius Lemp (Knights Cross)
• Sep, 1940 - 31 Mar, 1941 - Robert Prützmann
• 1 Apr, 1941 - Apr, 1941 - Paul-Karl Loeser
• Apr, 1941 - 22 Apr, 1941 - Hubertus Purkhold
• 23 Apr, 1941 - 9 Mar, 1942 - Oblt. Kurt Baberg
• 10 Mar, 1942 - 4 Oct, 1942 - Oblt. Hermann Bauer
• 5 Oct, 1942 - 16 Dec, 1942 - Franz Saar
• May, 1943 - 1 Dec, 1943 - Oblt. Ernst Fischer
• 2 Dec, 1943 - 14 Dec, 1944 - Oblt. Ludwig Fabricius
• 17 Jan, 1945 - 23 Jan, 1945 - Oblt. Günther Schimmel

[edit] References

• uboat.net webpage for U-30
• ubootwaffe.net webpage about U-30
• u-boot-archiv.de webpage for U-30
• Bishop, C. Kriegsmarine U-Boats, 1939-45. Amber Books, 2006.