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German submarine U 349

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Name
  
U-349

Yard number
  
221

Commissioned
  
8 September 1943

Launched
  
22 July 1943

Draft
  
4.74 m

Builder
  
Nordseewerke

Ordered
  
5 June 1941

Laid down
  
29 December 1942

Construction started
  
29 December 1942

Length
  
67 m

Beam
  
6.18 m

Fate
  
Scuttled, off northern Germany, May 1945. Broken up, 1948

Part of
  
22nd U-boat Flotilla, 23rd U-boat Flotilla, 31st U-boat Flotilla

German submarine U-349 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

Contents

She carried out no patrols. She did not sink or damage any ships.

She was scuttled in May 1945 in northern Germany.

Design

German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-349 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 Siemens-Schuckert GU 343/38-8 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-349 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 submarine was laid down on 29 December 1942 at the Nordseewerke yard at Emden as yard number 221, launched on 22 July 1943 and commissioned on 8 September under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Ernst Lotter. She served with the 22nd U-boat Flotilla from 8 September 1943, the 23rd flotilla from 1 October and the 31st flotilla from 1 March 1945. U-349 was scuttled on 5 May 1945 in Gelting Bay, (east of Flensburg). One man died when he refused to leave the boat. The wreck was broken up in 1948.

References

German submarine U-349 Wikipedia