Name U-323 Yard number 323 Commissioned 2 March 1944 Launched 12 January 1944 Draft 4.74 m Builder Flender Werke | Ordered 16 July 1942 Laid down 12 March 1942 Construction started 12 March 1942 Length 67 m Beam 6.2 m | |
Fate Scuttled, May 1945, in northern Germany | ||
German submarine U-323 was a Type VIIC/41 U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.
Contents
She carried out no patrols and sank or damaged no ships. The boat was scuttled in May 1945 in northern Germany.
Design
Like all Type VIIC/41 U-boats, U-323 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 length of 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in), and a draught length of 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in). The submarine was powered by two Germaniawerft F46 supercharged six-cylinder four-stroke 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) and 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. The boat was capable of operating at a depth of 250 metres (820 ft).
The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 17.7 knots (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph) and a 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-323 was fitted with an 8.8 centimetres (3.5 in) SK C/35 naval gun and 220 rounds, an anti-aircraft gun, five 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four on the bow and one on the stern) and fourteen torpedoes. Its complement was between forty-four and sixty.
Service history
The submarine was laid down on 12 March 1942 by the Flender Werke yard at Lübeck as yard number 323, launched on 12 January 1944 and commissioned on 2 March under the command of Kapitänleutnant Siegfried Pregel.
She served with the 4th U-boat Flotilla for training, from 2 March 1944 to 3 May 1945. The boat was scuttled on 3 May 1945 near Nordenham, (across the River Weser from Bremerhaven).