History | |
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Name | U-239 |
Ordered | 20 January 1941 |
Builder | Germaniawerft,Kiel |
Yard number | 669 |
Laid down | 14 May 1942 |
Launched | 28 January 1943 |
Commissioned | 13 March 1943 |
Fate | Damaged on 24 July 1944,broken up in the same year[1] |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Type VIICsubmarine |
Displacement | |
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[2] | |
Part of: |
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Identification codes: | M 50 794 |
Commanders: |
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Operations: | None |
Victories: | None |
German submarineU-239 was aType VIICU-boat ofNazi Germany'sKriegsmarine duringWorld War II.
The submarine waslaid down on 14 May 1942 at theFriedrich Krupp Germaniawerft yard atKiel as yard number 669,launched on 28 January 1943 andcommissioned on 13 March under the command ofLeutnant zur See Ulrich Vöge.[2]
After training with the5th U-boat Flotilla at Kiel, she went to the22nd flotilla as a 'school' boat and then back to the fifth flotilla.
She was damaged in Kiel by British bombs on 24 July 1944 andbroken up in the same year.
German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorterType VIIB submarines.U-239 had a displacement of 769 tonnes (757 long tons) when at the surface and 871 tonnes (857 long tons) while submerged.[3] She had a total length of 67.10 m (220 ft 2 in), apressure hull length of 50.50 m (165 ft 8 in), abeam of 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in), a height of 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in), and adraught of 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in). The submarine was powered by twoGermaniawerft F46 four-stroke, six-cylindersuperchargeddiesel 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, twoAEG GU 460/8-276double-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).[3]
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).[3] 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-239 was fitted with five 53.3 cm (21 in)torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and one at the stern), fourteentorpedoes, one8.8 cm (3.46 in) SK C/35 naval gun, 220 rounds, and two twin2 cm (0.79 in) C/30anti-aircraft guns. The boat had acomplement of between forty-four and sixty.[3]
She was damaged in a British air raid at theGermania Werke in Kiel on 24 July 1944 which also killed one crewman,[4] she was thenbroken up later that same year.