German submarine U-1222
| Career (Nazi Germany) |  |
|---|---|
| Name: | U-1222 |
| Ordered: | 25 August 1941 |
| Builder: | Deutsche Werft AG, Hamburg |
| Yard number: | 385 |
| Laid down: | 2 November 1942 |
| Launched: | 9 June 1943 |
| Commissioned: | 1 September 1943 |
| Fate: | sunk 11 July 1944 by British aircraft west of La Rochelle in position 46°31′N 5°29′W / 46.517°N 5.483°WCoordinates: 46°31′N 5°29′W / 46.517°N 5.483°W[1] |
| General characteristics [2] | |
| Class and type: | Type IXC/40 submarine |
| Displacement: | 1,144 t (1,126 long tons) surfaced 1,257 t (1,237 long tons) submerged |
| Length: | 76.76 m (251 ft 10 in) o/a 58.75 m (192 ft 9 in) pressure hull |
| Beam: | 6.86 m (22 ft 6 in) o/a 4.44 m (14 ft 7 in) pressure hull |
| Height: | 9.6 m (31 ft 6 in) |
| Draft: | 4.67 m (15 ft 4 in) |
| Propulsion: | 2 × MAN M 9 V 40/46 supercharged 9-cylinder diesel engines, 4,400 hp (3,281 kW) 2 × SSW GU 345/34 double-acting electric motors, 1,000 hp (746 kW) |
| Speed: | 18.3 knots (33.9 km/h; 21.1 mph) surfaced 7.3 knots (13.5 km/h; 8.4 mph) submerged |
| Range: | 13,850 nmi (25,650 km; 15,940 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced 63 nmi (117 km; 72 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged |
| Test depth: | 230 m (750 ft) |
| Complement: | 4 officers, 44 enlisted |
| Armament: |
|
| Service record | |
|---|---|
| Part of: | 10th U-boat Flotilla |
| Identification codes: | M 55 214 |
| Commanders: | Kptlt. Heinz Bielfeld |
| Operations: | 1 patrol |
German submarine U-1222 was a Type IXC/40 U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.
U-1222 was ordered in August 1941 from Deutsche Werft in Hamburg-Finkenwerder under the yard number 385. Her keel was laid down on 2 November 1942 and was launched the following year on 6 June 1943. About three months later she was commissioned into service under the command of Kapitänleutnant Heinz Bielfeld (Crew 34) in the 4th U-boat Flotilla.
After work-up for deployment, U-1222 tranfered to the 10th U-boat Flotilla and left Kiel for the West Atlantic on 13 April 1944 for her first and only patrol. Stopping briefly in Marvik, Norway, for replenishment, she operated with no success south of Nova Scotia.
Returning from patrol, U-1222 was charging her batteries while submerged, when her snorkel was spotted by a British aircraft, Sunderland 'P' of No. 201 Squadron RAF, on 11 July 1944 off La Rochelle. The aircraft immediately attacked the U-boat with depth charges and sunk her. All 56 crew members died in the event.[1]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Busch & Röll 1999, p. 266.
- ↑ Gröner 1985, pp. 105-6.
Bibliography
- Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (1999). Deutsche U-Boot-Verluste von September 1939 bis Mai 1945. Der U-Boot-Krieg (in German) IV (Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn: Mittler). ISBN 3-8132-0514-2.
- Gröner, Erich (1985). U-Boote, Hilfskreuzer, Minenschiffe, Netzleger, Sperrbrecher. Die deutschen Kriegsschiffe 1815-1945 (in German) III (Koblenz: Bernard & Graefe). ISBN 3-7637-4802-4.
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