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German submarine U-107 (1940)
German World War II submarine From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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German submarine U-107 was a Type IXB U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine that operated during World War II. Between January 1941 and August 1944, she sailed on 13 active patrols at a time when a U-boat averaged a lifespan of seven to ten patrols. During that time, U-107 sank 39 Allied ships and damaged four. The U-boat was launched on 2 July 1940, based at the U-boat port of Lorient, with a crew of 53 under the initial command of Günter Hessler. She was later commanded, in order, by Harald Gelhaus, Valker Simmermacher and her final commander, Karl Heinz Fritz.
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Design
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Type IXB submarines were slightly larger than the original Type IX submarines, later designated IXA. U-107 had a displacement of 1,051 tonnes (1,034 long tons) when at the surface and 1,178 tonnes (1,159 long tons) while submerged.[2] The U-boat had a total length of 76.50 m (251 ft), a pressure hull length of 58.75 m (192 ft 9 in), a beam of 6.76 m (22 ft 2 in), a height of 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in), and a draught of 4.70 m (15 ft 5 in). The submarine was powered by two MAN M 9 V 40/46 supercharged four-stroke, nine-cylinder diesel engines producing a total of 4,400 metric horsepower (3,240 kW; 4,340 shp) for use while surfaced, two Siemens-Schuckert 2 GU 345/34 double-acting electric motors producing a total of 1,000 metric horsepower (740 kW; 990 shp) for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 1.92 m (6 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 18.2 knots (33.7 km/h; 20.9 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 7.3 knots (13.5 km/h; 8.4 mph).[2] When submerged, the boat could operate for 64 nautical miles (119 km; 74 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 12,000 nautical miles (22,000 km; 14,000 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). U-107 was fitted with six 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and two at the stern), 22 torpedoes, one 10.5 cm (4.13 in) SK C/32 naval gun, 180 rounds, and a 3.7 cm (1.5 in) SK C/30 as well as a 2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of forty-eight.[2]
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Service history
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First patrol
Second patrol and most successful period
Third patrol
Fifth patrol
Sixth patrol
Eighth patrol
Ninth patrol
- 4 March 1943, came under attack from an unidentified Allied aircraft.
- Moderately damaged by the attack.
- 22 March 1943 at 14:35 it came under attack from another unidentified Allied aircraft
- Undamaged
Tenth patrol
Eleventh patrol
Fifteenth patrol
Sixteenth and final patrol
On 16 August 1944, U-107 departed from Lorient on a transport run to La Pallice.[3] She was intercepted on 18 August in the Bay of Biscay, west of La Rochelle, in position 46°46′N 03°49′W, by Allied forces, and was sunk by depth charges from a Short Sunderland (serialEJ150) of No. 201 Squadron, Royal Air Force. All 58 hands were lost.[4][5]
Wolfpacks
U-107 took part in 15 wolfpacks, namely:
- Störtebecker (5 – 7 November 1941)
- Seeräuber (14 – 23 December 1941)
- Blücher (23 – 28 August 1942)
- Iltis (6 – 23 September 1942)
- Hartherz (3 – 7 February 1943)
- Delphin (11 – 14 February 1943)
- Robbe (16 February – 13 March 1943)
- Amsel 2 (4 – 6 May 1943)
- Elbe (7 – 10 May 1943)
- Elbe 2 (10 – 14 May 1943)
- Weddigen (24 November – 7 December 1943)
- Coronel (7 – 8 December 1943)
- Coronel 2 (8 – 14 December 1943)
- Coronel 3 (14 – 17 December 1943)
- Borkum (18 – 30 December 1943)
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Summary of raiding history
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