German submarine U-635
| Career (Nazi Germany) |  |
|---|---|
| Name: | U-635 |
| Ordered: | 20 January 1941 |
| Builder: | Blohm & Voss, Hamburg |
| Yard number: | 611 |
| Laid down: | 3 October 1941 |
| Launched: | 24 June 1942 |
| Commissioned: | 13 August 1942 |
| Fate: | Sunk 5 April 1943 in the North Atlantic in position 58°20′N 31°52′W / 58.333°N 31.867°WCoordinates: 58°20′N 31°52′W / 58.333°N 31.867°W, by depth charges from a RAF Liberator. |
| 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 (13 August 1942 - 31 March 1943) - Training 3rd U-boat Flotilla (1–5 April 1943) |
| Commanders: |
Oblt.z.S. Heinz Eckelmann (13 August 1942 - 5 April 1943) |
| Operations: |
1st patrol: 8–31 January 1942 |
| Victories: | 2 merchant ships damaged (14,894 GRT) |
German submarine U-635 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II. She was laid down on 3 October 1941 by Blohm & Voss, Hamburg as yard number 611, launched on 24 June 1942 and commissioned on 13 August 1942 under Oberleutnant zur See Heinz Eckelmann.
Service History
The boat's career began with training at 5th U-boat Flotilla on 13 August 1942, followed by active service on 1 April 1943 as part of the 1st Flotilla for the remainder of her very short service.
In one patrol she damaged two merchant ships, for a total of 14,894 gross register tons (GRT).
Convoy HX 231
In April 1943, U-635 joined the wolfpack Löwenherz and attacked the Eastbound convoy HX 231 bound for Liverpool from Halifax, Nova Scotia.
At 22:15 on 4 April, U-635’s torpedoes struck the lead ship of the column, the British freighter Shillong. U-630 delivered the coup de grâce. She took only 12 minutes to sink.
The next target was the British refrigerated ship Waroonga, carrying much needed butter and cheese from New Zealand for the war-weary British population. She was hit with 2 torpedoes, but stayed afloat thanks to the integrity of her watertight bulkheads. However, it wasn’t to last as she too was despatched by U-630 the following day.
Wolfpacks
U-635 took part in one wolfpack, namely
- Löwenherz (1–5 April 1943)
Fate
U-635 was sunk on 5 April 1943 in the North Atlantic in position 58°20′N 31°52′W / 58.333°N 31.867°W, by depth charges from RAF Liberator of 120 Squadron. All hands were lost.
Summary of raiding career
| Date | Name | Nationality | Tonnage (GRT) |
Fate[3] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 April 1943 | Shillong |  United Kingdom |
5,529 | Damaged |
| 4 April 1943 | Waroonga | United Kingdom |
9,365 | Damaged |
References
- ↑ Gröner 1985, pp. 72-74.
- ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-635". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 5 November 2014.
- ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-635". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 5 November 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.
- Edwards, Bernard (1996). Dönitz and the Wolfpacks - The U-boats at War. pp. 179, 180, 184. ISBN 0-304-35203-9.
- 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-635". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 29 December 2014.