German submarine U-207
| History | |
|---|---|
 Nazi Germany
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| Name: | U-207 |
| Ordered: | 16 October 1939 |
| Builder: | Germaniawerft, Kiel |
| Yard number: | 636 |
| Laid down: | 14 August 1940 |
| Launched: | 24 April 1941 |
| Commissioned: | 7 June 1941 |
| Fate: | Sunk by British warships, 11 September 1941 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type: | Type VIIC submarine |
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| Beam: |
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| Height: | 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in) |
| Draught: | 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in) |
| Installed power: |
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| Propulsion: |
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| Complement: | 4 officers, 40–56 enlisted |
| Armament: |
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| Service record | |
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| Commanders: |
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| Operations: | 24 August – 11 September 1941 |
| Victories: | Two commercial vessels sunk (9,727 GRT) |
German submarine U-207 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.
Ordered on 16 October 1939 from the Germaniawerft shipyard in Kiel, she was laid down on 14 August 1940 as yard number 636, launched on 24 April 1941 and commissioned on 7 June under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Fritz Meyer.
She sank two ships totalling 9,727 gross register tons (GRT) in one patrol.
She was sunk by two British warships near Greenland on 11 September 1941.
Design
German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-207 had a displacement of 769 tonnes (757 long tons) when at the surface and 871 tonnes (857 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 AEG GU 460/8–27 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-207 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
U-207's only patrol began with her departure from Trondheim in Norway on 24 August 1941. She headed west, approaching southern Greenland and attacking the north Atlantic convoy SC-42, sinking Stonepool using torpedoes and five minutes later Berury with gunfire. The convoy escorts reacted swiftly: HMS Leamington and Veteran used depth charges to sink the unfortunate U-boat.
41 men died; there were no survivors.
Wolfpacks
U-207 took part in one wolfpack, namely.
- Markgraf (27 August - 11 September 1941)
Summary of raiding history
| Date | Ship Name | Nationality | Tonnage (GRT) | Fate[2] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 September 1941 | Stonepool |  United Kingdom |
4,803 | Sunk |
| 11 September 1941 | Berury | United Kingdom |
4,924 | Sunk |
References
- 1 2 3 4 Gröner 1991, pp. 43-46.
- ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-207". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 9 December 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; 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. "The Type VIIC boat U-207". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
- Hofmann, Markus. "U 207". Deutsche U-Boote 1935-1945 - u-boot-archiv.de (in German). Retrieved 9 December 2014.