Name U-292 Yard number 57 Commissioned 25 August 1943 Launched 20 July 1943 Draft 4.74 m Builder Bremer Vulkan | Ordered 14 October 1941 Laid down 12 November 1942 Construction started 12 November 1942 Length 67 m Beam 6.2 m | |
Fate Sunk 27 May 1944 west of Trondheim by a British aircraft Part of 8th U-boat Flotilla, 1st U-boat Flotilla | ||
German submarine U-292 was a Type VIIC/41 U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.
Contents
She was laid down on 12 November 1942 by the Vegesacker Werft (yard) at Bremen-Vegesack as yard number 57, launched on 20 July 1943, and commissioned on 25 August with Oberleutnant zur See Werner Schmidt in command.
She was sunk by a British aircraft, west of Trondheim in May 1944.
In one patrol, she sank or damaged no ships.
Design
German Type VIIC/41 submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-292 had a displacement of 759 tonnes (747 long tons) when at the surface and 860 tonnes (850 long tons) while submerged. 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).
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). 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-292 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 an anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.
Service history
The boat's service life began with training with the 8th U-boat Flotilla in August 1943. She was then transferred to the 1st flotilla for operations on 1 May 1944.
Patrol and loss
Having carried out a series of short voyages from Kiel and Larvik in Norway, the submarine departed Bergen (also in Norway) on 24 May 1944. On the 27th, she was sunk by depth charges dropped from Liberator S of No. 59 Squadron RAF west of Trondheim in position 62°37′N 00°57′E.
Fifty-one men died; there were no survivors.