German submarine U-2336


Postwar photo of S171, (former Type XXIII submarine U-2367). An identical sister ship of U-2336.
Career (Nazi Germany)
Name: U-2336
Ordered: 20 September 1943[1]
Builder: Deutsche Werft, Hamburg[1]
Laid down: 27 July 1944[1]
Launched: 10 September 1944[1]
Commissioned: 30 September 1944[1]
Fate: Surrendered at Wilhelmshaven, Germany. Taken to Lisahally on 21 June 1945 to take part in Operation Deadlight where she was sunk on 3 January 1946 by gunfire from the destroyer HMS Offa.[2]
General characteristics (XXIII)[3]
Type: Type XXIII
Displacement: 234 t (230 long tons) surfaced
258 t (254 long tons) submerged
Length: 34.7 m (113 ft 10 in)
Beam: 3 m (9 ft 10 in)
Draft: 3.67 m (12 ft 0 in)
Propulsion: 1 × MWM RS134S 6-cylinder diesel engine, 575 hp
1 × AEG GU4463-8 double-acting electric motor, 572 hp
1 × BBC CCR188 electric creeping motor, 35 hp
Speed: 9.7 knots (18 km/h) surfaced
12.5 knots (23 km/h) submerged
Range: 2,600 nmi (4,800 km) at 8 kn (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) surfaced
194 nmi (359 km) at 4 kn (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth: 180 m (590 ft)
Complement: 14–18
Armament: 2 bow torpedo tubes
2 torpedoes

German submarine U-2336 was a Type XXIII U-boat of the German Kriegsmarine during World War II.

U-2336 had a very short career. She only conducted one war patrol and sank only three vessels, one of which was another German U-boat (U-2344). Despite her short time in service, U-2336 is known for sinking the last two Allied merchant ships to be lost to a submarine in the war when she torpedoed and sank the freighters Avondale Park and Sneland I off the Isle of May inside the Firth of Forth. Following the war, U-2336 was handed over to the Allies where she was taken to the British port of Lisahally and sunk in Operation Deadlight on 3 January 1946.[2]

Contents

Construction

Main article: German Type XXIII submarine

U-2336 was the 16th U-boat that was constructed in the Type XXIII class. She was ordered on 20 September 1943, and was laid down on 27 July 1944 at Deutsche Werft, Hamburg, as 'werk 490' in ship yard number 36. She was launched on 10 September 1944 and commissioned under the command of Oberleutnant Jürgen Vockel on 30 September of that year.[2][3]

By the time she was operational, U-2336 was equipped with only two bow torpedoes due to a lack of space and had a crew of 14–18 men. She had a range of 2,600 nmi (4,800 km) at 8 kn (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) on the surface and 194 nmi (359 km) at 4 kn (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) while submerged. U-2336s maximum speed was 9.7 knots (18 km/h) while surfaced and 12.5 knots (23 km/h) when she was submerged.[3]

Service Record

1st Patrol

Following training exercises with the 32nd U-boat Flotilla from 30 September 1944 to 15 February 1945, U-2336 began her first war patrol as the front boat of the 4th U-boat Flotilla on 16 February 1945.[2] However, it took about two months for U-2336 to actually leave her home port of Kiel, which she finally did on 18 April 1945 under a new commander, Kapitänleutnant Emil Klusmeier. Following five days of traveling across the straits of Kattegat and Skagerrak, U-2336 reached Larvik, Norway on 24 April 1945; which was to be her new home port for the remainder of the war.[4]

On 1 May 1945, U-2336 left Larvik and headed out into the North Sea. On 7 May 1945, U-2336 sank the last Allied merchant ships to be lost to a German submarine in the war, when she torpedoed and sank the freighters Avondale Park and Sneland I (in order) off the Isle of May inside the Firth of Forth.[5][6] The first of the two ships to be sunk was the Sneland I, which exploded as soon as it was hit killing seven of her crew members, including the captain. Avondale Park was hit next, alarming the 28 man crew who believed that they had struck a mine. Avondale Park sank two minutes after being hit. Two crew members had been killed while the rest managed to enter a lifeboat or jump into the sea.[7] U-2336 later returned to Kiel on 14 May 1945 and then transferred to Wilhelmshaven, Germany, where she was surrendered to the Western Allies.[2]

Post-war Fate

After being surrendered to the Western Allies, U-2336 was taken to Lisahally, United Kingdom on 21 June 1945 to take part in Operation Deadlight where she was sunk on 3 January 1946 by gunfire from the British destroyer HMS Offa.[2]

Ships sunk by U-2336

Ships sunk by U-2336[8]
Date sunk Name of vessel Tons Nationality
01945-02-18 18 February 1945 U-2344* 234 Germany
01945-05-07 7 May 1945 Sneland I 1,791 Norway
01945-05-07 7 May 1945 Avondale Park 2,878 Canada

*rammed and sunk by U-2336

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "U-2336 Type XXIII". ubootwaffe.net. http://ubootwaffe.net/ops/boat.cgi?boat=2336. Retrieved 28 February 2010. 
  2. ^ a b c d e f Helgason, Guðmundur. "U-2336". U-Boat War in World War II. Uboat.net. http://www.uboat.net/boats/u2336.htm. Retrieved 28 February 2010. 
  3. ^ a b c Helgason, Guðmundur. "Type XXIII". U-Boat War in World War II. Uboat.net. http://www.uboat.net/types/xxiii.htm. Retrieved 28 February 2010. 
  4. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Patrols by U-2336". Patrol info for U-162. Uboat.net. http://www.uboat.net/boats/patrols/u2336.html. Retrieved 27 February 2010. 
  5. ^ Williamson, pp. 64–65
  6. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Patrol info for U-2336". Patrol info for U-162. Uboat.net. http://www.uboat.net/boats/patrols/patrol_3319.html. Retrieved 27 February 2010. 
  7. ^ "War casualties or just victims of an arrogant captain.". timegun.org. http://www.timegun.org/war_casualties.html. Retrieved 19 March 2010. 
  8. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-2336". U-Boat War in World War II. Uboat.net. http://www.uboat.net/boats/successes/u2336.html. Retrieved 28 February 2010. 

Bibliography

See also