German submarine U-18 (1935)

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For other ships with the same name, see German submarine U-18.
U-18 being re-assembled at Galați, Romania
History
Nazi Germany
NameU-18
Ordered2 February 1935
Builder
Yard number548
Laid down10 July 1935
Launched7 December 1935
Commissioned4 January 1936
FateScuttled 25 August 1944 at Constanţa in the Black Sea[1]
General characteristics
Class and typeType IIB coastal submarine
Displacement
  • 279 t (275 long tons) surfaced
  • 328 t (323 long tons) submerged
Length
Beam
  • 4.08 m (13 ft 5 in) (o/a)
  • 4.00 m (13 ft 1 in) (pressure hull)
Height8.60 m (28 ft 3 in)
Draught3.90 m (12 ft 10 in)
Installed power
  • 700 PS (510 kW; 690 bhp) (diesels)
  • 410 PS (300 kW; 400 shp) (electric)
Propulsion
Speed
  • 13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph) surfaced
  • 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph) submerged
Range
  • 1,800 nmi (3,300 km; 2,100 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) surfaced
  • 35–43 nmi (65–80 km; 40–49 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth80 m (260 ft)
Complement3 officers, 22 men
Armament
Service record
Part of:
Identification codes: M 23 452
Commanders:
Operations:
  • 14 patrols
  • 1st patrol:
  • a. 30 August – 7 September 1939
  • b. 8 September 1939
  • 2nd patrol:
  • 14 – 24 September 1939
  • 3rd patrol:
  • 2 – 19 October 1939
  • 4th patrol:
  • 15 – 23 November 1939
  • 5th patrol:
  • 18 – 26 January 1940
  • 6th patrol:
  • a. 11 – 24 February 1940
  • b. 27 – 28 February 1940
  • 7th patrol:
  • 26 May – 9 June 1943
  • 8th patrol:
  • a. 16 – 29 June 1943
  • b. 3 – 22 July 1943
  • 9th patrol:
  • 21 August – 24 September 1943
  • 10th patrol:
  • 27 October – 24 November 1943
  • 11th patrol:
  • 29 January – 29 February 1944
  • 12th patrol:
  • 25 March – 27 April 1944
  • 13th patrol:
  • 25 May – 7 June 1944
  • 14th patrol:
  • 24 July – 16 August 1944
Victories:
  • 2 merchant ships sunk
    (1,500 GRT)
  • 1 auxiliary warship sunk
    (400 GRT)
  • 1 merchant ship damaged
    (7,745 GRT)
  • 1 warship damaged
    (56 tons)

German submarine U-18 was a Type IIB U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. It was laid down 10 July 1935 and commissioned on 4 January 1936. It served in many U-boat flotillas during its service.

Design

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German Type IIB submarines were enlarged versions of the original Type IIs. U-18 had a displacement of 279 tonnes (275 long tons) when at the surface and 328 tonnes (323 long tons) while submerged. Officially, the standard tonnage was 250 long tons (254 t), however.[2] The U-boat had a total length of 42.70 m (140 ft 1 in), a pressure hull length of 28.20 m (92 ft 6 in), a beam of 4.08 m (13 ft 5 in), a height of 8.60 m (28 ft 3 in), and a draught of 3.90 m (12 ft 10 in). The submarine was powered by two MWM RS 127 S four-stroke, six-cylinder diesel engines of 700 metric horsepower (510 kW; 690 shp) for cruising, two Siemens-Schuckert PG VV 322/36 double-acting electric motors producing a total of 460 metric horsepower (340 kW; 450 shp) for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 0.85 m (3 ft) propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to 80–150 metres (260–490 ft).[2]

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph).[2] When submerged, the boat could operate for 35–42 nautical miles (65–78 km; 40–48 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 3,800 nautical miles (7,000 km; 4,400 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph). U-18 was fitted with three 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes at the bow, five torpedoes or up to twelve Type A torpedo mines, and a 2 cm (0.79 in) anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of twenty-five.[2]

Fate

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While a training boat, U-18 sank at 0954 hrs on 20 November 1936 in Lübeck Bay, after a collision with T-156. Eight men died and 12 survived. It was raised on 28 November 1936. It returned to service on 30 September 1937. On 3 September 1939 it attacked a Polish submarine, most probably ORP_Sęp, but missed.[3] Starting late 1942 she served in the 30th U-boat Flotilla, after being transported in sections along the Danube to the Romanian port of Galați. She was then re-assembled by the Romanians at the Galați shipyard and sent to the Black Sea.[4]

On 20 August 1944, in a Soviet air raid on the Romanian harbor of Constanţa in the Black Sea, U-18 was damaged and as a result was deemed not seaworthy and was scuttled on the 25th.[1]

The boat was raised by the USSR in late 1944. It was sunk for target practice by the Soviet submarine M-120 on 26 May 1947 off Sevastopol (also sunk that day was the former U-24).

Summary of raiding history

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Date Name Nationality Tonnage[Note 1] Fate[5]
18 November 1939 Parkhill  United Kingdom 500 Sunk
24 January 1940 Bisp  Norway 1,000 Sunk
29 August 1943 TSC-11 Dzhalita  Soviet Navy 400 Sunk
30 August 1943 SKA-0132  Soviet Navy 56 Damaged
18 November 1943 Josif Stalin  Soviet Union 7,745 Damaged

References

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Notes

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  1. ^ Merchant ship tonnages are in gross register tons. Military vessels are listed by tons displacement.

Citations

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  1. ^ a b Kemp 1999, p. 215.
  2. ^ a b c d Gröner 1991, pp. 39–40.
  3. ^ Bartelski, Jan (2014). "Nieudane ataki torpedowe U-Bootów na ORP Sęp". Morze, Statki i Okręty (in Polish). No. 9-10/2014 (148). Warsaw. p. 24. ISSN 1426-529X.
  4. ^ Steel and Ice: The U-boat Battle in the Arctic and Black Sea 1941-45, Chapter 5 - The Black Sea: War in the South 1942-43, page 5
  5. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-18". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 4 February 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). 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.
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44°12′N 28°41′E / 44.200°N 28.683°E / 44.200; 28.683

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