German submarine U-2 (1935)
 U-2 in Kiel, in 1935 | |
| Career (Nazi Germany) |  |
|---|---|
| Name: | U-2 |
| Ordered: | 2 February 1935 |
| Builder: | Deutsche Werke, Kiel[1] |
| Cost: | 1,500,000 Reichsmark[1] |
| Yard number: | 237[1] |
| Laid down: | 11 February 1935[2] |
| Launched: | 1 June 1935[3] |
| Commissioned: | 25 June 1935[3] |
| Struck: | 9 April 1944 |
| Fate: | Sunk after a collision west of Pillau, 8 April 1944[3] |
| General characteristics [1] | |
| Class and type: | IIA |
| Type: | Coastal submarine |
| Displacement: | 254 t (250 long tons) surfaced 303 t (298 long tons) submerged |
| Length: | 40.9 m (134 ft 2 in) |
| Beam: | 4.08 m (13 ft 5 in) |
| Draft: | 3.83 m (12 ft 7 in) |
| Propulsion: | 2 × propeller shafts 2 × MWM four-stroke diesel engines, 700 shp (520 kW) 2 × Siemens-Schuckert electric motor, 360 shp (270 kW) |
| Speed: | 13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph) surfaced 6.9 knots (12.8 km/h; 7.9 mph) submerged |
| Range: | 1,050 nautical miles (1,940 km; 1,210 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) surfaced 35 nmi (65 km; 40 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 | |
|---|---|
| Part of: |
Kriegsmarine U-Boat Training Flotilla 21st U-boat Flotilla |
| Identification codes: | M 27 610 |
| Commanders: |
She had several commanders over her long career. Michahelles was relieved on 30 September 1936, by Kapitänleutnant (Kptlt.) Heinrich Liebe. Liebe turned command over on 31 January 1938 to Oblt.z.S. Herbert Schultze. On 16 March 1939, Kptlt. Helmut Rosenbaum assumed command and on 7 July 1940, Oblt.z.S. Hans Heidtmann joined Rosenbaum as deputy commander. On 6 August 1940, Georg von Wilamowitz-Moellendorf relieved Rosenbaum and Heidtmann and commanded until October 1941 when Karl Kölzer took over. On 16 May 1942, Oblt.z.S. Werner Schwaff relieved Kölzer, and on 20 November 1942, was relieved by Oblt.z.S. Helmut Herglotz. On 12 December 1943, Oblt.z.S. Wolfgang Schwarzkopf took over and commanded the boat until she was lost. |
| Operations: |
Two: 1st patrol: 15–29 March 1940 2nd patrol: 4–8 April 1940 |
| Victories: | No ships sunk or damaged |
German submarine U-2 was a Type IIA U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine. Her keel was laid down 11 February 1935 by Deutsche Werke of Kiel as yard number 237; she was launched on 1 July and commissioned on 25 July 1935 with Oberleutnant zur See (Oblt.z.S.) Hermann Michahelles in command.
Service history
She had several commanders over her long career. Michahelles was relieved on 30 September 1936, by Kapitänleutnant (Kptlt.) Heinrich Liebe. Liebe turned command over on 31 January 1938 to Oblt.z.S. Herbert Schultze. On 16 March 1939, Kptlt. Helmut Rosenbaum assumed command and on 7 July 1940, Oblt.z.S. Hans Heidtmann joined Rosenbaum as deputy commander. On 6 August 1940, Georg von Wilamowitz-Moellendorf relieved Rosenbaum and Heidtmann and commanded until October 1941 when Karl Kölzer took over. On 16 May 1942, Oblt.z.S. Werner Schwaff relieved Kölzer, and on 20 November 1942, was relieved by Oblt.z.S. Helmut Herglotz. On 12 December 1943, Oblt.z.S. Wolfgang Schwarzkopf took over and commanded the boat until she was lost.
She was used as a school boat and trainer for her entire career except for two completely uneventful combat patrols in early 1940.
Fate
U-2 suffered no casualties to any of her numerous crews until 8 April 1944 when she collided with the German steam trawler Helmi Söhle[Note 1] west of Pillau (today's Baltiysk, Russia) and sank. 17 of her crew were killed; 18 survived. The wreck was raised the next day and stricken.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Gröner 1985, p. 67.
- ↑ Rössler 1979, p. 99.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Gröner 1985, p. 69.
- ↑ Gröner names the vessel involved in the collision as Hinrich Freese, which according to other sources had already sunk on 16 November 1940 .
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.
- Sharpe, Peter (1998). U-Boat Fact File. Great Britain: Midland Publishing. ISBN 1-85780-072-9.
- Rössler, Eberhard (1979). U-Bootbau bis Ende des 1. Weltkrieges, Konstruktionen für das Ausland und die Jahre 1935 - 1945. Die deutschen U-Boote und ihre Werften (in German) I (Munich: Bernard & Graefe). ISBN 3-7637-5213-7.
External links
- Hofmann, Markus. "U 2". Deutsche U-Boote 1935-1945 - u-boot-archiv.de (in German). Retrieved 30 January 2015.
- Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type IIA boat U-2". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
- ubootwaffe.net webpage for U-2
Coordinates: 54°48′00″N 19°55′01″E / 54.800°N 19.917°E
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