German submarine U-356
| Career |  |
|---|---|
| Name: | U-356 |
| Ordered: | 26 October 1939 |
| Builder: | Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft, Flensburg |
| Yard number: | 475[1] |
| Laid down: | 4 May 1940 |
| Launched: | 16 September 1941 |
| Commissioned: | 20 December 1941 |
| Fate: | Sunk by Canadian warships on 27 December 1942 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Type VIIC submarine |
| Displacement: |
769 tonnes (757 long tons) surfaced 871 t (857 long tons) submerged |
| Length: |
67.1 m (220 ft 2 in) o/a 50.5 m (165 ft 8 in) pressure hull |
| Beam: |
6.2 m (20 ft 4 in) o/a 4.7 m (15 ft 5 in) pressure hull |
| Draft: | 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in) |
| Propulsion: |
2 × supercharged Germaniawerft 6-cylinder 4-stroke F 46 diesel engines, totalling 2,800–3,200 bhp (2,100–2,400 kW). Max rpm: 470-490 surfaced 2 × electric motors, totalling 750 shp (560 kW) and max rpm: 296 |
| Speed: |
17.7 knots (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph) surfaced 7.6 knots (14.1 km/h; 8.7 mph) submerged |
| Range: |
15,170 km (8,190 nmi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced 150 km (81 nmi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged |
| Test depth: |
230 m (750 ft) Crush depth: 250–295 m (820–968 ft) |
| Complement: | 44–52 officers and ratings |
| Armament: |
• 5 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four bow, one stern) • 14 × G7e torpedoes or 26 TMA mines • 1 × 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun(220 rounds) • Various AA guns |
| Service record[2][3] | |
|---|---|
| Part of: |
6th U-boat Flotilla, (Training) (20 December 1941 - 1 September 1942) 6th U-boat Flotilla, (Operational) Boat (1 September 1942 - 27 December 1942) |
| Commanders: |
Kapitänleutnant Georg Wallas (3 December 1942 - 27 December 1942) |
| Operations: |
Two patrols 1st patrol: 2 September 1942 - 4 November 1942 (63 days) 2nd patrol: 5 December 1942 - 27 December 1942 (23 days) |
| Victories: | Three commercial ships sunk and one damaged - 20,700 GRT |
German submarine U-356 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down in May 1940 at the Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft yard at Flensburg, launched on 16 September 1941, and commissioned on 20 December 1941.[4]
Loss
U-356 was attacked by HMS Cygnet, HMCS Chilliwack, HMCS Battleford and HMCS Napanee north of the Azores at 45°30′N 25°40′W / 45.500°N 25.667°WCoordinates: 45°30′N 25°40′W / 45.500°N 25.667°W on 27 December 1942 and sunk by depth charges. All 46 crew members died in the event.[4]
Construction and Design
U-356 was ordered by the Kriegsmarine on 26 October 1939. She was laid down about six months later at the Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft yard at Flensburg, on 4 May 1940. The next year, U-356 was launched on 16 September 1941.[4] She was formally commissioned on 20 December 1941. U-356 carried 5 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four located in the bow, one in the stern) and had one 8.8 cm (3.5 in) L45 deck gun with 220 rounds. She could also carry 14 G7e torpedoes or 26 TMA mines and had a crew of 44-52 men.
Summary of Raiding History
| Date | Name | Nationality | Tonnage (GRT) |
Convoy | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 December 1942 | Empire Union |  United Kingdom | 5,952 | ONS 154 | Sunk |
| 27 December 1942 | Melrose Abbey | United Kingdom | 2,473 | ONS 154 | Sunk |
| 27 December 1942 | Soekaboemi |  Netherlands | 7,051 | ONS 154 | Damaged |
| 27 December 1942 | King Edward | United Kingdom | 5,224 | ONS 154 | Sunk |
| Total: | 20,700 | ||||
References
- Notes
- ↑ Gröner, p. 72.
- ↑ "The Type VIIC boat U-356 - German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net". uboat.net. Retrieved 14 November 2013.
- ↑ "War Patrols by German U-boat U-356 - Boats - uboat.net". uboat.net. Retrieved 14 November 2013.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Gröner, p. 87.
- Bibliography
- Gröner, Erich (1985). "U-Boote, Hilfskreuzer, Minenschiffe, Netzleger, Sperrbrecher". Die deutschen Kriegsschiffe, 1815-1945 III (Koblenz: Bernard&Graefe). ISBN 3763748024.
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