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German submarine U-518

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German submarine U-518 was a Type IXC U-boat of the Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. She saw considerable success from her launch on 11 February 1942 until she was sunk on 22 April 1945. The U-boat was laid down at the Deutsche Werft in Hamburg as yard number 314 on 12 June 1941, and commissioned on 25 April 1942 with Fregattenkapitän Hans-Günther Brachmann in command. He was replaced on 19 August 1942 by Kapitänleutnant Friedrich-Wilhelm Wissmann.[4] She sank nine ships and damaged three more in seven active patrols. U-518 had a crew of 56, and was by then commanded by Oberleutnant zur See Hans-Werner Offermann from 13 January 1944.

U-505, a typical Type IXC boat
History
Nazi Germany
NameU-518
Ordered14 February 1940
BuilderDeutsche Werft, Hamburg
Yard number314
Laid down12 June 1941
Launched11 February 1942
Commissioned25 April 1942
FateSunk on 22 April 1945[1]
General characteristics
Class and typeType IXC submarine
Displacement
  • 1,120 t (1,100 long tons) surfaced
  • 1,232 t (1,213 long tons) submerged
Length
Beam
  • 6.76 m (22 ft 2 in) o/a
  • 4.40 m (14 ft 5 in) pressure hull
Height9.60 m (31 ft 6 in)
Draught4.70 m (15 ft 5 in)
Installed power
  • 4,400 PS (3,200 kW; 4,300 bhp) (diesels)
  • 1,000 PS (740 kW; 990 shp) (electric)
Propulsion
Speed
  • 18.3 knots (33.9 km/h; 21.1 mph) surfaced
  • 7.3 knots (13.5 km/h; 8.4 mph) submerged
Range
  • 13,450 nmi (24,910 km; 15,480 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced
  • 64 nmi (119 km; 74 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth230 m (750 ft)
Complement4 officers, 44 enlisted
Armament
Service record[2][3]
Part of:
Identification codes: M 44 690
Commanders:
  • F.Kapt. Hans-Günther Brachmann
  • 25 April – 18 August 1942
  • Kptlt. Friedrich-Wilhelm Wissmann
  • 19 August 1942 – 13 January 1944
  • Oblt.z.S. Hans-Werner Offermann
  • 13 January 1944 – 22 April 1945
Operations:
  • 7 patrols:
  • 1st patrol:
  • 26 September – 15 December 1942
  • 2nd patrol:
  • 11 January – 27 April 1943
  • 3rd patrol:
  • 24 June – 3 July 1943
  • 4th patrol:
  • 18 August – 1 December 1943
  • 5th patrol:
  • a. 23 January – 7 May 1944
  • b. 4 – 10 July 1944
  • 6th patrol:
  • a. 15 July – 24 October 1944
  • b. 25 – 28 October 1944
  • c. 5 – 10 March 1945
  • 7th patrol: 12 March – 22 April 1945
Victories:
  • 9 merchant ships sunk
    (55,747 GRT)
  • 3 merchant ships damaged
    (22,616 GRT)

Design

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German Type IXC submarines were slightly larger than the original Type IXBs. U-518 had a displacement of 1,120 tonnes (1,100 long tons) when at the surface and 1,232 tonnes (1,213 long tons) while submerged.[5] The U-boat had a total length of 76.76 m (251 ft 10 in), a pressure hull length of 58.75 m (192 ft 9 in), a beam of 6.76 m (22 ft 2 in), a height of 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in), and a draught of 4.70 m (15 ft 5 in). The submarine was powered by two MAN M 9 V 40/46 supercharged four-stroke, nine-cylinder diesel engines producing a total of 4,400 metric horsepower (3,240 kW; 4,340 shp) for use while surfaced, two Siemens-Schuckert 2 GU 345/34 double-acting electric motors producing a total of 1,000 shaft horsepower (1,010 PS; 750 kW) for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 1.92 m (6 ft) propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to 230 metres (750 ft).[5]

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 18.3 knots (33.9 km/h; 21.1 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 7.3 knots (13.5 km/h; 8.4 mph).[5] When submerged, the boat could operate for 63 nautical miles (117 km; 72 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 13,450 nautical miles (24,910 km; 15,480 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). U-518 was fitted with six 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and two at the stern), 22 torpedoes, one 10.5 cm (4.13 in) SK C/32 naval gun, 180 rounds, and a 3.7 cm (1.5 in) SK C/30 as well as a 2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of forty-eight.[5]

Service history

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First patrol

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She left Kiel on 26 September 1942, by-passed the British Isles via the gap between Iceland and the Faeroe Islands and crossed the Atlantic. She entered Conception Bay, Newfoundland and near Bell Island sank the Free French PLM 27 and the Canadian Rose Castle on 2 November. A week later, on 9 November, she put a German spy named Werner von Janowski ashore at New Carlisle, Quebec.[6]

Moving out into the Atlantic proper, she sank the British ship Empire Sailor and damaged two other ships on 21 November, finally sinking the American ship Caddo on 23 November before returning to her new home base, Lorient in occupied France, arriving on 15 December 1942.

