German submarine U-141 (1940)

For other ships of the same name, see German submarine U-141.
Career (Nazi Germany)
Name: U-141
Ordered: 25 September 1939
Builder: Deutsche Werke, Kiel
Laid down: 20 November 1939
Launched: 12 December 1940
Commissioned: 21 August 1940
Fate: Scuttled on 2 May 1945 at Wilhelmshaven
General characteristics [1]
Class and type:IID
Type:Coastal submarine
Displacement:314 t (309 long tons) surfaced
364 t (358 long tons) submerged
Length:43.97 m (144 ft 3 in)
Beam:4.92 m (16 ft 2 in)
Draft:3.93 m (12 ft 11 in)
Propulsion:2 × propeller shafts
2 × MWM four-stroke diesel engines, 700 shp (520 kW)
2 × Siemens-Schuckert electric motor, 410 shp (310 kW)
Speed:12.7 knots (23.5 km/h; 14.6 mph) surfaced
7.4 knots (13.7 km/h; 8.5 mph) submerged
Range:3,450 nmi (6,390 km; 3,970 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) surfaced
56 nmi (104 km; 64 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth:80 m (260 ft)
Complement:3 officers, 22 men
Armament:
Service record[2][3]
Part of:
Commanders:
  • Oblt.z.S. Heinz-Otto Schultze (21 August–30 March 1941)
  • Oblt.z.S. Philip Schüler (31 March–15 June 1941)
  • Oblt.z.S. Jürgen Kruger (30 November 1941–15 June 1942)
  • Oblt.z.S. Günther Möller (16 June 1942–15 February 1943)
  • Dietrich Rauch (16 February–28 July 1943)
  • Oblt.z.S. Bernhard Luttmann (29 July 1943–6 November 1944)
  • Oblt.z.S. Heinrich-Dietrich Hoffmann (7 November 1944–2 February 1945)
Operations:
  • 1st patrol: 29 April–11 May 1941
  • 2nd patrol: 31 May–26 June 1941
  • 3rd patrol: 14 July–1 August 1941
  • 4th patrol: 18 August–18 September 1941
Victories: four ships sunk, one ship damaged

German submarine U-141 was a Type IID U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. Her keel was laid down on 12 December 1939 by Deutsche Werke in Kiel as yard number 270. She was launched on 27 July 1940 and commissioned on 21 August 1940 with Oberleutnant zur See Heinz-Otto Schultze in command.

U-141 began her service life with the 1st U-boat Flotilla. She was then assigned to the 3rd flotilla and subsequently to the 21st flotilla where she conducted four patrols, sinking four ships and damaging another, between May and September 1941. She spent the rest of the war as a training vessel, moving over to the 31st flotilla.

She was scuttled in May 1945.

Operational career

The U-boat began her operational career with a trip from Kiel to Bergen in Norway in April 1941.

1st patrol

The submarine's first patrol commenced with her departure from Bergen on 29 April 1941. Her destination was Lorient in occupied France which she reached, having crossed the North Sea and made her way north of the Faroe Islands, on 11 May. During the voyage, she was unsuccessfully attacked by a Lockheed Hudson of No. 269 Squadron RAF west of the Outer Hebrides.

2nd patrol

She sank Calabria on 22 June 1941 about 100 nmi (190 km; 120 mi) northwest of the Inishull Lightship (Ireland).

3rd patrol

She damaged Atlantic City and sank Botney on 26 July 1941, west of Bloody Foreland, (also in Ireland).

4th patrol

U-141‍ '​s last sortie took her north of Northern Ireland where she sank Jarlinn and King Erik in September 1941.

Raiding career

Date Ship Nationality Tonnage Fate[4]
22 June 1941 Calabria  Sweden 1,277 Sunk
26 July 1941 Atlantic City  UK 5,133 Damaged
26 July 1941 Botney  UK 5,106 Sunk
5 September 1941 Jarlinn  Iceland 190 Sunk
6 September 1941 King Erik  UK 228 Sunk

References

  1. ↑ Gröner 1985, p. 67.
  2. ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type IID boat U-141". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 14 July 2012.
  3. ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "War Patrols by German U-boat U-141". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 14 July 2012.
  4. ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-141". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 29 December 2014.

Bibliography

External links