German submarine U-757

History
Nazi Germany
NameU-757
Ordered9 October 1939[1]
BuilderKriegsmarinewerft Wilhelmshaven
Yard number140
Laid down18 May 1940[1]
Launched14 December 1941[1]
Commissioned28 February 1942[1]
FateSunk on 8 January 1944[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)
Complement4officers, 40–56 enlisted
Armament
Service record
Part of:
Identification codes: M 39 567
Commanders:
Operations:
  • 5 patrols:
  • 1st patrol:
  • 26 September – 24 October 1942
  • 2nd patrol:
  • 12 – 25 December 1942
  • 3rd patrol:
  • 22 February – 18 March 1943
  • 4th patrol:
  • 7 July – 4 September 1943
  • 5th patrol:
  • a. 31 October – 2 November 1943
  • b. 16 – 18 November 1943
  • c. 20 – 22 November 1943
  • d. 29 November – 1 December 1943
  • e. 29 December 1943 – 8 January 1944
Victories:
  • 2 merchant ships sunk
    (11,313 GRT)
  • 1 warship sunk
    (291 tons)

German submarine U-757 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II. Laid down as yard number 140 at the Kriegsmarinewerft (KMW) in Wilhelmshaven, U-757 served with 6th U-boat Flotilla from 28 February 1942 until 8 January 1944 under the command of Korvettenkapitän Friedrich Deetz.[1]

Design

German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-757 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 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).[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-757 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 a 2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.[2]

Service history

U-757's first victims were the British transport vessel HMS LCT-2398 - destroying 291 tons of shipping - in the convoy HX 228, and the American merchant vessel William C. Gorgas- destroying a further 7,197 GRT of shipping. Both incidents occurred on 11 March 1943, fourteen days into her twenty-five-day-long third patrol. Of the seventy-three crewmen on board the Gorgas, twenty-two perished.

On her fourth patrol, U-757 sank the Norwegian Fernhill on 7 August 1943, thirty-one days into her sixty-day patrol, 4,116 GRT of shipping lost in the sea. Of the ship's forty-four crewmen, forty survived the attack, being rescued by the American tanker Idaho two days later.

Fate

On 8 January 1944 in the North Atlantic, south-west of Ireland, U-757 was hit by depth charges from the British frigate HMS Bayntun and the Canadian corvette HMCS Camrose. U-757 went down with all 49 seamen, at position 50°33′N 18°03′W / 50.550°N 18.050°W / 50.550; -18.050.

Wolfpacks

U-757 took part in five wolfpacks, namely:

  • Panther (6 – 10 October 1942)
  • Neuland (4 – 12 March 1943)
  • Without name (11 – 29 July 1943)
  • Rügen 5 (6 – 7 January 1944)
  • Rügen (7 – 8 January 1944)

Summary of raiding history

Date Ship Name Nationality Tonnage[Note 1] Fate[3]
11 March 1943 William C. Gorgas  United States 7,197 Sunk
11 March 1943 HMS LCT-2398[Note 2]  Royal Navy 291 Sunk
7 August 1943 Fernhill  Norway 4,116 Sunk

References

Notes

  1. ^ Merchant ship tonnages are in gross register tons. Military vessels are listed by tons displacement.
  2. ^ Carried by William C. Gorgas.

Citations

  1. ^ a b c d e f Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-757". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net.
  2. ^ a b c d Gröner 1991, pp. 43–46.
  3. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-757". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 12 February 2014.

Bibliography