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German submarine U-221

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"U-221" redirects here. For the isotope of uranium (U-221 or 221U), see Uranium-221.

German submarine U-221 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

History
Nazi Germany
NameU-221
Ordered15 August 1940
BuilderGermaniawerft, Kiel
Yard number651
Laid down16 June 1941
Launched14 March 1942
Commissioned9 May 1942
FateSunk by aircraft, 27 September 1943
General characteristics
Class and typeType VIIC submarine
Displacement
  • 769 tonnes (757 long tons) surfaced
  • 871 t (857 long tons) submerged
Length
Beam
  • 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in) o/a
  • 4.70 m (15 ft 5 in) pressure hull
Height9.60 m (31 ft 6 in)
Draught4.74 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)
  • Crush depth: 250–295 m (820–968 ft)
Complement4 officers, 40–56 enlisted
Armament
Service record
Part of:
Commanders:
Operations:
  • 5 patrols:
  • 1st patrol:
  • 3 September – 22 October 1942
  • 2nd patrol:
  • 23 November – 23 December 1942
  • 3rd patrol:
  • 27 February – 28 March 1943
  • 4th patrol:
  • 3 May – 21 July 1943
  • 5th patrol:
  • 20 – 27 September 1943
Victories:
  • 11 merchant ships sunk
    (69,589 GRT)
  • 10 warships sunk
    (759 tons)
  • 1 merchant ship damaged
    (7,197 GRT)

Ordered on 15 August 1940 from the Germaniawerft shipyard in Kiel, she was laid down on 16 June 1941 as yard number 651, launched on 14 March 1942 and commissioned on 9 May 1942 under the command of Kapitänleutnant Hans-Hartwig Trojer.

A member of twelve wolfpacks, she sank a total of Twenty one ships for a total of 69,589 gross register tons (GRT) and 759 tons in five patrols. In addition, she damaged one ship with a total tonnage of 7,197 GRT.

Design

German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-221 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-221 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 a 2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.[1]

Service history

U-221 is also credited with the destruction of ten allied landing craft (nine LCMs and one LCT) that were lost aboard the British merchantman Southern Empress when that vessel was torpedoed and sunk on 14 October 1942.

First patrol

U-221 departed Kristiansand on 3 September 1942 having moved to the Norwegian port a day earlier. Her route took her through the gap between Iceland and the Faroe Islands. She claimed her first victim, Fagersten, about 500 nmi (930 km; 580 mi) east of the Belle Isle Strait, in Newfoundland on 13 October. In the same attack, she sank Ashworth and Senta. There were no survivors from either vessel.

The next day two more ships fell to the torpedoes of the German U-boat. The Susana went down in six minutes northeast of St. Johns; Southern Empress was sent to the bottom, taking a deck cargo of ten landing craft with her.

U-221 docked in St Nazaire on 22 October.

Second patrol

The boat's second foray was one of anti-climax and tragedy. Although she scoured the Atlantic west of Ireland, she failed to find any targets. On 8 December U-221 and U-254 collided in heavy fog, resulting in the loss of the latter boat. U-221 was badly damaged. Unable to dive, Oberleutnant zur See Trojer aborted the patrol and returned to St. Nazaire.

Third patrol

Her third sortie was more fruitful. The Jamaica was destroyed on 7 March 1943. This ship took just two minutes to sink. As survivors took to the boats, Trojer surfaced and took the ship's 4th Engineer prisoner, but on March 21, the man, during an exercise period, jumped overboard and was lost.[2] The boat sank Tucurina on the tenth, southeast of Cape Farewell, (Greenland). In the same attack, the U-boat sank Andrea F. Luckenbach and damaged SS Lawton B. Evans (probably due to a dud torpedo).

Retribution was swift; the convoy's escorts from HX 228 caused some damage to U-221. Repairs were carried out at sea, enabling the boat to sink two more ships on 18 March; Canadian Star and Walter Q. Gresham were added to her list of 'kills'.

Fourth patrol

U-221 only sank one ship on this patrol, Sandanger; the survivors had a remarkable escape. Occupying the only intact lifeboat, they found themselves in an area of low pressure created by the ship's burning fuel cargo. The flames were split in two by strong winds which also kept them above the men's heads by only a few feet as they rowed clear of the location.

