Name U-357 Yard number 476 Commissioned 18 June 1941 Launched 31 March 1942 Draft 4.74 m | Ordered 26 October 1940 Laid down 19 May 1940 Construction started 19 May 1940 Length 67 m Beam 6.18 m | |
Fate Sunk by British warships, December 1942, northwest of Ireland Builder Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft Part of 8th U-boat Flotilla, 6th U-boat Flotilla | ||
German submarine U-357 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 sunk by British warships northwest of Ireland in December 1942.
Design
German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-357 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 AEG GU 460/8-276 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-357 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 19 May 1940 at the Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft yard at Flensburg as yard number 476, launched on 31 March 1942 and commissioned on 18 June under the command of Kapitänleutnant Adolf Kellner.
She served with the 8th U-boat Flotilla from 18 June 1942 and the 6th flotilla from 1 December.
Fate
U-357 was sunk by depth charges dropped from the British destroyers HMS Hesperus and Vanessa on 26 December 1942 northwest of Ireland.
36 men died; six survived.