German submarine U-542
| Career (Nazi Germany) |  |
|---|---|
| Name: | U-542 |
| Ordered: | 5 June 1941 |
| Builder: | Deutsche Werft, Hamburg |
| Yard number: | 363 |
| Laid down: | 12 June 1942 |
| Launched: | 19 January 1943 |
| Commissioned: | 7 April 1943 |
| Fate: | Sunk,28 November 1943 north of Madeira by a British aircraft[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 0 in) o/a 58.7 m (192 ft 7 in) pressure hull |
| Beam: |
6.9 m (22 ft 8 in) o/a 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 (3,281 kW) 2 × SSW GU345/34 double-acting electric motors, 1,000 hp (746 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 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged |
| Test depth: | 230 m (750 ft) |
| Complement: | 48 to 56 |
| Armament: |
6 × torpedo tubes (four bow, two stern) 22 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedoes 1 × Utof 105 mm/45 deck gun (110 rounds) AA guns |
| Service record | |
|---|---|
| Part of: |
4th U-boat Flotilla (7 April–30 September 1943) 10th U-boat Flotilla (1 October–28 November 1943) |
| Commanders: |
Oblt.z.S. Christian Brandt Coester (7 April–28 November 1943) |
| Operations: | 21–28 November 1943 |
| Victories: | None |
German submarine U-542 was a Type IXC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.
She was laid down at the Deutsche Werft (yard) in Hamburg as 'werk' 363 on 12 June 1942, launched on 19 January 1943 and commissioned on 7 April with Oberleutnant zur See Christian Brandt Coester in command.
U-542 began her service career with training as part of the 4th U-boat Flotilla from 7 April 1943. She was re-assigned to the 10th flotilla for operations on 1 October.
She carried out one patrol and did not sink any ships. She was a member of three wolfpacks.
She was sunk in November 1943 north of Madeira by a British aircraft.
Operational career
Patrol and loss
The boat departed Kiel on 21 October 1943, moved through the North Sea, negotiated the 'gap' between Iceland and the Faroe Islands and entered the Atlantic Ocean.
She was sunk on 28 November 1943 north of Madeira by depth charges dropped from a British Vickers Wellington of No. 179 Squadron RAF.[2]
Fifty-six men died; there were no survivors.[3]
References
Notes
- ↑ Kemp, Paul: U-Boats Destroyed - German Submarine Losses in the World Wars, 1997, Arms & Armour, ISBN 1-85409-515-3, p. 160
- ↑ "Type IXC/40 U-542". UBoat.net. Retrieved 27 November 2012.
- ↑ Kemp, p. 160
External links
- Uboat.net: U-542
- U-542 at Ubootwaffe
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