Second patrol

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Leaving Lorient on 11 January 1943, she sailed to the eastern Brazilian coast and on 14 February 1943 came under attack from unidentified Allied aircraft; she sustained minimal damage Between 18 February and 25 March, she sank another four ships. On the return journey, she passed through the Cape Verde Islands, west of the Canary Islands and east of the Azores, arriving back at Lorient on 27 April 1943 after a patrol lasting 107 days.

Third patrol

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Her third sortie was marked by a depth charge and strafing attack on 27 June 1943 by a Sunderland flying boat of No. 201 Squadron RAF. The damage incurred was serious enough to warrant her return which was hampered by another attack by a Sunderland, this time from No. 10 Squadron RAAF on 30 June in the Bay of Biscay. This incident caused no further damage, but the aircraft's rear gunner was mortally wounded. The boat docked in Bordeaux on 3 July.

Fourth patrol

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She spent fifteen weeks on patrol which included a presence in the Gulf of Mexico, between 18 August and 1 December 1943, with no results.

Fifth patrol

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Another long patrol saw the boat in the Caribbean where she torpedoed the Panamanian Valera. The ship broke in two before sinking. The submarine had departed Lorient on 23 January 1944 and returned there on 10 July.

She was on non-active patrol afterwards. Traveling from port to port, lasting from 4 to 10 July 1944, with no results.

Sixth patrol

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By now, the Allies were besieging the Atlantic ports on the landward side; the boat departed Lorient for the last time on 15 July 1944. Allied escort ships attacked a submarine in mid-ocean, probably U-518, on 9 August. She next turned up, on the eastern US coast, where she damaged the American George Ade. She then withdrew to Kristiansand in Norway, arriving on 24 October 1944.

She was on non-active patrol again afterwards. Both of these voyages from 25 to 28 October 1944 and 5 to 10 March 1945 were between ports and produced no results.

Seventh patrol and loss

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Her last foray began when she departed Kristiansand on 12 March 1945. She was sunk northwest of the Azores on 22 April by hedgehog rounds from USS Carter and USS Neal A. Scott. There were no survivors.

Wolfpacks

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U-518 took part in two wolfpacks, namely:

  • Panther (7 – 11 October 1942)
  • Seewolf (14 – 22 April 1945)

Summary of raiding history

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Date Ship Name Nationality Tonnage
(GRT) 		Fate[7]
2 November 1942 P.L.M. 27   Free France 5,633 Sunk
2 November 1942 Rose Castle   Canada 7,803 Sunk
21 November 1942 British Promise   United Kingdom 8,443 Damaged
21 November 1942 British Renown   United Kingdom 6,997 Damaged
21 November 1942 Empire Sailor   United Kingdom 6,140 Sunk
21 November 1942 Caddo   United States 10,172 Sunk
18 February 1943 Brasiloide   Brazil 6,075 Sunk
1 March 1943 Fitz-John Porter   United States 7,176 Sunk
20 March 1943 Mariso   Netherlands 7,659 Sunk
25 March 1943 Industria   Sweden 1,688 Sunk
7 March 1944 Valera   Panama 3,401 Sunk
12 September 1944 George Ade   United States 7,176 Damaged

References

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  1. ^ Kemp 1999, p. 252.
  2. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type IXC boat U-518". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 26 February 2010.
  3. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "War Patrols by German U-boat U-518". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 26 February 2010.
  4. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type IXC boat U-518". uboat.net. Retrieved 6 June 2024.
  5. ^ a b c d Gröner 1991, p. 68.
  6. ^ Beeby, Dean (1995). Cargo of lies : the true story of a Nazi double-agent in Canada. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. p. x. ISBN 0-8020-0731-7.
  7. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-518". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 30 January 2014.

Bibliography

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  • 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). Vol. 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. Vol. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4.
  • Kemp, Paul (1999). U-Boats Destroyed - German Submarine Losses in the World Wars. London: Arms & Armour. ISBN 1-85409-515-3.
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  • Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type IXC boat U-518". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
  • Hofmann, Markus. "U 518". Deutsche U-Boote 1935–1945 - u-boot-archiv.de (in German). Retrieved 7 December 2014.

43°26′N 38°23′W / 43.433°N 38.383°W / 43.433; -38.383

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