German submarine U-957

German submarine U-957 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

History
Nazi Germany
Name	U-957
Ordered	10 April 1941
Builder	Blohm & Voss, Hamburg
Yard number	157
Laid down	11 March 1942
Launched	21 November 1942
Commissioned	7 January 1943
Decommissioned	21 October 1944
Fate	Probably scuttled in May 1945
General characteristics
Class and type	Type VIIC submarine
Displacement	769 tonnes (757 long tons) surfaced 871 t (857 long tons) submerged
Length	67.10 m (220 ft 2 in) o/a 50.50 m (165 ft 8 in) pressure hull
Beam	6.20 m (20 ft 4 in) o/a 4.70 m (15 ft 5 in) pressure hull
Height	9.60 m (31 ft 6 in)
Draught	4.74 m (15 ft 7 in)
Installed power	2,800–3,200 PS (2,100–2,400 kW; 2,800–3,200 bhp) (diesels) 750 PS (550 kW; 740 shp) (electric)
Propulsion	2 shafts 2 × diesel engines 2 × electric motors
Speed	17.7 knots (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph) surfaced 7.6 knots (14.1 km/h; 8.7 mph) submerged
Range	8,500 nmi (15,700 km; 9,800 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced 80 nmi (150 km; 92 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth	230 m (750 ft) Crush depth: 250–295 m (820–968 ft)
Complement	4 officers, 40–56 enlisted
Armament	5 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four bow, one stern) 14 × torpedoes or 26 TMA mines 1 × 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun (220 rounds) 1 × twin 2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft gun
Service record
Part of:	5th U-boat Flotilla 7 January – 31 July 1943 3rd U-boat Flotilla 1 August – 31 December 1943 11th U-boat Flotilla 1 January – 30 September 1944 13th U-boat Flotilla 1 – 21 October 1944
Identification codes:	M 50 029
Commanders:	Oblt.z.S. Franz Saar 7 January – 20 March 1943 Oblt.z.S. Gerhard Schaar 1 April 1943 – 21 October 1944
Operations:	7 patrols: 1st patrol: 14 December 1943 – 12 January 1944 2nd patrol: 24 January – 2 February 1944 3rd patrol: a. 6 – 20 February 1944 b. 22 – 25 February 1944 4th patrol: a. 26 February – 4 March 1944 b. 29 April – 2 May 1944 5th patrol: a. 11 May – 8 June 1944 b. 14 – 15 June 1944 c. 23 June 1944 d. 26 – 28 June 1944 e. 2 – 3 July 1944 f. 18 – 20 July 1944 6th patrol: 23 July – 3 September 1944 7th patrol: a. 7 September – 3 October 1944 b. 6 – 8 October 1944 c. 17 – 21 October 1944
Victories:	2 merchant ships sunk (7,564 GRT) 2 warships sunk (604 tons)

Laid down by Blohm & Voss, Hamburg on 11 March 1942, the U-boat was launched on 21 November 1942, and commissioned on 7 January 1943, by Oberleutnant zur See Franz Saar.

Design

German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-957 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 Brown, Boveri & Cie 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-957 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 one twin 2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.

Service history

Under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Gerhard Schaar U-957 carried out seven war patrols between December 1943 and October 1944, sinking two commercial vessels; the British Fort Bellingham and the Soviet survey vessel Nord; and two military vessels, the American submarine chaser USS PTC-38, and the Soviet corvette Brilliant.

Fate

Her combat career ended on 19 October 1944 at Lofoten, Norway, when she collided with a German steamer. On 21 October 1944 she was taken out of service in Trondheim.

In May 1945, she was probably scuttled in the Skjömenfjord.

Summary of raiding history

Date	Ship Name	Nationality	Tonnage	Fate
26 January 1944	Fort Bellingham	United Kingdom	7,153	Sunk
26 January 1944	USS PTC-38	United States Navy	54	Sunk
26 August 1944	Nord	Soviet Navy	411	Sunk
23 September 1944	Brilliant	Soviet Navy	550	Sunk

References

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). Der U-Boot-Krieg, 1939-1945: Deutsche U-Boot-Verluste von September 1939 bis Mai 1945 [German U-boat losses from September 1939 to May 1945] (in German). Vol. IV. Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn: Mittler. ISBN 3-8132-0514-2.
• Gröner, Eric; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). German Warships 1815-1945: U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. Vol. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4.
• Sharpe, Peter (1998). U-Boat Fact File. Great Britain: Midland Publishing. ISBN 1-85780-072-9.

External links

• Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-957". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
• Hofmann, Markus. "U 957". Deutsche U-Boote 1935-1945 - u-boot-archiv.de (in German). Retrieved 29 December 2014.