German submarine U-17 (1935)

U-9, a typical Type IIB boat
History
Nazi Germany
Name: U-17
Ordered: 2 February 1935
Builder: Germaniawerft, Kiel
Yard number: 547
Laid down: 1 July 1935
Launched: 14 November 1935
Commissioned: 3 December 1935
Fate: Scuttled:
General characteristics
Class and type: IIB coastal submarine
Displacement:
  • 279 t (275 long tons) surfaced
  • 328 t (323 long tons) submerged
Length:
Beam:
  • 4.08 m (13 ft 5 in) (o/a)
  • 4.00 m (13 ft 1 in) (pressure hull)
Height: 8.60 m (28 ft 3 in)
Draught: 3.90 m (12 ft 10 in)
Installed power:
  • 700 PS (510 kW; 690 bhp) (diesels)
  • 410 PS (300 kW; 400 shp) (electric)
Propulsion:
Range:
  • 1,800 nmi (3,300 km; 2,100 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) surfaced
  • 35–43 nmi (65–80 km; 40–49 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth: 80 m (260 ft)
Complement: 3 officers, 22 men
Armament:
Service record
Part of:
Identification codes: M 25 322
Commanders:
  • Werner Fresdorf
  • Heinz von Reiche
  • Harald Jeppener-Haltenhoff
  • Udo Behrens
  • Wolf-Harro Stiebler
  • Herwig Collmann
  • Wolfgang Schultze
  • Otto Wollschläger
  • Ernst Heydemann
  • Walter Sitek
  • Karl-Heinz Schmidt
  • Hans-Jürgen Bartsch
Operations: Four
Victories: Three ships sunk for a total of 1,825 GRT

German submarine U-17 was a Type IIB U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine. It was built in Germaniawerft, Kiel, where it was laid down on 1 July 1935 and commissioned on 3 December 1935, under the command of Werner Fresdorf.

Design

German Type IIB submarines were enlarged versions of the original Type IIs. U-17 had a displacement of 279 tonnes (275 long tons) when at the surface and 328 tonnes (323 long tons) while submerged. Officially, the standard tonnage was 250 long tons (250 t), however.[1] The U-boat had a total length of 42.70 m (140 ft 1 in), a pressure hull length of 28.20 m (92 ft 6 in), a beam of 4.08 m (13 ft 5 in), a height of 8.60 m (28 ft 3 in), and a draught of 3.90 m (12 ft 10 in). The submarine was powered by two MWM RS 127 S four-stroke, six-cylinder diesel engines of 700 metric horsepower (510 kW; 690 shp) for cruising, two Siemens-Schuckert PG VV 322/36 double-acting electric motors producing a total of 460 metric horsepower (340 kW; 450 shp) for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 0.85 m (3 ft) propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to 80–150 metres (260–490 ft).[1]

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph).[1] When submerged, the boat could operate for 35–42 nautical miles (65–78 km; 40–48 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 3,800 nautical miles (7,000 km; 4,400 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph). U-17 was fitted with three 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes at the bow, five torpedoes or up to twelve Type A torpedo mines, and a 2 cm (0.79 in) anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of twentyfive.[1]

Service history

Its career consisted of four patrols, all served while under the 1st U-boat Flotilla where it sank three ships for a total of 1,825 gross register tons (GRT). Later in the war it served under the 22nd U-boat Flotilla as a training boat, including Oberleutnant zur See Walter Sitek as an instructor. Sitek had previously escaped imprisonment after the disabling and sinking of U-581 by HMS Westcott in February 1942. He swam 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) to Pico Island in the Azores, made his way through neutral Spain and returned to the Kriegsmarine to serve as an instructor on U-17, U-981, and U-3005.

Fate

On 5 May 1945 U-17 was scuttled at Wilhelmshaven at the western entrance of the Raeder lock.

Summary of raiding history

Date Name Nationality Tonnage
(GRT)
Fate[2]
14 September 1939 Hawarden Castle  United Kingdom 210 Sunk (mine)
2 March 1940 Rijnstroom  Netherlands 695 Sunk
5 March 1940 Grutto  Netherlands 920 Sunk

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Gröner 1991, pp. 39–40.
  2. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-17". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 4 February 2014.

Bibliography

  • Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (1999). German U-boat commanders of World War II : a biographical dictionary. Translated by Brooks, Geoffrey. London, Annapolis, Md: Greenhill Books, Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-186-6. 
  • Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (1999). Deutsche U-Boot-Verluste von September 1939 bis Mai 1945 [German U-boat losses from September 1939 to May 1945]. Der U-Boot-Krieg (in German). IV. Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn: Mittler. ISBN 3-8132-0514-2. 
  • Gröner, Erich; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. German Warships 1815–1945. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4. 

External links

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