History | |
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Name | U-640 |
Ordered | 20 January 1941 |
Builder | Blohm & Voss,Hamburg |
Yard number | 616 |
Laid down | 30 October 1941 |
Launched | 23 July 1942 |
Commissioned | 17 September 1942 |
Fate | Sunk on 14 May 1943 in the Atlantic Ocean, in position60°32′N31°05′W / 60.533°N 31.083°W /60.533; -31.083, by depth charges from a USCatalina. |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Type VIICsubmarine |
Displacement | |
Length |
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Beam |
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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 | |
Part of: |
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Identification codes: | M 50 291 |
Commanders: | |
Operations: |
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Victories: | None |
German submarineU-640 was aType VIICU-boat built forNazi Germany'sKriegsmarine for service duringWorld War II.She waslaid down on 30 October 1941 byBlohm & Voss,Hamburg as yard number 616,launched on 23 July 1942 andcommissioned on 17 September 1942 underOberleutnant zur See Karl-Heinz Nagel.
German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorterType VIIB submarines.U-640 had a displacement of 769 tonnes (757 long tons) when at the surface and 871 tonnes (857 long tons) while submerged.[2] 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, twoBrown, Boveri & Cie GG UB 720/8double-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).[2]
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).[2] 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-640 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 one twin2 cm (0.79 in) C/30anti-aircraft gun. The boat had acomplement of between forty-four and sixty.[2]
The boat's career began with training at5th U-boat Flotilla on 17 September 1942, followed by active service on 1 May 1943 as part of the6th Flotilla.
In 1 patrol she sank no ships.
U-640 took part in onewolfpack, namely:
There are discrepancies between the fate ofU-640 andU-657, which was sunk in the same vicinity around the same time. Paul Kemp's book[3] attributes the sinking of British freighterAymeric toU-640, and then subsequently sunk byHMS Swale on the 17 May 1943, whereas UBoat.net attributes this success and fate toU-657.
Uboat.net states thatU-640 was sunk on 14 May 1943 in the Atlantic Ocean in position60°32′N31°05′W / 60.533°N 31.083°W /60.533; -31.083, by depth charges from a USCatalina ofVP-84. All hands were lost.