German submarine U-535

Career (Nazi Germany)
Name: U-535
Ordered: 10 April 1941
Builder: Deutsche Werft, Hamburg
Yard number: 353
Laid down: 6 March 1942
Launched: 8 October 1942
Commissioned: 23 December 1942
Fate: Sunk, 5 July 1943
General characteristics [1]
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:19 knots (35 km/h; 22 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 nautical miles (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[2][3]
Part of: 4th U-boat Flotilla
(23 December 1942–31 May 1943)
10th U-boat Flotilla
(1 June 1943–5 July 1943)
Commanders: Kptlt. Helmut Ellmenreich
(23 December 1942–5 July 1943)
Operations: 1st patrol: 25 May–5 July 1943
Victories: None

German submarine U-535 was a Type IXC/40 U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 6 March 1942 at the Deutsche Werft yard at Hamburg, launched on 8 October 1942, and commissioned on 23 December 1942 under the command of Kapitänleutnant Helmut Ellmenreich. After training with 4th U-boat Flotilla in the Baltic Sea, U-535 was transferred to 10th U-boat Flotilla for front-line service. U-535 completed one patrol, but did not sink any ships.[2]

Service history

U-535 sailed from Kiel on 25 May 1943 on her first and only war patrol in the north Atlantic.[4]

On 8 June at about 14:00, the U-boat was attacked with depth charges by a Hudson light bomber from No. 269 Squadron RAF, close to Convoy SC-132. A follow-up attack by another Hudson from the same squadron was aborted when the depth charges failed to release in two attack runs. The aircraft was damaged by the U-boat's flak, and the pilot warned an arriving United States Navy Catalina patrol bomber of Squadron VP-84 that the boat would stay up and fight, so the flying boat shadowed U-535 until it escaped at dusk.[2]

Sinking

At 16:55 on 5 July 1943, a group of three inbound U-boats; U-170, U-535 and U-536 were attacked by a British Liberator maritime reconnaissance aircraft of No. 53 Squadron RAF, north-east of Cape Finisterre, Spain. The U-boats evaded the first attack, and U-536 was strafed in the second. U-536 gave the signal to crash-dive, but for unknown reasons U-535 remained on the surface. Despite hitting the aircraft with her AA guns, the U-boat was straddled by eight depth charges and sank with all hands in position 43°38′N 09°13′W / 43.633°N 9.217°WCoordinates: 43°38′N 09°13′W / 43.633°N 9.217°W. Damaged and with one crewman wounded, the aircraft immediately left the area and returned to base.[2]

References

  1. ↑ Gröner 1985, p. 105-7.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type IXC/40 boat U-535". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 6 February 2010.
  3. ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "War Patrols by German U-boat U-535". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 6 February 2010.
  4. ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Patrol of U-boat U-535 from 25 May 1943 to 5 Jul 1943". U-boat patrols - uboat.net. Retrieved 6 February 2010.

Bibliography

External links