Английская Википедия:German submarine U-108 (1940)

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Шаблон:Infobox ship imageШаблон:Infobox ship careerШаблон:Infobox ship characteristicsШаблон:Infobox service record

German submarine U-108 was a Type IXB U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine that operated during World War II. She was laid down at DeSchiMAG AG Weser in Bremen as yard number 971 on 27 December 1938, launched on 15 July 1940 and commissioned on 22 October under Korvettenkapitän Klaus Scholtz.

Her service career began with training as part of the 2nd U-boat Flotilla; she went on to operations, first with the second flotilla, then with the 8th U-boat Flotilla.

Design

German Type IXB submarines were slightly larger than the original German Type IX submarines, later designated IXA. U-108 had a displacement of Шаблон:Convert when at the surface and Шаблон:Convert while submerged.Шаблон:Sfn The U-boat had a total length of Шаблон:Convert, a pressure hull length of Шаблон:Convert, a beam of Шаблон:Convert, a height of Шаблон:Convert, and a draught of Шаблон:Convert. The submarine was powered by two MAN M 9 V 40/46 supercharged four-stroke, nine-cylinder diesel engines producing a total of Шаблон:Convert for use while surfaced, two Siemens-Schuckert 2 GU 345/34 double-acting electric motors producing a total of Шаблон:Convert for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two Шаблон:Convert propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to Шаблон:Convert.Шаблон:Sfn

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of Шаблон:Convert and a maximum submerged speed of Шаблон:Convert.Шаблон:Sfn When submerged, the boat could operate for Шаблон:Convert at Шаблон:Convert; when surfaced, she could travel Шаблон:Convert at Шаблон:Convert. U-108 was fitted with six Шаблон:Convert torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and two at the stern), 22 torpedoes, one [[10.5 cm SK C/32 naval gun|Шаблон:Convert SK C/32 naval gun]], 180 rounds, and a [[3.7 cm SK C/30|Шаблон:Convert SK C/30]] as well as a [[2 cm FlaK 30|Шаблон:Convert C/30]] anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of forty-eight.Шаблон:Sfn

Service history

U-108 carried out eleven war patrols, during which she sank 25 ships, a total of Шаблон:GRT and one auxiliary warship of 16,644 GRT. She was a member of seven wolfpacks.

First, second and third patrols

The boat's first patrol began with her departure from Wilhelmshaven on 15 February 1941. She crossed the North Sea and entered the Atlantic via the gap between Iceland and the Faroe Islands, sinking Texelstroom on 22 February. She also sank Effna on the 28th; both ships met their end south of Iceland. She then docked at Lorient in occupied France on 12 March. She would be based there for most of the rest of her career.

Her second foray involved the sinking of Шаблон:HMS, an armed merchant cruiser, west of Reykjavík on 13 April 1941. The Convoy Commodore, four officer and 35 ratings were lost. After this patrol the crew of U-108 made an image of a polar bear at conning tower.

U-108 sank Michael E., a CAM ship or 'Catapult Armed Merchantman', on the submarine's third patrol on 2 June 1941 in mid-Atlantic. She went on to sink Baron Nairn west of Cape Race (eastern Newfoundland and Labrador) on the eighth; the Greek ship Dirphys Шаблон:Convert east of Newfoundland, also on 8 July; Christian Krohg on the tenth; Ellinco on the 25th; Nicholas Pateras on the same day and Toronto on 1 July. The latter was a weather ship situated about Шаблон:Convert north of the Azores.

Fourth, fifth and sixth patrols

Patrol number four saw the boat covering the 'gap' between South America and Africa. She departed Lorient on 19 August 1941 and returned on 21 October.

She sank Cassequel, a neutral vessel, on 14 December 1941, Шаблон:Convert southwest of Cape St. Vincent, Portugal and Ruckinge (convoy HG 76) on the 19th, west of Lisbon as part of her fifth sortie.

The boat's sixth patrol, as part of Operation Drumbeat (Paukenschlag), took her to the east coast of North America where she was again successful, sinking Ocean Venture on 8 February 1942, Tolosa on the ninth and Blink on the 12th. The U-boat had chased Blink, which had been hit by a non-detonating torpedo, the two vessels almost collided; which was only avoided by U-108 diving underneath the merchant ship.

She also sank Ramapo northwest of Bermuda on 16 February and Somme on the 18th.