Fifth patrol and loss

U-221 left St. Nazaire for the last time on 20 September 1943. On the 27th she was attacked by a Handley Page Halifax of No. 58 Squadron RAF with eight depth charges southwest of Ireland. The U-boat was seen to sink by the stern but the aircraft was also hit, forcing the pilot to ditch about three miles from the encounter. Two gunners from the Halifax were lost; the U-boat was sunk with all hands (50 men).[3][4]

Wolfpacks

U-221 took part in twelve wolfpacks, namely:

  • Pfeil (12 – 22 September 1942)
  • Blitz (22 – 26 September 1942)
  • Tiger (26 – 30 September 1942)
  • Wotan (5 – 18 October 1942)
  • Draufgänger (29 November - 9 December 1942)
  • Neuland (8 – 13 March 1943)
  • Dränger (14 – 20 March 1943)
  • Drossel (11 – 15 May 1943)
  • Oder (17 – 19 May 1943)
  • Mosel (19 – 24 May 1943)
  • Trutz (1 – 16 June 1943)
  • Trutz 3 (16 – 29 June 1943)

Summary of raiding history

Date Name Nationality Tonnage[Note 1] Fate[5]
13 October 1942 Ashworth   United Kingdom 5,227 Sunk
13 October 1942 Fagersten   Norway 2,342 Sunk
13 October 1942 Senta   Norway 3,785 Sunk
14 October 1942 Southern Empress   United Kingdom 12,398 Sunk
14 October 1942 HMS LCM-508[Note 2]   Royal Navy 52 Sunk
14 October 1942 HMS LCM-509[Note 2]   Royal Navy 52 Sunk
14 October 1942 HMS LCM-519[Note 2]   Royal Navy 52 Sunk
14 October 1942 HMS LCM-522[Note 2]   Royal Navy 52 Sunk
14 October 1942 HMS LCM-523[Note 2]   Royal Navy 52 Sunk
14 October 1942 HMS LCM-532[Note 2]   Royal Navy 52 Sunk
14 October 1942 HMS LCM-537[Note 2]   Royal Navy 52 Sunk
14 October 1942 HMS LCM-547[Note 2]   Royal Navy 52 Sunk
14 October 1942 HMS LCM-620[Note 2]   Royal Navy 52 Sunk
14 October 1942 HMS LCT-2006[Note 2]   Royal Navy 291 Sunk
14 October 1942 Susana   United States 5,929 Sunk
7 March 1943 Jamaica   Norway 3,015 Sunk
10 March 1943 Andrea F. Luckenbach   United States 6,565 Sunk
10 March 1943 Lawton B. Evans   United States 7,197 Damaged
10 March 1943 Tucurinca   United Kingdom 5,412 Sunk
18 March 1943 Canadian Star   United Kingdom 8,293 Sunk
18 March 1943 Walter Q. Gresham   United States 7,191 Sunk
18 March 1943 Sandanger   Norway 9,432 Sunk

See also

References

Notes

  1. ^ Merchant ship tonnages are in gross register tons. Military vessels are listed by tons displacement.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Carried by "Southern Empress".

Citations

  1. ^ a b c d Gröner 1991, pp. 43–46.
  2. ^ Franks, Norman L.R. (1997). Dark sky, deep water. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield. p. 94. ISBN 978-1442232853. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  3. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-221". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
  4. ^ Kemp 1999, p. 147.
  5. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-221". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 26 December 2014.

Bibliography

  • Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (1999). German U-boat commanders of World War II : a biographical dictionary. Translated by Brooks, Geoffrey. London, Annapolis, Md: Greenhill Books, Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-186-6.
  • Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (1999). Deutsche U-Boot-Verluste von September 1939 bis Mai 1945 [German U-boat losses from September 1939 to May 1945]. Der U-Boot-Krieg (in German). Vol. 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. pp. 132, 173, 208. ISBN 0-304-35203-9.
  • Gröner, Erich; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. German Warships 1815–1945. Vol. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4.
  • Kemp, Paul (1999). U-boats destroyed : German submarine losses in the World Wars. London: Arms & Armour. ISBN 1-85409-515-3. OCLC 43972253.
  • Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-221". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
  • Hofmann, Markus. "U 221". Deutsche U-Boote 1935-1945 - u-boot-archiv.de (in German). Retrieved 26 December 2014.

47°0′N 18°0′W / 47.000°N 18.000°W / 47.000; -18.000

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