| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | U-352 |
| Ordered | 9 October 1939 |
| Builder | Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft,Flensburg |
| Yard number | 471 |
| Laid down | 11 March 1940 |
| Launched | 7 May 1941 |
| Commissioned | 28 August 1941 |
| Fate | Sunk on 9 May 1942 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Type VIICsubmarine |
| Displacement | |
| Length |
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| Beam |
|
| 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][2] | |
| Part of: |
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| Identification codes: | M 00 518 |
| Commanders: |
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| Operations: |
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| Victories: | None |
U-352 (submarine) shipwreck and remains | |
| Nearest city | Beaufort, North Carolina |
| MPS | World War II Shipwrecks along the East Coast and Gulf of Mexico MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 15000804 |
| Added to NRHP | 12 November 2015 |
German submarineU-352 was aType VIICU-boat ofNazi Germany'sKriegsmarine duringWorld War II. The submarine waslaid down on 11 March 1940, at theFlensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft yard atFlensburg,launched on 7 May 1941, andcommissioned on 28 August 1941, under the command ofKapitänleutnant Hellmut Rathke. She was part of the3rd U-boat Flotilla, and was ready for front-line service by 1 January 1942.[1]
German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorterType VIIB submarines.U-352 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 460/8–27double-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-352 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 a2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft gun. The boat had acomplement of between forty-four and sixty.[3]
U-352 leftKiel on 15 January 1942, and arrived atBergen, in Norway, on 19 January.[2] She left the next day and patrolled south ofIceland, without success, before sailing to her new home port atSaint-Nazaire, in France, by 26 February.[4]
U-352 left St. Nazaire, on 7 April 1942, and sailed across the Atlantic to the north-eastern coast of the United States.[5] There on 9 May 1942, she was sunk bydepth charges from the U.S. Coast Guard cutterIcarus, south ofMorehead City, North Carolina, in position34°13.67′N76°33.89′W / 34.22783°N 76.56483°W /34.22783; -76.56483.[1][6] The crew of theIcarus machine gunned the German submarine when it surfaced, preventing the German crew from manning the deck guns.[7] One survivor, radio operator Kurt Krueger, reported in 1999 thatIcarus departed and then returned 45 minutes later to pick up survivors.[8][9] Fifteen of the crew were lost, but 33 survived and spent the remainder of the war asprisoners.[1]
U-352 took part in onewolfpack, namely:

The wreck ofU-352 was discovered 26 mi (42 km) south of Morehead City, in 1975, by George Purifoy.[10] She lies in about 115 feet (35 m) of water, and sits at a 45-degree list to starboard. The wreck scatter is within a 100 m (330 ft) radius of location above on a sand bottom.[6] This wreck has become anartificial reef that is heavily populated withHemanthias vivanus.[6] The site was listed on theNational Register of Historic Places in 2015. It is a popular scuba diving spot for advanced divers. A replica of the wreck is on display at theNorth Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores.[10]