Name U-217 Yard number 649 Commissioned 31 January 1942 Launched 15 November 1941 Draft 5.01 m | Ordered 16 February 1940 Laid down 30 January 1941 Construction started 30 January 1941 Length 77 m Beam 6.38 m | |
Fate Sunk, 5 June 1943, by US carrier-borne aircraft Builder Friedrich Krupp Germaniawerft Part of 5th U-boat Flotilla, 9th U-boat Flotilla | ||
German submarine U-217 was a Type VIID mine-laying U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.
Contents
Design
As one of the six German Type VIID submarines, U-217 had a displacement of 965 tonnes (950 long tons) when at the surface and 1,080 tonnes (1,060 long tons) while submerged. She had a total length of 76.90 m (252 ft 4 in), a pressure hull length of 59.80 m (196 ft 2 in), a beam of 6.38 m (20 ft 11 in), a height of 9.70 m (31 ft 10 in), and a draught of 5.01 m (16 ft 5 in). The submarine was powered by two Germaniawerft F46 supercharged four-stroke, six-cylinder 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 460/8-276 double-acting electric motors producing a total of 750 shaft horsepower (760 PS; 560 kW) 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 16–16.7 knots (29.6–30.9 km/h; 18.4–19.2 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 7.3 knots (13.5 km/h; 8.4 mph). When submerged, the boat could operate for 69 nautical miles (128 km; 79 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 11,200 nautical miles (20,700 km; 12,900 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). U-217 was fitted with five 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and one at the stern), twelve torpedoes, one 8.8 cm (3.46 in) SK C/35 naval gun, 220 rounds, and an anti-aircraft gun, in addition to five mine tubes with fifteen SMA mines. The boat had a complement of between forty-four.
Service history
She was laid down on 30 January 1941, launched on 15 November and commissioned on 31 January 1942, U-217 served with the 5th U-boat Flotilla in a training capacity before moving on to the operational 9th flotilla on 1 August 1942 until she was sunk. U-217 completed three patrols and sank three ships totalling 10,651 gross register tons (GRT).
She was sunk on 5 June 1943 in the mid-Atlantic with all hands by depth charges dropped by Grumman TBF Avengers from the escort carrier Bogue (CVE-9). The wreck lies at 30°18′N 042°50′W, near the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.
Wolfpacks
U-217 took part in two wolfpacks, namely.