History | |
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Name | U-651 |
Ordered | 9 October 1939 |
Builder | HowaldtswerkeHamburg AG |
Yard number | 800 |
Laid down | 16 January 1940 |
Launched | 21 December 1940 |
Commissioned | 12 February 1941 |
Fate | Sunk on 29 June 1941 south ofIceland, 45 survivors. |
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 | |
Part of: |
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Identification codes: | M 35 647 |
Commanders: |
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Operations: |
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Victories: | 2 merchant ships sunk (11,639 GRT) |
German submarineU-651 was a GermanType VIICU-boat built forNazi Germany'sKriegsmarine for service duringWorld War II. She was ordered just after thewar started in 1939,laid down on 16 January 1940,launched on 21 December that year andcommissioned the following 21 February. She was commanded byKapitänleutnant Peter Lohmeyer.
Her career was a short one. She took part in only one patrol and sank two ships in convoyConvoy HX 133: the merchantmenBrockley Hill andGrayburn. On 29 June 1941, she was sunk by the escort for the same convoy but 45 of her crew were rescued by theRoyal Navy and interrogated by theAdmiralty.
German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorterType VIIB submarines.U-651 had a displacement of 769 tonnes (757 long tons) when at the surface and 871 tonnes (857 long tons) while submerged.[1] 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, twoSiemens-Schuckert GU 343/38-8double-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).[1]
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).[1] 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-651 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.[1]
Destroyers
Corvettes
Minesweeper
Date | Ship Name | Nationality | Tonnage (GRT) | Fate[2] |
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24 June 1941 | Brockley Hill | ![]() | 5,297 | Sunk |
29 June 1941 | Grayburn | ![]() | 6,342 | Sunk |