German submarine U-41 (1939)

U-37, (an identical U-boat to U-41) at Lorient in 1940
Career (Nazi Germany)
Name:	U-41
Ordered:	21 November 1936[1]
Builder:	DeSchiMAG AG Weser, Bremen
Yard number:	946[1]
Laid down:	27 November 1937[1]
Launched:	28 January 1939[1]
Commissioned:	22 April 1939[1]
Fate:	Sunk on 5 February 1940 south of Ireland. All 49 of her crew went down with the submarine[2]
General characteristics [3][4]
Class and type:	Type IXA submarine
Displacement:	1,032 t (1,016 long tons) surfaced 1,152 t (1,134 long tons) submerged
Length:	76.5 m (251 ft) o/a 58.75 m (192 ft 9 in) pressure hull
Beam:	6.51 m (21 ft 4 in) o/a 4.4 m (14 ft 5 in) pressure hull
Height:	9.4 m (30 ft 10 in)
Draft:	4.7 m (15 ft 5 in)
Propulsion:	2 × MAN M 9 V 40/46 supercharged 9-cylinder diesel engines, 4,400 hp (3,281 kW) 2 × SSW 2 GU 345/34 double-acting electric motors, 1,000 hp (746 kW)
Speed:	18.2 knots (33.7 km/h; 20.9 mph) surfaced 7.7 knots (14.3 km/h; 8.9 mph) submerged
Range:	10,500 nmi (19,400 km; 12,100 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced 65–78 nmi (120–144 km; 75–90 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 × 10.5 cm SK C/32 naval gun (180 rounds) AA guns

The German submarine U-41 was a Type IXA U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine that operated during World War II. She conducted three war patrols during her short career, two as part of the 6th U-boat Flotilla and one as part of the 2nd flotilla. U-41 also sank five enemy vessels for a total of 22,815 gross register tons (GRT); captured two more for a total of 2,073 GRT and damaged one other of 8,096 GRT.

On 5 February 1940, U-41 was hit by depth charges from the British A class destroyer HMS Antelope after sinking two enemy merchant vessels and was sunk off the south coast of Ireland. All 49 of her crew members were lost with the boat.

Construction

U-41 was ordered by the Kriegsmarine on 21 November 1936 (as part of Plan Z and in violation of the Treaty of Versailles). She was laid down on 27 November 1937 by AG Weser, Bremen as yard number 946. She was launched on 28 January 1939 and commissioned on 22 April of that same year under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Gustav-Adolf Mugler.^[2]

Like all Type IXA submarines, U-41 had two MAN M 9 V 40/46 supercharged 9-cylinder diesel engines, that put out 4,400 hp (3,281 kW) as well as two SSW 2 GU 345/34 double-acting electric motors; they produced 1,000 hp (746 kW) and allowed her to travel at a maximum speed of 18.2 knots (33.7 km/h; 20.9 mph) while surfaced and 7.7 knots (14.3 km/h; 8.9 mph) submerged. She had a range of 10,500 nmi (19,400 km; 12,100 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) while on the surface and 65–78 nmi (120–144 km; 75–90 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) while submerged. U-41 had six torpedo tubes, (four in the bow, two in the stern). She also carried a total of 22 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedoes and had a 10.5 cm (4.1 in) SK L/45 deck gun that used 180 rounds. She was likely equipped with the standard 2 cm FlaK 30 anti-aircraft gun. U-41 had a crew of forty-nine men; however she could hold up to fifty-six crew members at any given time. After being commissioned, U-41 was stationed in the German port city of Wilhelmshaven. This was to be her home for the rest of her short career.^[4]

Service record

During her service in the Kriegsmarine, U-41 sank five commercial ships for 22,815 gross register tons (GRT); damaged one commercial vessel of 8,096 GRT and captured two ships totalling 2,073 GRT.^[5]

1st Patrol

U-41 left Wilhelmshaven on 19 August 1939, before World War II began. Her first patrol involved traveling as far south as Portugal after entering the North Sea and circumnavigating the British Isles. During this patrol, two ships were captured: the Finnish Vega, of 974 tons, and the 1,099-ton Suomen Poika. U-41 then returned to Wilhelmshaven, arriving on 17 September 1939.^[6]

2nd Patrol

U-41 left Wilhelmshaven with Mugler in command once again on 7 November 1939. On 12 November, both the 275 ton British vessel Cresswell and the 11,019 ton Norwegian ship Arne Kjøde were sunk by torpedoes. The 1,351-ton British merchant vessel Darino went to the bottom on the 19th. The last enemy vessel to be sunk by U-41 was the French vessel Les Barges II. She displaced a total of 296 tons and was sunk by a single torpedo on 21 November. The U-boat then returned to port on 7 December 1939.^[7]

3rd Patrol

U-41 left the port of Helgoland on 27 January 1940 with Mugler still in command. During her final patrol, one enemy ship was sunk and one was damaged; both of these attacks took place on 5 February. The first ship that was hit was the 8,096-ton Dutch vessel Ceronia. The Ceronia was damaged and the 9,874-ton British ship Beaverburn was sunk. Nevertheless U-41 did not return to her home port, she was sunk on the same day.^[8]

Fate

Following the attacks on the Dutch Ceronia and the British Beaverburn on 5 February 1940, U-41 was attacked by the British A class destroyer HMS Antelope with depth charges. She was hit and sunk off the south coast of Ireland. All 49 of her crew members were lost with the boat during the attack.^[2][8][9]

Summary of raiding career

Date[5]	Ship[5]	Nationality[5]	Tonnage[5]	Fate[5]
16 September 1939	Suomen Poika	Finland	1,099	Captured
16 September 1939	Vega	Finland	974	Captured
12 November 1939	Arne Kjøde	Norway	11,019	Sunk
12 November 1939	Cresswell	United Kingdom	275	Sunk
19 November 1939	Darino	United Kingdom	1,351	Sunk
21 November 1939	Les Barges II	France	296	Sunk
5 February 1940	Beaverburn	United Kingdom	5,375	Sunk
5 February 1940	Ceronia	Netherlands	8,096	Damaged

References

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. 
• Kemp, Paul (1999). U-Boats Destroyed - German Submarine Losses in the World Wars. London: Arms & Armour. ISBN 1-85409-515-3. 

External links

• Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type IXA boat U-41". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 17 April 2010. 
• Hofmann, Markus. "U 41". Deutsche U-Boote 1935-1945 - u-boot-archiv.de (in German). Retrieved 7 December 2014. 

Coordinates: 49°20′N 10°04′W / 49.333°N 10.067°W / 49.333; -10.067