 U-505, a typical Type IXC boat | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 Nazi Germany | |
| Name | U-501 |
| Ordered | 25 September 1939 |
| Builder | Deutsche Werft,Hamburg |
| Yard number | 291 |
| Laid down | 12 February 1940 |
| Launched | 25 January 1941 |
| Commissioned | 30 April 1941 |
| Fate | Sunk on 10 September 1941 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Type IXCsubmarine |
| Displacement | |
| Length |
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| Beam |
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| Height | 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in) |
| Draught | 4.70 m (15 ft 5 in) |
| Installed power |
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| Propulsion |
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| Speed |
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| Range |
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| Test depth | 230 m (750 ft) |
| Complement | 4 officers, 44 enlisted |
| Armament |
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| Service record[1][2] | |
| Part of: |
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| Identification codes: | M 34 178 |
| Commanders: |
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| Operations: |
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| Victories: | 1 merchant ship sunk (2,000 GRT) |
German submarineU-501 was aType IXCU-boat ofNazi Germany'sKriegsmarine duringWorld War II. The submarine waslaid down on 12 February 1940 at theDeutsche Werft yard inHamburg,launched on 25 January 1941 andcommissioned on 30 April 1941 under the command ofKorvettenkapitän Hugo Förster. The boat served with the2nd U-boat Flotilla until she was sunk on 10 September 1941.[1]
German Type IXC submarines were slightly larger than the originalType IXBs.U-501 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.[3] The U-boat had a total length of 76.76 m (251 ft 10 in), apressure hull length of 58.75 m (192 ft 9 in), abeam of 6.76 m (22 ft 2 in), a height of 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in), and adraught of 4.70 m (15 ft 5 in). The submarine was powered by twoMAN M 9 V 40/46supercharged four-stroke, nine-cylinderdiesel engines producing a total of 4,400 metric horsepower (3,240 kW; 4,340 shp) for use while surfaced, twoSiemens-Schuckert 2 GU 345/34double-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 ft3+5⁄8 in)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 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).[3] 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-501 was fitted with six 53.3 cm (21 in)torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and two at the stern), 22torpedoes, one10.5 cm (4.13 in) SK C/32 naval gun, 180 rounds, and a3.7 cm (1.5 in) SK C/30 as well as a2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft gun. The boat had acomplement of forty-eight.[3]
U-501 departed fromKiel on 2 July 1941 and sailed toTrondheim in Norway viaHorten Naval Base also in Norway, by 15 July.[2] From there she sailed on her first and only war patrol on 7 August 1941, heading out into the waters aroundIceland.[4] She sank the 2,000 GRT Norwegian merchant shipEinvik, a straggler from Convoy SC 41 on 5 September, about 450 miles (720 km) south-west of Iceland, with a torpedo and gunfire. The ship's distress signals were received and an aircraft sent to search for her, but it found nothing and reported that there were probably no survivors. In fact all 23 crew members were in two lifeboats heading for Iceland, which they reached on 12 and 13 September.[5]
Five days later, on the night of 10 September,U-501 was taking part in a mass attack on AlliedConvoy SC 42 in theDenmark Strait south ofTasiilaq, Greenland, in position62°50′N37°50′W / 62.833°N 37.833°W /62.833; -37.833, when she was detected by theCanadianFlower-classcorvetteHMCS Chambly with sonar, and damaged withdepth charges.U-501's captain, Hugo Förster, decided to scuttle the U-boat. On the surface, she was spotted by the corvetteHMCS Moose Jaw, which attempted to ram her. However,U-501 turned at the last moment so that the two vessels were running parallel, only feet apart. For unknown reasons, Hugo Förster surrendered himself and abandoned his command by leaping from the submarine's bridge to the deck of theMoose Jaw.
TheMoose Jaw veered away and the U-boat's first watch officer took command; he continued with the scuttling. A nine-man party from theChambly got on board theU-501 in an attempt to seize secret papers, but the submarine sank under their feet. One Canadian sailor and eleven Germans died. The remaining thirty-five crewmen were taken prisoner.[6] Förster was repatriated to Germany in 1945 during a prisoner exchange. He later committed suicide, criticisms from fellow U-Boat commanders noted as a contributing factor.[7]
This was the first U-boat kill by theRoyal Canadian Navy during theBattle of the Atlantic.
U-501 took part in twowolfpacks, namely:
| Date | Ship Name | Nationality | Tonnage (GRT) | Fate[8] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 September 1941 | Einvik |  Norway | 2,000 | Sunk |
Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in September 1941 | |
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| Shipwrecks |
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| Other incidents |
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