German submarine U-757
| History | |
|---|---|
 Nazi Germany
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| Name: | U-757 |
| Ordered: | 9 October 1939[1] |
| Builder: | Kriegsmarinewerft Wilhelmshaven |
| Laid down: | 18 May 1940[1] |
| Launched: | 14 December 1941[1] |
| Commissioned: | 28 February 1942[1] |
| Status: | Destroyed 8 January 1944[1] |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type: | Type VIIC submarine |
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| Height: | 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in) |
| Draught: | 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in) |
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| Complement: | 4officers, 40–56 enlisted |
| Armament: |
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| Service record | |
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| Operations: | 5 patrols |
| Victories: | 3 ships sunk for a total of 11,504 GRT |
German submarine U-757 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II. Laid down as yard number 140 at the Kriegsmarinewerft (KMW) in Wilhelmshaven, U-757 served with 6th U-boat Flotilla from 28 February 1942 to 8 January 1944 under the command of Korvettenkapitän Friedrich Deetz.[1]
Design
German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-757 had a displacement of 769 tonnes (757 long tons) when at the surface and 871 tonnes (857 long tons) while submerged.[2] 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 Garbe, Lahmeyer & Co. RP 137/c 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).[2]
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).[2] 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-757 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.[2]
Service history
U-757's first victims were the British transport vessel HMS LCT-2398 - destroying 291 tons of shipping - in the convoy HX 228, and the American merchant vessel William C. Gorgas- destroying a further 7,197 tons of shipping. Both incidents occurred on 11 March 1943, fourteen days into her twenty-five-day-long third patrol. Of the seventy-three crewmen on board the Gorgas, twenty-two perished.
On her fourth patrol, U-757 sank the Norwegian Fernhill on 7 August 1943, thirty-one days into her sixty-day patrol, 4,116 tons of shipping lost in the sea. Of the ship's forty-four crewmen, forty survived the attack, being rescued by the American tanker Idaho two days later.
Fate
On 8 January 1944 in the North Atlantic, south-west of Iceland, U-757 was hit by depth charges from the British frigate HMS Bayntun and the Canadian corvette HMCS Camrose. U-757 went down with all 49 seamen, at position 50°33′N 18°03′W / 50.550°N 18.050°WCoordinates: 50°33′N 18°03′W / 50.550°N 18.050°W.
Wolfpacks
U-757 took part in five wolfpacks, namely.
- Panther (6–10 October 1942)
- Neuland (4–12 March 1943)
- Without name (11–29 July 1943)
- Rügen 5 (6–7 January 1944)
- Rügen (7–8 January 1944)
Summary of raiding history[3]
| Date | Ship | Nationality | Tonnage | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 March 1943 | William C. Gorgas |  United States |
7,197 | Sunk |
| 11 March 1943 | HMS LCT-2398 |  Royal Navy |
291 | Sunk |
| 7 August 1943 | Fernhill |  Norway |
4,116 | Sunk |
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-757". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net.
- 1 2 3 4 Gröner 1991, pp. 43-46.
- ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-757". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 12 February 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.
- Edwards, Bernard (1996). Dönitz and the Wolf Packs - The U-boats at War. Cassell Military Classics. p. 173. ISBN 0-304-35203-9.
- 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-757". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 29 December 2014.