Name U-396 Yard number 28 Commissioned 16 October 1943 Launched 27 August 1943 Draft 4.74 m | Ordered 20 January 1941 Laid down 6 June 1942 Construction started 6 June 1942 Length 67 m Beam 6.18 m | |
Fate Posted missing in mid or late April 1945 Builder Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft Part of 5th U-boat Flotilla, 1st U-boat Flotilla, 11th U-boat Flotilla | ||
German submarine U-396 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.
Contents
- Design
- Service history
- 1st patrol
- 2nd and 3rd patrols
- 4th patrol
- 5th patrol and possible loss
- Previously recorded fate
- References
She carried out five patrols. She did not sink or damage any ships.
She was posted missing in mid or late April 1945.
Design
German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-396 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-396 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 6 June 1942 at the Howaldtswerke (yard) at Flensburg as yard number 28, launched on 27 August 1943 and commissioned on 16 October under the command of Kapitänleutnant Ernst-Günther Unterhorst.
She served with the 5th U-boat Flotilla from 16 October 1943 and the 1st flotilla from 1 June 1944. She was reassigned to the 11h flotilla on 1 October.
1st patrol
The boat departed Kiel on 20 June 1944. On 28 July she was attacked by a British Catalina flying boat of No. 210 Squadron RAF. The only damage was a carbon monoxide leak which was serious enough to cause the submarine to abort her patrol. She arrived at Bergen on 3 July.
2nd and 3rd patrols
These two sorties were relatively uneventful.
4th patrol
U-396 departed Trondheim on 1 October 1944. She entered the north Atlantic Ocean via the gap between Iceland and the Faroe Islands and sailed southeast of Cape Farewell (Greenland). She returned to Trondheim on 19 December. At 60 days, it was her longest patrol.
5th patrol and possible loss
The boat departed Trondheim for Atlantic weather reporting duties on 13 March 1945. It is known that she sailed between the Faroe and Shetland Islands. She was posted missing in mid or late April. No conclusive explanation for her loss exists.
45 men were aboard the U-boat; there were no survivors.
Previously recorded fate
U-396 was thought to have been sunk on 23 April 1945 southwest of the Shetland Islands by depth charges dropped by a British B-24 Liberator of No. 86 Squadron RAF. This attack was probably against a 'nonsub' target.