History | |
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Name | U-716 |
Ordered | 10 April 1941[1] |
Builder | HC Stülcken & Sohn, Hamburg |
Yard number | 782 |
Laid down | 16 April 1942[1] |
Launched | 15 January 1943[1] |
Commissioned | 15 April 1943[1] |
Fate | Surrendered on 9 May 1945; sunk as part of Operation Deadlight on 11 December 1945[1] |
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 | |
Test depth |
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Complement | 4 officers, 40–56 enlisted |
Armament |
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Service record | |
Part of: |
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Identification codes: | M 40 428 |
Commanders: |
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Operations: |
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Victories: |
German submarine U-716 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II.
Design
[edit]German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-716 had a displacement of 769 tonnes (757 long tons) when at the surface and 871 tonnes (857 long tons) while submerged.[2] 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 AEG GU 460/8–27 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).[2]
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).[2] 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-716 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.[2]
Service history
[edit]U-716 took part in ten patrols between 15 April 1943 and 8 May 1945. She had her only success sinking the US freighter Andrew G. Curtin when she attacked convoy JW 56A on 26 January 1944. She also took credit for the sinking of US patrol torpedo boat USS PTC-39 being transported by the freighter at the time. While in the Arctic sea on 23 April 1945, U-716 was hit by depth charges by a hunter-killer group. The damage was serious enough to require retreating to Narvik before schedule, but not enough to cause any further problems.
Fate
[edit]While in port awaiting repairs, VE Day occurred and the European theatre of the Second World War ended. Upon orders, Jürgen Thimme surrendered his vessel to the Allies in Narvik, Norway on 9 May 1945 and took her to Loch Eriboll in Scotland, where she was destroyed by aerial attack as part of Operation Deadlight on 11 December 1945.
Summary of raiding history
[edit]Date | Ship Name | Nationality | Tonnage[Note 1] | Fate[3] |
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26 January 1944 | Andrew G. Curtin | ![]() |
7,200 | Sunk |
26 January 1944 | USS PTC-39[Note 2] | ![]() |
54 | Sunk |
References
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ^ Merchant ship tonnages are in gross register tons. Military vessels are listed by tons displacement.
- ^ Carried by Andrew G. Curtin.
Citations
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g Helgason, Guðmundur. "List of all U-boats". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 24 June 2011.
- ^ a b c d Gröner 1991, pp. 43–46.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-716". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 10 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-716". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 29 December 2014.