German submarine U-420

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U-995, a Type VIIC U-boat at the German navy memorial at Laboe which was almost identical to U-420
Career (Nazi Germany)
Name: U-420
Ordered: 20 January 1941
Builder: Danziger Werft AG, Danzig
Laid down: 3 December 1941
Launched: 18 August 1942
Commissioned: 16 December 1942
Fate: Disappeared without a trace in the North Atlantic in October 1943
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 F46 diesel engines, totalling 2,800–3,200 bhp (2,100–2,400 kW). Max rpm: 470-490
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 kn (19 km/h) surfaced
150 km (81 nmi) at 4 kn (7.4 km/h) 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

German submarine U-420 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for the Kriegsmarine for service during World War II.
She was laid down in the Danziger Werft as 'Werk' 121, launched on 18 August 1942 and commissioned on 16 December the same year under Oberleutnant zur See Peter Högqvist. She then joined the 8th U-boat Flotilla for training before transferring to the 11th flotilla for operations.

Operational career

1st patrol

U-420's first patrol involved her leaving Kiel on 12 June 1943 and arriving at Lorient in occupied France on 16 July 1943, having hugged the Norwegian coast and sailed around the north of Scotland. She then crossed the Atlantic, but was attacked on 3 July by a Canadian B-24 Liberator. The boat was hit by a Fido homing torpedo which killed two men and wounded a third. The boat sustained enough damage to force the patrol to be cut short.[1]

2nd patrol and loss

Following a short transit voyage from Lorient to Brest, U-420 set off on her second patrol on 9 October 1943. After 20 October, she was never heard from again.[2]

References

External links

Coordinates: 48°00′N 21°00′W / 48.000°N 21.000°W / 48.000; -21.000

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