| Career (Nazi Germany) | |
|---|---|
| Name: | U-233 |
| Ordered: | 7 December 1940 |
| Builder: | Germaniawerft, Kiel |
| Laid down: | 15 August 1941 |
| Launched: | 8 May 1943 |
| Commissioned: | 22 September1943 |
| Fate: | Sunk 5 July 1944 |
| General characteristics [1] | |
| Type: | Type XB submarine |
| Displacement: | 1,763 long tons (1,791 t) surfaced 2,177 long tons (2,212 t) submerged |
| Length: | 89.80 m (294 ft 7 in) o/a 70.90 m (232 ft 7 in) pressure hull |
| Beam: | 9.20 m (30 ft 2 in) o/a 4.75 m (15 ft 7 in) pressure hull |
| Height: | 10.20 m (33 ft 6 in) |
| Draught: | 4.71 m (15 ft 5 in) |
| Propulsion: | 2 × diesel engines, 4,800 hp (3,600 kW) 2 × electric motors, 1,100 hp (820 kW) |
| Speed: | 17 knots (31 km/h; 20 mph) surfaced 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph) submerged |
| Range: | 18,450 nmi (34,170 km) at 10 kn (19 km/h) surfaced 93 nmi (172 km) at 4 kn (7.4 km/h) submerged |
| Test depth: | Calculated crush depth: 220 m (720 ft) |
| Complement: | 48-60 men |
| Armament: | • 2 × 53.3 cm (21 in) stern torpedo tubes • 15 × G7e torpedoes • 66 × SMA mines • 1 × 105 mm (4.1 in) L45 deck gun (200 rounds) |
| Service record[2] | |
| Part of: | 4th U-boat Flotilla (training) (22 September1943–31 May 1944) |
| Commanders: | Oblt. Hans Steen (22 Sept1943–5 Jul 1944) |
| Operations: | 1st patrol: 27 May 1944–5 July 1944 |
| Victories: | None |
German submarine U-233 was a Type XB U-boat of the German Kriegsmarine during World War II. She was laid down on 15 August 1941 and commissioned on 22 September 1943. U-233 was commanded throughout her career by Oberleutnant Hans Steen.
Contents |
U-233 was assigned to 4th U-boat Flotilla for training on 22 September 1943 and to 12th U-boat Flotilla on 1 June 1944 for active service. Her first and only patrol commenced on 27 May 1944 when she departed Kiel to lay mines off Halifax.
On 5 July 1944 U-233 was intercepted by ships of the USS Card (CVE-11) hunter-killer group. She was identified by sonar, depth-charged to the surface and fired on by USS Baker (DE-190), before being rammed and sunk by USS Thomas (DE-102). 32 of her crew were killed in the action, 29 others being rescued by the escorts. Steen was also picked up, but died of wounds the next day. [4] [5] [6]