![]() U-643 depth charged by two Liberators from No 86 Squadron of the Royal Air Force Coastal Command. | |
History | |
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Name | U-643 |
Ordered | 20 January 1941 |
Builder | Blohm & Voss,Hamburg |
Yard number | 619 |
Laid down | 1 December 1941 |
Launched | 20 August 1942 |
Commissioned | 8 October 1942 |
Fate | Scuttled on 8 October 1943 in position56°14′N26°55′W / 56.233°N 26.917°W /56.233; -26.917[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 |
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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 49 612 |
Commanders: | |
Operations: |
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Victories: | None |
German submarineU-643 was aType VIICU-boat ofNazi Germany'sKriegsmarine duringWorld War II. The submarine waslaid down on 1 December 1941 at theBlohm & Voss yard atHamburg,launched on 20 August 1942, andcommissioned on 8 October 1942 under the command ofOberleutnant zur See Hans-Harald Speidel.
Attached to5th U-boat Flotilla based atKiel,U-643 completed her training period on 30 June 1943 and was assigned to front-line service.
German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorterType VIIB submarines.U-643 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-643 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]
On 8 October 1943, while operating againstconvoy SC 143,U-643 was detected byLiberatorR ofNo. 86 Squadron RAF. The aircraft strafed the U-boat but had to return to base short on fuel. Another British aircraft, LiberatorZ of the same squadron, continued the attack onU-643, which attempted to dive. Four depth charged were dropped in the wake of the diving U-boat, which resulted in an oil spill. LiberatorZ returned to the convoy, only to return an hour later to find LiberatorT ofNo. 120 Squadron RAF attacking an U-boat, which turned out to beU-643. The two aircraft attacked with depth charges and strafed the U-boat. When two more Liberators arrived at the scene, the U-boat's crew prepared to abandon ship. Upon arrival of the destroyerHMS Orwell the U-boat was scuttled, 18 survivors were picked up byOrwell.[1]