German submarine U-995

U-995
U-995 Type VIIC at the Laboe Naval Memorial
History
Nazi Germany
Ordered: 14 October 1941
Builder: Blohm & Voss, Hamburg
Yard number: 195
Laid down: 25 November 1942
Launched: 22 July 1943
Commissioned: 16 September 1943
Fate: Surrendered
Norway
Name: Kaura
Acquired: October 1948
Commissioned: December 1952
Decommissioned: 1965
Status: Museum ship at Laboe Naval Memorial
General characteristics
Class & type: Type VIIC/41 submarine
Displacement:
  • 759 tonnes (747 long tons) surfaced
  • 860 t (846 long tons) submerged
Length:
Beam:
  • 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in) o/a
  • 4.70 m (15 ft 5 in) pressure hull
Draught: 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in)
Installed power:
  • 2,800–3,200 PS (2,100–2,400 kW; 2,800–3,200 bhp) (diesels)
  • 750 PS (550 kW; 740 shp) (electric)
Propulsion:
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)
  • Calculated crush depth: 250–295 m (820–968 ft)
Complement: 4 officers, 40–56 enlisted
Armament:
Service record
Part of:
Identification codes: M 55 095
Commanders:
Operations: 9 patrols
Victories:
  • 3 ships sunk for 1.560 GRT
  • 1 auxiliary warship sunk for 633 GRT
  • 1 warship sunk for 105 tons
  • 1 ship a total loss for 7.176 GRT

German submarine U-995 is a Type VIIC/41 U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine. She was laid down on 25 November 1942 by Blohm & Voss in Hamburg, Germany, and commissioned on 16 September 1943 with Oberleutnant zur See Walter Köhntopp in command.

Commanders

During the war U-995's commanders were:

Design

German Type VIIC/41 submarines were preceded by the heavier Type VIIC submarines. U-995 had a displacement of 759 tonnes (747 long tons) when at the surface and 860 tonnes (850 long tons) while submerged.[1] She had a total length of 67.10 m (220 ft 2 in), a pressure hull length of 50.50 m (165 ft 8 in), a beam of 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in), a height of 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in), and a draught of 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in). The submarine was powered by two Germaniawerft F46 four-stroke, six-cylinder supercharged diesel engines producing a total of 2,800 to 3,200 metric horsepower (2,060 to 2,350 kW; 2,760 to 3,160 shp) for use while surfaced, two Brown, Boveri & Cie GG UB 720/8 double-acting electric motors producing a total of 750 metric horsepower (550 kW; 740 shp) for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 1.23 m (4 ft) propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to 230 metres (750 ft).[1]

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 17.7 knots (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 7.6 knots (14.1 km/h; 8.7 mph).[1] When submerged, the boat could operate for 80 nautical miles (150 km; 92 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 8,500 nautical miles (15,700 km; 9,800 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). U-995 was fitted with five 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and one at the stern), fourteen torpedoes, one 8.8 cm (3.46 in) SK C/35 naval gun, 220 rounds, and an anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.[1]

Service history

During the war U-995 conducted 9 patrols:

Wolfpacks

U-995 took part in five wolfpacks, namely.

Summary of raiding history

Date Name of ship Flag Tonnage Fate
5 December 1944 Proletarij  Soviet Union 1,123 Sunk
21 December 1944 Reshitel'nyj  Soviet Union 20 Sunk
26 December 1944 RT-52 Som  Soviet Union 417 Sunk
29 December 1944 T-883 (No 37)  Soviet Navy 633 Sunk
2 March 1945 BO-224  Soviet Navy 105 Sunk
20 March 1945 Horace Bushnell  United States 7,176 Damaged

Fate

At the end of the war on 8 May 1945 she was stricken at Trondheim, Norway. She was surrendered to the British [2] and then transferred to Norwegian ownership in October 1948. In December 1952 U995 became the Norwegian submarine Kaura and in 1965 she was stricken from service by the Royal Norwegian Navy. She then was offered to the German government for the ceremonial price of one Deutsche Mark. The offer was turned down; but the Boat was saved by the German Navy League, DMB, where she became a museum ship at Laboe Naval Memorial in October 1971.

Armament

FLAK weaponry

U-995 was mounted with a single 3.7 cm Flak M42U gun on the LM 42U mount. The LM 42U mount was the most common mount used with the 3.7 cm Flak M42U. The 3.7 cm Flak M42U was the marine version of the 3.7 cm Flak and was also used by the Kriegsmarine on other Type VII and Type IX U-boats.

Additionally the boat was armed with a pair of twin Flak 38 20mm "Flakzwilling" mounts immediately adjacent to the 37mm gun mount.

Sonar

Passive sonar

U-995 was fixed with a Royal Norwegian Navy design Balkongerät sometime during the 1970s and then removed sometime between 4 November 1971 and 13 March 1972.[3]

  1. ^ a b This drawing is based foremost on the internal framing of the Type VIIC and photographs of U-995's. Its dimensions and attachment points are based principally on the external framing of the Type VIIC.

Other surviving U-boats

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Gröner 1991, pp. 43-46.
  2. ↑ Blair, p. 819.
  3. ↑ Wetzel, Eckard. U-995. Motorbuch Verlag; Erw. N.-A. edition (November 1, 2004). ISBN 978-3613024250.

Bibliography

  • Clay Blair : Hitler’s U-Boat War Vol II (1998). ISBN 978-0-394-58839-1
  • Gröner, Erich; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. German Warships 1815–1945 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel (London: Conway Maritime Press). ISBN 0-85177-593-4. 
  • 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. 

External links

Coordinates: 54°24′45″N 10°13′44″E / 54.41250°N 10.22889°E / 54.41250; 10.22889

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