German submarine U-320

German submarine U-320 was a Type VIIC/41 U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

History
Nazi Germany
Name	U-320
Ordered	14 October 1941
Builder	Flender Werke, Lübeck
Yard number	320
Laid down	1 December 1942
Launched	6 November 1943
Commissioned	30 December 1943
Fate	Badly damaged by a British aircraft on 8 May 1945; scuttled off Norway
General characteristics
Class and type	Type VIIC/41 submarine
Displacement	759 tonnes (747 long tons) surfaced 860 t (846 long tons) submerged
Length	67.10 m (220 ft 2 in) o/a 50.50 m (165 ft 8 in) pressure hull
Beam	6.20 m (20 ft 4 in) o/a 4.70 m (15 ft 5 in) pressure hull
Height	9.60 m (31 ft 6 in)
Draught	4.74 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	2 shafts 2 × diesel engines 2 × electric motors
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	250 m (820 ft) Crush depth: 275–325 m (902–1,066 ft)
Complement	4 officers, 40–56 enlisted
Armament	5 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four bow, one stern) 14 × torpedoes 1 × 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun (220 rounds) 1 × 3.7 cm (1.5 in) Flak M42 AA gun 2 × 2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 AA guns
Service record
Part of:	4th U-boat Flotilla 30 December 1943 – 1 April 1945 5th U-boat Flotilla 1 April – 8 May 1945
Identification codes:	M 06 051
Commanders:	Oblt.z.S. Siegfried Breinlinger 30 December 1943 – 10 July 1944 Oblt.z.S. Heinz Emmrich 11 July 1944 – 8 May 1945
Operations:	2 patrols: 1st patrol: 16 – 21 April 1945 2nd patrol: 27 April – 8 May 1945
Victories:	None

She carried out just two patrols, but did not sink any ships.

The boat was badly damaged on 8 May 1945 by a British aircraft and consequently scuttled by the crew in the North Sea; the last to be sunk by direct action.

Design

German Type VIIC/41 submarines were preceded by the heavier Type VIIC submarines. U-320 had a displacement of 759 tonnes (747 long tons) when at the surface and 860 tonnes (850 long tons) while submerged. 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).

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). 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-320 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), one 3.7 cm (1.5 in) Flak M42 and two 2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft guns. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.

Service history

The submarine was laid down on 1 December 1942 by the Flender Werke yard at Lübeck as yard number 320, launched on 6 November 1943 and commissioned on 30 December under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Siegfried Breinlinger.

She served with the 4th U-boat Flotilla for training, from 30 December 1943 to 1 April 1944 and the 5th flotilla for operations until her sinking on 8 May 1945.

First patrol

U-320 departed Kiel on 16 April 1945 and arrived in Horten Naval Base (south of Oslo), on the 21st.

Second patrol and loss

The boat left Horten on 27 April 1945. On 8 May she was badly damaged by depth charges dropped from a British Catalina of No. 210 Squadron RAF. The battered submarine managed to surface off the Norwegian coast, where she was scuttled.

See also

• Battle of the Atlantic (1939-1945)
• Actions of 7–8 May 1945

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.
• Kemp, Paul (1999). U-Boats Destroyed - German Submarine Losses in the World Wars. London: Arms & Armour. ISBN 1-85409-515-3.

External links

• Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VII/C41 boat U-320". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
• Hofmann, Markus. "U 320". Deutsche U-Boote 1935-1945 - u-boot-archiv.de (in German). Retrieved 6 December 2014.