German submarine U-654
History | |
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Nazi Germany | |
Name: | U-654 |
Ordered: | 9 October 1939 |
Builder: | Howaldtswerke, Hamburg |
Yard number: | 803 |
Laid down: | 1 June 1940 |
Launched: | 3 May 1941 |
Commissioned: | 5 July 1941 |
Fate: | Sunk 22 August 1942 in the Caribbean Sea in position Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found., by depth charges from a USAAF Douglas Digby aircraft. |
General characteristics | |
Class & type: | Type VIIC submarine |
Displacement: |
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Length: |
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Beam: |
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Height: | 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in) |
Draught: | 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in) |
Installed power: |
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Propulsion: |
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Speed: |
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Range: | |
Test depth: |
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Complement: | 4 officers, 40–56 enlisted |
Armament: |
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Service record[1] | |
Part of: |
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Identification codes: | M 46 564 |
Commanders: | |
Operations: |
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Victories: |
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German submarine U-654 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II. She was laid down on 1 June 1940 by Howaldtswerke, Hamburg as yard number 803, launched on 3 May 1941 and commissioned on 5 July 1941 under Korvettenkapitän Hans-Joachim Hesse.
Contents
Design
German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-654 had a displacement of 769 tonnes (757 long tons) when at the surface and 871 tonnes (857 long tons) while submerged.[2] 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 Siemens-Schuckert GU 343/38-8 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).[2]
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).[2] 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-654 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.[2]
Service history
The boat's career began with training at 5th U-boat Flotilla on 5 July 1941, followed by active service on 1 November 1941 as part of the 1st Flotilla for the remainder of her service. In four patrols she sank three merchant ships, for a total of 17,755 gross register tons (GRT) and one warship.
Wolfpacks
U-654 took part in one wolfpack, namely
- Ziethen (6 – 22 January 1942)
Fate
U-654 was sunk on 22 August 1942 in the Caribbean in position Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found., by the depth charges from a United States Army Air Forces Douglas B-18 Bolo aircraft. All hands were lost.
Summary of raiding history
Date | Name | Nationality | Tonnage[Note 1] | Fate[3] |
---|---|---|---|---|
9 February 1942 | FFL Alysse | Free French Naval Forces | 900 | Sunk |
10 April 1942 | Empire Prairie | United Kingdom | 7,010 | Sunk |
20 April 1942 | Steel Maker | United States | 6,176 | Sunk |
20 April 1942 | Agra | Sweden | 4,569 | Sunk |
References
Notes
- ↑ Merchant ship tonnages are in gross register tons. Military vessels are listed by tons displacement.
Citations
Bibliography
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External links
- Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- Use dmy dates from December 2014
- German Type VIIC submarines
- 1941 ships
- U-boats commissioned in 1941
- Ships lost with all hands
- U-boats sunk in 1942
- U-boats sunk by depth charges
- U-boats sunk by US aircraft
- World War II shipwrecks in the Caribbean Sea
- World War II submarines of Germany
- Ships built in Hamburg
- Maritime incidents in August 1942