German submarine U-1054 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.[1]
 Type VIIC submarine U-570 which looked almost identical to U-1054.
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 Nazi Germany | |
| Name | U-1054 |
| Ordered | 5 June 1941 |
| Builder | F. Krupp Germaniawerft AG, Kiel |
| Yard number | 688 |
| Laid down | 30 March 1943 |
| Launched | 24 February 1944 |
| Commissioned | 25 March 1944 |
| Decommissioned | 16 September 1944 |
| Fate | Scrapped in May 1945 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Type VIIC submarine |
| Displacement | 864.7 t (851 long tons) submerged |
| Length |
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| Beam |
|
| Height | 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in) |
| Draught | 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in) |
| Installed power |
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| Propulsion |
|
| Speed |
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| Range | |
| Test depth |
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| Complement | 44–57 crew |
| Armament |
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| Service record | |
| Part of: |
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| Identification codes: | M 50 425 |
| Commanders: | |
| Operations: | None |
| Victories: | None |
Construction
editU-1054 was laid down on 30 March 1943 at the F. Krupp Germaniawerft AG yard in Kiel, Germany. She was launched on 24 February 1944 and commissioned on 25 March 1944 under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Wolfgang Riekeberg.[2]
When she was completed, the submarine was 67.10 metres (220 ft 2 in) long, with a beam of 6.18 metres (20 ft 3 in), a height of 9.60 metres (31 ft 6 in) and a draft of 4.74 metres (15 ft 7 in). She was assessed at 864.7 t (851 long tons) submerged. 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 and two AEG GU 460/8-276 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 submarine was capable of operating at depths of up to 230 metres (750 ft), had a maximum surface speed of 17.6 knots (32.6 km/h; 20.3 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 7.5 knots (13.9 km/h; 8.6 mph).When submerged, the U-boat could operate for 80 nautical miles (150 km; 92 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) and when surfaced, she could travel 8,500 nautical miles (15,700 km; 9,800 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph).[3]
The submarine 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) deck gun (220 rounds), one 3.7 cm (1.5 in) Flak M42 and two twin 2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft guns. The boat had a complement of 44 to 57 men.[3]
Service history
editU-1054 was used as a Training ship in the 5th U-boat Flotilla from 25 March 1944 until 16 September 1944, she was fitted with a Schnorchel underwater-breathing apparatus in March 1944.[2]
Accident and disposal
editU-1054 was en route to Kiel on 18 August 1944 at 16:30, when she collided with the German hospital ship Peter Wessel in the Baltic Sea at 54°19′N 10°09′E / 54.317°N 10.150°E. The submarine was towed to Kiel, where repairs were attempted from 22 August until 15 September 1944. On 16 September 1944, the submarine was decommissioned. She was originally going to be used for detonation tests, but instead remained in Kiel and was scrapped by British forces in May 1945.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b Hofmann, Markus (2 January 2014). "U-1054". Deutsche U-Boote 1935-1945 - u-boot-archiv.de (in German). Retrieved 7 April 2016.
- ^ a b Helgason, Guðmundur (1995). "U-1054". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
- ^ a b "U-1054 (+1944)". wrecksite.eu. 29 November 2009. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
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.
- 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.