German submarine U-701

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Survivors are rescued from the U-701.
Career (Nazi Germany)
Name: U-701
Builder: HC Stülcken & Sohn, Hamburg
Laid down: May 13, 1940
Launched: April 16, 1941
Commissioned: July 16, 1941
In service: July 16, 1941 to July 7, 1942
Fate: Sunk by a USAAF Hudson on July 7, 1942 about 22 miles off Cape Hatteras. Seven survivors including the Captain were taken as prisoners of war.
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 × GL RP 137/c 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 & ratings
Armament: 5 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (4 bow, 1 stern)
14 × torpedoes or 26 TMA mines
1 × 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun (220 rounds)
Various AA guns

German submarine U-701 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for the Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine that served in the North Atlantic during World War II. It was launched on April 16, 1941 under the command of Kapitänleutnant Horst Degen, with a crew of 43.

In three operational patrols U-701 sank 5 ships, of 25,390 GRT and damaged 4 others for 37,093 GRT. She also sank 4 auxiliary warships and damaged a destroyer.

She was destroyed in an air attack on 7 July 1942 and rests at a depth of 115 feet (35 m) at 35°14.330′N 75°06.690′W / 35.238833°N 75.111500°W / 35.238833; -75.111500Coordinates: 35°14.330′N 75°06.690′W / 35.238833°N 75.111500°W / 35.238833; -75.111500.[1]

Fate

U-701 was destroyed on 7 July 1942 off Cape Hatteras. While running on the surface U-701 was attacked by a Hudson of 396 Sqdn USAAF. She was hit by two bombs and sunk. 17 of her crew were able to escape, but were adrift for two days before being found and rescued by the US Coast Guard. By that time just 7 men had survived.

Final resting place

Diving on the wreck of the U-701 in 2008.

At 115 feet (35 m) below the surface, U-701 is still intact, retaining its 88mm deck gun. Majority of the debris lies within 100 metres (330 ft) radius of the wreck.[1] This wreck has become an artificial reef that is heavily populated with Seriola dumerili.[1]

The wreck of the U-701 was originally discovered by Uwe Lovas in the coastal waters off Cape Hatteras in 1989.[2] The location of the wreck and the site remained a closely guarded secret and therefore undisturbed for 15 years.[2] The U-701 represents a virtually intact, pristine wreck site and a unique opportunity to explore and experience an unspoiled U-boat within recreational diving depths on the East Coast of the United States.

Recently, the vessel’s location has been rediscovered and the coordinates have become accessible to the general public, who have already begun diving the site. An overwhelming majority of the local recreational and wreck diving community is deeply concerned about the potential for disturbance, damage and loss resulting from unauthorized salvage.[2][3][4]

A dive to the wreck in 2011[5] was documented in the National Geographic TV documentary, Hitler's Secret Attack on America (2013).




Summary of Raiding Career

Date Ship Name Nationality Tonnage (GRT) Fate[6]
6 January 1942 Baron Erskine  United Kingdom 3,657 Sunk
6 March 1942 Rononia  United Kingdom 213 Sunk
7 March 1942 Nyggjaberg  Faeroes 349 Sunk
9 March 1942 HMS Notts County  Royal Navy 541 Sunk
11 March 1942 HMS Stella Capella  Royal Navy 507 Sunk
15 June 1942 HMS Kingston Ceylonite  Royal Navy 448 Sunk (mine)
15 June 1942 USS Bainbridge  United States Navy 1,190 Damaged (mine)
15 June 1942 Robert C. Tuttle  United States 11,615 Damaged (mine)
15 June 1942 Esso Augusta  United States 11,237 Damaged (mine)
17 June 1942 Santore  United States 7,117 Sunk (mine)
19 June 1942 USS YP-389  United States Navy 170 Sunk
26 June 1942 Tamesis  Norway 7,256 Damaged
27 June 1942 British Freedom  United Kingdom 6,985 Damaged
28 June 1942 William Rockefeller  United States 14,054 Sunk

See also

  • List of shipwrecks

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Hoyt, Joe C (2009). "2008 Battle of the Atlantic Survey Methodology". In: Pollock NW, ed. Diving for Science 2009. Proceedings of the American Academy of Underwater Sciences 28th Symposium. Dauphin Island, AL: AAUS; 2009. Retrieved 2013-03-11. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Hoyt, Joe C. History and Disposition of the U-701. Retrieved 2013-03-11. 
  3. ↑ Catherine Kozak, “Scuba Diving Thieves Plunder Rare Unspoiled WW II Submarine Wreck U-701,” Virginian-Pilot, 8 September 2004
  4. ↑ Jerry Allegood, “The U-boat,” Raleigh News and Observer, 5 December 2004.
  5. ↑ NOAA National Marine Sanctuary, 2011 Battle of the Atlantic Expedition
  6. ↑ "U-701 successes". UBoat.net. Retrieved 6 February 2014. 

Further reading

External links

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