German submarine U-638
| Career (Nazi Germany) |  |
|---|---|
| Name: | U-638 |
| Ordered: | 20 January 1941 |
| Builder: | Blohm & Voss, Hamburg |
| Yard number: | 614 |
| Laid down: | 16 October 1941 |
| Launched: | 8 July 1942 |
| Commissioned: | 3 September 1942 |
| Fate: | Sunk 5 May 1943 in the North Atlantic in position 54°12′N 44°05′W / 54.200°N 44.083°WCoordinates: 54°12′N 44°05′W / 54.200°N 44.083°W, by depth charges from HMS Sunflower. |
| 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: |
|
| Service record[2] | |
|---|---|
| Part of: |
5th U-boat Flotilla (3 September 1942 - 31 January 1943) - Training 9th U-boat Flotilla (1 February - 5 May 1943) |
| Commanders: |
Oblt.z.S. Oskar Staudinger (3 September - 8 December 1942) Kapitänleutnant Hinrich-Oscar Bernbeck (9 December 1942 - 31 March 1943) Kptlt. Oskar Staudinger (1 April - 5 May 1943) |
| Operations: |
1st patrol: 4 February - 31 March 1943 2nd patrol: 20 April - 5 May 1943 |
| Victories: |
1 merchant ship sunk (5,507 GRT) 1 merchant ship damaged (6,537 GRT) |
German submarine U-638 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II. She was laid down on 16 October 1941 by Blohm & Voss, Hamburg as yard number 614, launched on 8 July 1942 and commissioned on 3 September 1942 under Kapitänleutnant Oskar Staudinger.
Service History
The boat's career began with training at 5th U-boat Flotilla on 3 September 1942, followed by active service on 1 February 1943 as part of the 9th Flotilla for the remainder of her service.
In three patrols she sank one merchant ship, for a total of 5,507 gross register tons (GRT) and one ship damaged.
Wolfpacks
U-638 took part in four wolfpacks, namely
- Burggraf (26–28 February 1943)
- Wildfang (28 February – 5 March 1943)
- Raubgraf (7–15 March 1943)
- Amsel 1 (3–5 May 1943)
Fate
U-638 was sunk on 5 May 1943 in the North Atlantic in position 54°12′N 44°05′W / 54.200°N 44.083°W, by depth charges from HMS Sunflower. All hands were lost.
Summary of raiding career
| Date | Name | Nationality | Tonnage (GRT) |
Fate[3] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 March 1943 | Empire Light |  United Kingdom |
6,537 | Damaged |
| 5 May 1943 | Dollus | United Kingdom |
5,507 | Sunk |
References
- ↑ Gröner 1985, pp. 72-74.
- ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-638". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
- ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-638". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 1 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.
- Edwards, Bernard (1996). Dönitz and the Wolfpacks - The U-boats at War. p. 199. 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-638". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 29 December 2014.