German submarine U-531
| Career (Nazi Germany) |  |
|---|---|
| Name: | U-531 |
| Ordered: | 15 August 1940 |
| Builder: | Deutsche Werft AG, Hamburg |
| Laid down: | 22 December 1941 |
| Launched: | 12 August 1942 |
| Commissioned: | 28 October 1942 |
| Fate: | Sunk 6 May 1943 in the North Atlantic.[1] |
| General characteristics | |
|---|---|
| Type: | Type IXC/40 submarine |
| Displacement: |
1,120 t (1,100 long tons) surfaced 1,232 t (1,213 long tons) submerged |
| Length: |
76.8 m (252 ft) overall 58.7 m (192 ft 7 in) pressure hull |
| Beam: |
6.9 m (22 ft 8 in) overall 4.4 m (14 ft 5 in) pressure hull |
| Height: | 9.6 m (31 ft 6 in) |
| Draft: | 4.7 m (15 ft 5 in) |
| Propulsion: |
2 × MAN M9V40/46 supercharged 9-cylinder diesel engines, 4,400 hp (3,300 kW) 2 × SSW GU345/34 double-acting electric motors, 1,000 hp (740 kW) |
| Speed: |
19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph) surfaced 7.3 knots (13.5 km/h; 8.4 mph) submerged |
| Range: |
25,620 nmi (47,450 km; 29,480 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced 117 nautical miles (217 km; 135 mi) at 4 kn (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged |
| Test depth: | 230 m (750 ft) |
| Complement: | 48 to 56 |
| Armament: |
6 × 55 cm (22 in) torpedo tubes (four bow, two stern) 22 × torpedoes 1 × Utof 105 mm (4.1 in)/45 deck gun with 110 rounds |
| Service record | |
|---|---|
| Commanders: | Oblt.z.S.. Herbert Neckel |
| Victories: | None |
German submarine U-531 was a Type IXC/40 U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine built for service during World War II. She was laid down at Deutsche Werft in Hamburg as 'werk' 346 on 22 December 1941, launched on 12 August 1942 and commissioned on 28 October with Oberleutnant zur See Herbert Neckel in command.
Her service began with training as part of the 4th U-boat Flotilla; she then joined the 2nd flotilla for operations on 1 April 1943.
Operational career
U-531's operational career commenced with her departure from Kiel on 13 April 1943. Heading for the Atlantic, her route took her between Iceland and the Faeroe Islands. On 22 April, in the afternoon, she was attacked southeast of Iceland by a Catalina flying boat of 120 Squadron RAF. That evening, she was attacked again, this time by a British Flying Fortress of 206 Squadron.[2]
On 6 May, the boat was attacked northeast of Newfoundland by depth charges from HMS Vidette and sunk with all hands (54).
Previously recorded fate
The destruction of U-531 had been attributed to the destroyer HMS Oribi and the corvette HMS Snowflake.
References
- ↑ Kemp, Paul: U-Boats Destroyed - German Submarine Losses in the World Wars, 1997, Arms & Armour, ISBN 1-85409-515-3, p. 114.
- ↑ http://uboat.net/boats/u531htm
Coordinates: 52°48′00″N 45°18′00″W / 52.800°N 45.300°W
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