French submarine Favorite (Q195)

Model of the Africaine (Q196), sister-ship of the Favorite
History
France
Name:	Favorite
Namesake:	"Favourite"
Builder:	Rouen
Laid down:	1937
Launched:	September 1938
Captured:	by Nazi Germany in June 1940
Nazi Germany
Name:	UF-2
Acquired:	June 1940
Commissioned:	May 1941
Decommissioned:	5 July 1944
Fate:	scuttled at Gotenhafen in 1945.
General characteristics [1]
Class and type:	Aurore class submarine
Displacement:	818 tonnes (805 long tons) surfaced 1,078 tonnes (1,061 long tons) submerged
Length:	73.50 m (241 ft 2 in) o/a
Beam:	6.50 m (21 ft 4 in) o/a
Draught:	4.57 m (15 ft)
Propulsion:	Diesel: 3000 shp (2237 KW) 1400 shp (1044 KW) electrical
Speed:	15.5 knots (28.7 km/h; 17.8 mph) surfaced 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) submerged
Range:	5,600 nmi (10,400 km; 6,400 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) 2,250 nmi (4,170 km; 2,590 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph) 80 nmi (150 km; 92 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) submerged
Test depth:	100 metres (330 ft)
Complement:	3 officers, 37 enlisted
Armament:	1 × 100 mm (3.9 in) deck gun 2 × 13.2 mm (0.52 in) machine guns 9 × 550 mm (22 in) torpedo tubes

The Favorite ("Favourite") was an Aurore class submarine of the French Navy. She was captured by the Germans in June 1940 and recommissioned in the Kriegsmarine as UF-2 in May 1941.

Career

The Favorite was laid down in 1937 in Rouen, and launched in September 1938. She never participated in any patrols with the French Navy.

After her capture, she was commissioned into Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine on 5 November 1942 and used as a training ship in the 5th Flotilla (Kiel) from November 1942 to October 1943, as well as in the U-Abwehrschule (Bergen), from November 1943 to July 1944.

She was decommissioned on 5 July 1944, and scuttled at Gotenhafen in 1945.

Commanders

The submarine was initially commanded by Korvettenkapitän Georg Lange, who served from November 1942 to October 1943. He lost command due to the loss of the boat. Oberleutnant zur See Heinrich Gehrken, served from the time Georg Lange lost the boat, until July 1944.

References

1. Gröner 1991, pp. 106-107.

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; 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.

External links

• Helgason, Guðmundur. "UF-2". German U-boats of World War II - Uboat.net.