U-100 | |
History | |
---|---|
Nazi Germany | |
Name | U-100 |
Ordered | 15 December 1937 |
Builder | Germaniawerft, Kiel |
Yard number | 594 |
Laid down | 22 May 1939 |
Launched | 10 April 1940 |
Commissioned | 30 May 1940 |
Fate | Sunk 17 March 1941 by HMS Vanoc |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Type VIIB submarine |
Displacement |
|
Length |
|
Beam |
|
Height | 9.50 m (31 ft 2 in) |
Draught | 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in) |
Installed power |
|
Propulsion |
|
Speed |
|
Range | |
Test depth |
|
Complement | 4 officers, 40–56 enlisted |
Sensors and processing systems | Gruppenhorchgerät |
Armament |
|
Service record | |
Part of: |
|
Identification codes: | M 01 800 |
Commanders: | |
Operations: |
|
Victories: |
German submarine U-100 was a Type VIIB U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.
Design
German Type VIIB submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIA submarines. U-100 had a displacement of 753 tonnes (741 long tons) when at the surface and 857 tonnes (843 long tons) while submerged.[2] She had a total length of 66.50 m (218 ft 2 in), a pressure hull length of 48.80 m (160 ft 1 in), a beam of 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in), a height of 9.50 m (31 ft 2 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 BBC 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).[2]
The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 17.9 knots (33.2 km/h; 20.6 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph).[2] When submerged, the boat could operate for 90 nautical miles (170 km; 100 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 8,700 nautical miles (16,100 km; 10,000 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). U-100 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 one 2 cm (0.79 in) anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.[2]
Service history
First patrol
The boat was launched on 10 April 1940, with a crew of 53, under the command of Kapitänleutnant Joachim Schepke. On her first active patrol, U-100 came into contact with two Allied convoys, OA-198 and OA-204. She shadowed both convoys.
Second patrol
U-100 departed for her second active patrol on 11 September 1940, coming into contact with the Allied convoy HX 72. HX 72 lost 11 ships in total, with U-100 accounting for 7 ships of 50,340 GRT. In the attack on this convoy, while other U-boats stood off to the side and fired their torpedoes to little or no success, U-100 penetrated inside the convoy before attacking, a tactic soon adopted by the C-in-C of U-boats, Admiral Karl Donitz.
Third patrol
After resupplying, U-100 departed for her third active patrol on 12 October 1940. She came into contact with two Allied convoys, HX 79 and SC 7.
Fourth patrol
U-100 departed on her fourth patrol on 7 November 1940. On 22 November she came into contact with the Allied convoy SC 11 and began to shadow it.
Fifth patrol
U-100 left for her fifth active patrol on 2 December 1940, sinking two vessels from Convoy OB 256, then a third solo vessel.
Sixth and final patrol
U-100 departed on her sixth and what would be her final patrol on 9 March 1941. She approached convoy HX 112 from astern in the pre-dawn hours of 17 March, but was detected at a range of 1,000 meters by the Type 286 radar aboard HMS Vanoc.[3] U-100 was the first U-boat to be so discovered during World War II; she was rammed and sunk by Vanoc while attempting to submerge.[4] Another destroyer, HMS Walker, was also present.[5] Six of the boat's 53 crew members survived, spending the remainder of the war as POWs. Schepke was not one of them.
Summary of raiding history
Date | Ship | Flag | Tonnage (GRT) |
Fate[6] |
---|---|---|---|---|
16 August 1940 | Empire Merchant | United Kingdom | 4,864 | Sunk |
25 August 1940 | Jamaica Pioneer | United Kingdom | 5,471 | Sunk |
29 August 1940 | Dalblair | United Kingdom | 4,608 | Sunk |
29 August 1940 | Hartismere | United Kingdom | 5,498 | Damaged |
29 August 1940 | Astra II | United Kingdom | 2,393 | Sunk |
29 August 1940 | Alida Gorthon | Sweden | 2,373 | Sunk |
29 August 1940 | Empire Moose | United Kingdom | 6,103 | Sunk |
21 September 1940 | Canonesa | United Kingdom | 8,286 | Sunk |
21 September 1940 | Torinia | United Kingdom | 10,364 | Sunk |
21 September 1940 | Dalcairn | United Kingdom | 4,608 | Sunk |
22 September 1940 | Empire Airman | United Kingdom | 6,586 | Sunk |
22 September 1940 | Scholar | United Kingdom | 3,940 | Sunk |
22 September 1940 | Frederick S. Fales | United Kingdom | 10,525 | Sunk |
22 September 1940 | Simla | Norway | 6,031 | Sunk |
18 October 1940 | Shekatika | United Kingdom | 5,458 | Damaged |
18 October 1940 | Boekelo | Netherlands | 2,118 | Damaged |
19 October 1940 | Blairspey | United Kingdom | 4,155 | Damaged |
20 October 1940 | Caprella | United Kingdom | 8,230 | Sunk |
20 October 1940 | Sitala | United Kingdom | 6,218 | Sunk |
20 October 1940 | Loch Lomond | United Kingdom | 5,452 | Sunk |
23 November 1940 | Justitia | United Kingdom | 4,562 | Sunk |
23 November 1940 | Bradfyne | United Kingdom | 4,740 | Sunk |
23 November 1940 | Ootmarsum | Netherlands | 3,628 | Sunk |
23 November 1940 | Bruse | Norway | 2,205 | Total Loss |
23 November 1940 | Salonica | Norway | 2,694 | Sunk |
23 November 1940 | Leise Maersk | United Kingdom | 3,136 | Sunk |
23 November 1940 | Bussum | Netherlands | 3,636 | Sunk |
14 December 1940 | Kyleglen | United Kingdom | 3,670 | Sunk |
14 December 1940 | Euphorbia | United Kingdom | 3,380 | Sunk |
18 December 1940 | Napier Star | United Kingdom | 10,116 | Sunk |
Sunk: | 135,614 | |||
Total loss: | 2,205 | |||
Damaged: | 17,229 | |||
Total: | 155,048 |
References
- ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Joachim Schepke (Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves)". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 17 May 2015.
- 1 2 3 4 Gröner 1991, pp. 43–44.
- ↑ Rohwer & Hummelchen (1992) p. 54
- ↑ Macintyre, Donald, CAPT RN "Shipborne Radar" United States Naval Institute Proceedings September 1967 pp. 78–79
- ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIB boat U-100". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net..
- ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-100". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 11 December 2013.
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.
- Gröner, Erich; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). German Warships 1815–1945, U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. Vol. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4.
- Rohwer, J.; Hummelchen, G. (1992). Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-105-X.
- Kemp, Paul (1997). U-Boats Destroyed – German Submarine Losses in the World Wars. Arms and Armour Press. p. 69. ISBN 1-85409-321-5.
External links
- Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIB boat U-100". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
- Hofmann, Markus. "U 100". Deutsche U-Boote 1935-1945 - u-boot-archiv.de (in German). Retrieved 30 January 2015.
- Canonesa, Convoy HX72 & U-100