German submarine U-602
| Career (Nazi Germany) |  |
|---|---|
| Name: | U-602 |
| Ordered: | 22 May 1940 |
| Builder: | Blohm & Voss, Hamburg |
| Yard number: | 578 |
| Laid down: | 8 February 1941 |
| Launched: | 30 October 1941 |
| Commissioned: | 29 December 1941 |
| Fate: | Missing since 19 April 1943 in the Mediterranean in position 36°50′N 00°00′W / 36.833°N -0.000°E. |
| General characteristics [1] | |
| Class and type: | Type VIIC submarine |
| Displacement: | 769 tonnes (757 long tons) surfaced 871 t (857 long tons) submerged |
| Length: | 67.1 m (220 ft 2 in) o/a 50.5 m (165 ft 8 in) pressure hull |
| Beam: | 6.2 m (20 ft 4 in) o/a 4.7 m (15 ft 5 in) pressure hull |
| Draft: | 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in) |
| Propulsion: | 2 × supercharged Germaniawerft 6-cylinder 4-stroke F46 diesel engines, totalling 2,800–3,200 bhp (2,100–2,400 kW). Max rpm: 470-490 2 × BBC GG UB 720/8 electric motors, totalling 750 shp (560 kW) and max rpm: 296 |
| Speed: | 17.7 knots (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph) surfaced 7.6 knots (14.1 km/h; 8.7 mph) submerged |
| Range: | 8,500 nmi (15,700 km; 9,800 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced 80 nmi (150 km; 92 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged |
| Test depth: | 230 m (750 ft) Crush depth: 250–295 m (820–968 ft) |
| Complement: | 44–52 officers & ratings |
| Armament: | 5 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (4 bow, 1 stern) 14 × torpedoes or 26 TMA mines 1 × 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun (220 rounds) Various AA guns |
| Service record[2] | |
|---|---|
| Part of: |
5th U-boat Flotilla (29 December 1941 - 30 September 1942) - Training 7th U-boat Flotilla (1 October - 31 December 1942) 29th U-boat Flotilla (1 January - 19 April 1943) |
| Commanders: |
Oblt.z.S. Philipp Schüler (29 December 1941 - 19 April 1943) |
| Operations: |
1st patrol: 26 September - 6 November 1942 2nd patrol: 1–21 December 1942 3rd patrol: 6 February - 9 March 1943 4th patrol: 6–19 April 1943 |
| Victories: | 1 warship total loss (1,540 tons) |
German submarine U-602 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II. She was laid down on 8 February 1941 by Blohm & Voss, Hamburg as yard number 578, launched on 30 October 1941 and commissioned on 29 December 1941 under Oberleutnant zur See Philipp Schüler.
Service History
The boat's career began with training at 5th U-boat Flotilla on 29 December 1941, followed by active service on 1 October 1942 as part of the 7th Flotilla. She later transferred for operations in the Mediterranean with 29th Flotilla for the remainder of her service.
In four patrols she was credited with the total loss of one warship (1,540 tons).
Wolfpacks
U-602 took part in two wolfpacks, namely
- Panther (6–16 October 1942)
- Puma (16–29 October 1942)
Fate
U-602 went missing in the Mediterranean. She left the Military port of Toulon on 11 April 1943, and sent the last radio message on 19 April 1943 at position 36°50′N 00°00′W / 36.833°N -0.000°ECoordinates: 36°50′N 00°00′W / 36.833°N -0.000°E. All hands were lost.
Summary of raiding career
| Date | Name | Nationality | Tonnage (GRT) |
Fate[3] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 December 1942 | HMS Porcupine |  Royal Navy |
1,540 | Total loss |
See also
References
- ↑ Gröner 1985, pp. 72-74.
- ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-602". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 12 September 2014.
- ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-602". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 12 September 2014.
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.
External links
- Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-602". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 29 December 2014.