Name U-307 Laid down 5 November 1941 | Ordered 20 January 1941 Yard number 307 Launched 30 September 1942 | |
German submarine U-307 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. The U-boat was laid down on 5 November 1941, and commissioned on 18 November 1942.
Contents
Design
German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-307 had a displacement of 769 tonnes (757 long tons) when at the surface and 871 tonnes (857 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 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).
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-307 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
Despite carrying out 13 war patrols between July 1943 and April 1945, U-307 sank only two vessels; the 7,176-ton American Liberty ship SS William S. Thayer on 30 April 1944, fifty miles south of Bear Island, and the 50-ton Norwegian Army motor boat Lennox in Van Mijenfjorden, Spitsbergen, on 18 August 1944.
In September 1944, together with the supply ship Carl J. Busch, U-307 transported the men of Operation Haudegen, a German military meteorological mission, to Svalbard.
Wolfpacks
U-307 took part in twelve wolfpacks, namely.
Fate
U-307 was sunk on 29 April 1945 in the Barents Sea near Murmansk, Russia, in position 69°24′N 33°44′E by depth charges from the British Loch class frigate HMS Loch Insh. There were 37 dead and 14 survivors.