Name U-361 Yard number 480 Commissioned 18 December 1942 Launched 9 September 1942 Draft 4.74 m | Ordered 7 December 1940 Laid down 12 September 1941 Construction started 12 September 1941 Length 67 m Beam 6.18 m | |
Fate Sunk by a British aircraft, July 1944, west of Narvik Part of 8th U-boat Flotilla, 11th U-boat Flotilla | ||
German submarine U-361 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.
Contents
- Design
- Service history
- 1st patrol
- 2nd patrol
- 3rd patrol and loss
- Previously recorded fate
- Wolfpacks
- References
She carried out three patrols. She did not sink or damage any ships.
She was a member of six wolfpacks.
She was sunk by a British aircraft west of Narvik in July 1944.
Design
German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-361 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 460/8–27 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-361 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 12 September 1941 at the Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft yard at Flensburg as yard number 480, launched on 9 September 1942 and commissioned on 18 December under the command of Kapitänleutnant Hans Seidel.
She served with the 8th U-boat Flotilla from 18 December 1942 and the 11th flotilla from 1 March 1944.
1st patrol
U-359's first patrol took her from Kiel in Germany to Narvik in Norway.
2nd patrol
Her second foray was toward Bear Island in the Barents Sea, then into the Norwegian Sea.
3rd patrol and loss
U-361 left Narvik for the last time on 27 June 1944. On 17 July, she was sunk by depth charges dropped by a British Catalina flying boat of No. 210 Squadron RAF. The pilot, Flying Officer John Cruickshank was awarded the Victoria Cross.
52 men died in the U-boat; there were no survivors.
Previously recorded fate
U-361 was originally noted as sunk on 17 July 1944 by a British B-24 Liberator of 86 Squadron. This attack sank U-347.
Wolfpacks
U-361 took part in six wolfpacks, namely.