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German submarine U-303

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German submarine U-303 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. She saw service in the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea, and sank one freighter of 4,959 GRT in her two short and uneventful war patrols. Built in 1941 and 1942 at Lübeck, U-303 was a Type VIIC U-boat, capable of lengthy ocean patrols and of operating in distant environments.

History
Nazi Germany
NameU-303
Ordered7 December 1940
BuilderFlender Werke, Lübeck
Yard number303
Laid down14 June 1941
Launched16 May 1942
Commissioned7 July 1942
FateTorpedoed and sunk by HMS Sickle, 21 May 1943[1]
General characteristics
Class and typeType VIIC submarine
Displacement
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[2][3]
Part of:
Identification codes: M 05 973
Commanders:
  • Kptlt. Karl-Franz Heine
  • 7 July 1942 – 21 May 1943
Operations:
  • 2 patrols:
  • 1st patrol:
  • 31 December 1942 – 8 March 1943
  • 2nd patrol:
  • a. 1 – 15 April 1943
  • b. 23 – 24 April 1943
  • c. 21 May 1943
Victories: 1 merchant shup sunk
(4,959 GRT)

Design

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German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-303 had a displacement of 769 tonnes (757 long tons) when at the surface and 871 tonnes (857 long tons) while submerged.[4] 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).[4]

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).[4] 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-303 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.[4]

Service history

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First patrol

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U-303 departed Kiel under the command of Kapitänleutnant Karl-Franz Heine on New Year's Day 1942, arriving at Lorient in France after a two and a half month passage.[5] The spring of 1943 was the turning point for the Battle of the Atlantic, targets were getting harder to come by for German units. U-303 was no exception, managing to sink only one ship, the 4,959 GRT American vessel SS Expositor, on 23 February[6] (which had been already crippled by U-606 and abandoned)[7]

Second patrol and loss

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Her second patrol was uneventful and very brief, simply a fourteen-day journey between Lorient and La Spezia in Italy, although it did involve passing through the heavily defended Strait of Gibraltar. She was to join a new flotilla operating in the Mediterranean Sea.[8]

From La Spezia U-303 moved to Toulon in occupied France, from where she was to operate against British shipping aiding in operations following the evacuation of Tunisia. On her first attempt to do this, on 21 May 1943, she exited Toulon harbour on the surface and ran straight into the British submarine Sickle (P224), which torpedoed the U-boat before escaping. U-303 began to settle and list, and Heine ordered an immediate evacuation into life rafts which eventually carried the surviving crew to the French coast ten miles away. Ten sailors were less lucky, having been killed in the torpedo impact, and went down with their U-boat in position 42°50′N 06°00′E / 42.833°N 6.000°E / 42.833; 6.000.[2]

Summary of raiding history

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Date Ship Nationality Tonnage
(GRT) 		Fate[9]
23 February 1943 Expositor   United States 4,959 Sunk

References

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  1. ^ Kemp 1999, pp. 119–20.
  2. ^ a b Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-303". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 9 April 2010.
  3. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "War Patrols by German U-boat U-303". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 9 April 2010.
  4. ^ a b c d Gröner 1991, pp. 43–46.
  5. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Patrol of U-boat U-303 from 31 Dec 1942 to 8 Mar 1943". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 9 April 2010.
  6. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Expositor (Steam merchant)". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 9 April 2010.
  7. ^ Rafał Mariusz Kaczmarek. Burza, U 606 i konwój ON 166. "Morze, Statki i Okręty" Nr. 3/2013. p.60 (in Polish)
  8. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Patrol of U-boat U-303 from 1 Apr 1943 to 15 Apr 1943". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 9 April 2010.
  9. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-303". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 29 December 2014.

Bibliography

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  • 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.
  • Edwards, Bernard (1996). Dönitz and the Wolf Packs - The U-boats at War. Cassell Military Classics. p. 158. 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.
  • Sharpe, Peter (1998). U-Boat Fact File. Great Britain: Midland Publishing. ISBN 1-85780-072-9.
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  • Hofmann, Markus. "U 303". Deutsche U-Boote 1935-1945 - u-boot-archiv.de (in German). Retrieved 26 December 2014.
  • Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-303". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 26 December 2014.

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