Seventh, eighth and ninth patrols

The boat's seventh patrol was almost as successful as her sixth, sinking Modesta on 25 April 1942, Mobiloil on the 29th (which required a total of six torpedoes and many rounds from the 20mm and 37mm guns), Afoundria on 5 May, and Abgara a day later. On the return leg she encountered Norland on the 25th.

More success pennants were flown after her eighth patrol, which took her almost to the northern South American coast. She sank Tricula on 3 August 1942, Breňas on the seventh and Louisiana on the 17th.

The boat's ninth patrol was carried out in opposition to Operation Torch, (the Allied landings in North Africa). The submarine had not been off Morocco long before being attacked by a destroyer. The damage incurred was serious enough that the boat was obliged to return to France where effective repairs might be carried out.

Tenth and eleventh patrols

The U-boat was attacked by a Catalina flying boat of 202 Squadron RAF on 10 February 1943 west of Morocco. The damage to the forward torpedo tubes forced her to return to Lorient.

In her last operational patrol, she departed Lorient on 1 April 1943. On 19 April 1943 U-108 sank the American Robert Gray from Convoy HX 234. The Liberty ship had straggled behind the convoy. She was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean (50°57′N 40°35′W) with the loss of all 62 crew. U-108 was attacked by a destroyer on the 22nd but continued to shadow Convoy ON (S) 4 southeast of Greenland. She arrived at Stettin in modern-day Poland on 16 May. She was eventually bombed and sunk there on 11 April, before being raised and decommissioned on 17 July 1944. She was ultimately scuttled there on 24 April 1945.

Wolfpacks

U-108 took part in seven wolfpacks, namely.

• West (2 – 20 June 1941)
• Seeräuber (14 – 22 December 1941)
• Schlagetot (9 – 17 November 1942)
• Rochen (28 January - 11 February 1943)
• Adler (7 – 13 April 1943)
• Meise (13 – 27 April 1943)
• Specht (27 – 28 April 1943)

Summary of raiding history

Date	Ship	Nationality	Tonnage	Fate
22 February 1941	Texelstroom	Шаблон:Flag	1,617	Sunk
28 February 1941	Effna	Шаблон:Flag	6,461	Sunk
13 April 1941	HMS Rajputana	Шаблон:Navy	16,644	Sunk
2 June 1941	Шаблон:SS	Шаблон:Flag	7,628	Sunk
8 June 1941	Baron Nairn	Шаблон:Flag	3,164	Sunk
8 June 1941	Dirphys	Шаблон:Flag	4,240	Sunk
10 June 1941	Christian Krohg	Шаблон:Flag	1,992	Sunk
25 June 1941	Ellinco	Шаблон:Flag	3,059	Sunk
25 June 1941	Nicholas Pateras	Шаблон:Flag	4,362	Sunk
1 July 1941	Toronto City	Шаблон:Flag	2,486	Sunk
14 December 1941	Cassequel	Шаблон:Flag	4,751	Sunk
19 December 1941	Ruckinge	Шаблон:Flag	2,869	Sunk
2 February 1942	Ocean Venture	Шаблон:Flag	7,174	Sunk
9 February 1942	Tolosa	Шаблон:Flag	1,974	Sunk
12 February 1942	Blink	Шаблон:Flag	2,701	Sunk
16 February 1942	Ramapo	Шаблон:Flag	2,968	Sunk
18 February 1942	Somme	Шаблон:Flag	5,265	Sunk
25 April 1941	Modesta	Шаблон:Flag	3,849	Sunk
29 April 1942	Mobiloil	Шаблон:Flag	9,925	Sunk
5 May 1942	Afoundria	Шаблон:Flag	5,010	Sunk
6 May 1942	Abgara	Шаблон:Flag	4,422	Sunk
20 May 1942	Norland	Шаблон:Flag	8,134	Sunk
3 August 1942	Tricula	Шаблон:Flag	6,221	Sunk
7 August 1942	Breñas	Шаблон:Flag	2,687	Sunk
17 August 1942	Louisiana	Шаблон:Flag	8,587	Sunk
19 April 1943	Robert Gray	Шаблон:Flag	7,176	Sunk

Bibliography

• Шаблон:Cite book
• Шаблон:Cite book
• Шаблон:Cite book
• Шаблон:Cite book

External links

• Шаблон:Cite web
• Шаблон:Cite web