German submarine U-248

History
Nazi Germany
Name	U-248
Ordered	5 June 1941
Builder	Germaniawerft, Kiel
Yard number	682
Laid down	19 December 1942
Launched	7 October 1943
Commissioned	6 November 1943
Fate	Sunk in mid-Atlantic on 16 January 1945 by US warships
General characteristics
Class and type	Type VIIC submarine
Displacement	769 tonnes (757 long tons) surfaced; 871 t (857 long tons) submerged;
Length	67.23 m (220 ft 7 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	230 m (750 ft); Crush depth: 250–295 m (820–968 ft);
Complement	4 officers, 40–56 enlisted
Armament	5 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four bow, one stern); 14 × torpedoes or 26 TMA mines; 1 × 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun(220 rounds); 1 × 3.7 cm (1.5 in) Flak M42 AA gun ; 2 × twin 2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft guns;
Service record
Part of:	5th U-boat Flotilla; 6 November 1943 – 31 July 1944; 9th U-boat Flotilla; 1 August – 31 October 1944; 11th U-boat Flotilla; 11 November 1944 – 16 January 1945;
Identification codes:	M 54 366
Commanders:	Oblt.z.S. Bernhard Emde; 6 November 1943 – 31 October 1944; Oblt.z.S. Johann-Friedrich Loos; 1 November 1944 – 16 January 1945;
Operations:	2 patrols:; 1st patrol:; 18 August – 14 October 1944; 2nd patrol:; 3 December 1944 – 16 January 1945;
Victories:	None

German submarine U-248 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 19 December 1942 at the Friedrich Krupp Germaniawerft yard at Kiel as yard number 682, launched on 7 October 1943 and commissioned on 6 November under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Bernhard Emde.^[2]

In two patrols, she sank or damaged no ships.

She was sunk in mid-Atlantic by US warships on 16 January 1945.

Design

German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-248 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 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).^[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-248 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 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

After training with the 5th U-boat Flotilla at Kiel, U-248 was transferred to the 9th flotilla for front-line service on 1 August 1944. She was reassigned to the 11th flotilla on 1 November.^[2]

First patrol

The boat's first patrol was preceded by two short trips between Kiel in Germany and Horten Naval Base and Bergen, both in Norway. Her first sortie began with her departure from Bergen on 18 August 1944. She arrived at Trondheim on 14 October.

Second patrol and loss

U-248 was sunk by destroyer escorts, the USS Hayter, USS Otter, USS Varian and USS Hubbard north of the Azores on 16 January 1945. Forty-seven men died; there were no survivors.

References

^ Kemp 1999, pp. 228–9.
^ ^a ^b ^c Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-248". German U-boats of WWII – uboat.net. Retrieved 30 July 2012.
^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "War Patrols by German U-boat U-248". German U-boats of WWII – uboat.net. Retrieved 30 July 2012.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Gröner 1991, pp. 43–46.

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). 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.

External links

Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-248". German U-boats of WWII – uboat.net. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
Hofmann, Markus. "U 248". Deutsche U-Boote 1935–1945 – u-boot-archiv.de (in German). Retrieved 26 December 2014.