Name U-639 Yard number 615 Commissioned 10 September 1942 Launched 22 July 1942 Draft 4.74 m Builder Blohm + Voss | Ordered 20 January 1941 Laid down 31 October 1941 Construction started 31 October 1941 Length 67 m Beam 6.2 m | |
Fate Torpedoed and sunk by the Soviet submarine S-101 in the Kara Sea on 28 August 1943 Part of Kriegsmarine, 5th U-boat Flotilla, 11th U-boat Flotilla, 13th U-boat Flotilla | ||
German submarine U-639 was a Type VIIC U-Boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II. She was laid down on 31 October 1941 at Blohm & Voss in Hamburg as yard number 615, launched on 22 July 1942 and went into service on 10 September 1942. U-639 spent her entire career operating out of Norway. Over the course of four patrols she neither sank nor damaged any ships, and was sunk by the Soviet submarine S-101 in the Kara Sea while on a minelaying mission.
Design
German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-639 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 BBC GG UB 720/8 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-639 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.