German submarine U-707
History | |
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Name | U-707 |
Ordered | 6 August 1940 |
Builder | H. C. Stülcken Sohn, Hamburg |
Yard number | 771 |
Laid down | 2 January 1941 |
Launched | 18 December 1941 |
Commissioned | 1 July 1942 |
Fate | Sunk on 9 November 1943 off the Azores at 40°31′N 20°17′W / 40.517°N 20.283°W |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Type VIIC submarine |
Displacement | |
Length |
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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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Speed |
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Range | 8,500 nautical miles (15,700 km; 9,800 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) |
Test depth |
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Complement | 44–60 officers & ratings |
Armament |
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Service record | |
Part of: |
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Identification codes: | M 45 325 |
Commanders: |
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Operations: |
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Victories: |
2 merchant ships sunk (11,811 GRT) |
German submarine U-707 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.
Ordered 6 August 1940, she was laid down 2 January 1941 and launched 18 December 1941. She had a relatively brief career from 1 July 1942 until 9 November 1943, and during this time she was commanded by Oberleutnant zur See Günther Gretschel.
Design
[edit]German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-707 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 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).[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-707 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 two twin 2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft guns. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.[1]
Patrol History
[edit]During her career, U-707 sunk two ships, for a total tonnage of 11,811 GRT, namely the US freighter Jonathan Sturges, a straggler of convoy ON 166, and the British freighter North Britain also a straggler of convoy ONS 5.
Wolfpacks
[edit]U-707 participated in nine wolfpacks, namely:
- Haudegen (26 January – 2 February 1943)
- Nordsturm (2 – 9 February 1943)
- Haudegen (9 – 15 February 1943)
- Taifun (15 – 20 February 1943)
- Specht (19 April – 4 May 1943)
- Fink (4 – 6 May 1943)
- Naab (12 – 15 May 1943)
- Donau 2 (15 – 26 May 1943)
- Schill (25 October – 9 November 1943)
Fate
[edit]While on patrol east of the Azores, she was depth charged and sunk on 9 November 1943 from a RAF Fortress aircraft, from Sqdn. 220/J R.A.F, at position 40°31′N 20°17′W / 40.517°N 20.283°W. She was lost with all hands; 51 dead.
Summary of raiding history
[edit]Date | Ship Name | Nationality | Tonnage (GRT) | Fate[2] |
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24 February 1943 | Jonathan Sturges | ![]() |
7,176 | Sunk |
5 May 1943 | North Britain | ![]() |
4,635 | Sunk |
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d Gröner 1991, pp. 43–46.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-707". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 9 February 2014.
Bibliography
[edit]- 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). Der U-Boot-Krieg, 1939-1945: Deutsche U-Boot-Verluste von September 1939 bis Mai 1945 [German U-boat losses from September 1939 to May 1945] (in German). Vol. IV. Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn: Mittler. ISBN 3-8132-0514-2.
- Gröner, Eric; 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.
External links
[edit]- Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-707". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
- German Type VIIC submarines
- U-boats commissioned in 1941
- 1941 ships
- U-boats sunk in 1943
- World War II submarines of Germany
- Ships built in Hamburg
- U-boats sunk by British aircraft
- U-boats sunk by depth charges
- World War II shipwrecks in the Atlantic Ocean
- Shipwrecks in the Bay of Biscay
- Submarines lost with all hands
- Maritime incidents in November 1943