| History | |
|---|---|
 Nazi Germany | |
| Name | U-186 |
| Ordered | 15 August 1940 |
| Builder | DeSchiMAGAG Weser,Bremen |
| Yard number | 1026 |
| Laid down | 24 July 1941 |
| Launched | 11 March 1942[1] |
| Commissioned | 10 July 1942[1] |
| Fate | Sunk, 12 May 1943[1] |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Type IXC/40submarine |
| Displacement | |
| Length |
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| Beam |
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| Height | 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in) |
| Draught | 4.67 m (15 ft 4 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[2] | |
| Part of: |
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| Identification codes: | M 05 693 |
| Commanders: |
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| Operations: |
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| Victories: | 3 merchant ships sunk (18,782 GRT) |
German submarineU-186 was aType IXC/40U-boat ofNazi Germany'sKriegsmarine built for service duringWorld War II.Her keel waslaid down on 24 July 1941 byDeSchiMAGAG Weser inBremen as yard number 1026. She waslaunched on 11 March 1942 andcommissioned on 10 July withKorvettenkapitän Siegfried Hesemann in command.
The U-boat's service began with training as part of the4th U-boat Flotilla. She then moved to the10th flotilla on 1 January 1943 for operations. The submarine carried out two patrols and was a member of ninewolfpacks. She sank three ships totalling 18,782 gross register tons (GRT).
She was sunk by a British destroyer on 12 May 1943.
German Type IXC/40 submarines were slightly larger than the originalType IXCs.U-186 had a displacement of 1,144 tonnes (1,126 long tons) when at the surface and 1,257 tonnes (1,237 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 6.86 m (22 ft 6 in), a height of 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in), and adraught of 4.67 m (15 ft 4 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 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 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 13,850 nautical miles (25,650 km; 15,940 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph).U-186 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-186's first patrol took her fromKiel, across theNorth Sea and into the Atlantic Ocean through thegap betweenIceland and theFaroe Islands. She sankOcean Vagabond on 11 January 1943 south of Iceland. This ship had already been damaged byU-513 in September 1942.U-186 also sankHastings andEulima on 23 February 1943 (part ofConvoy ON 166) about 310 nmi (570 km; 360 mi) south ofCape Race (Newfoundland). She arrived atLorient in occupied France, on 5 March 1943.
The boat departed Lorient on 17 April 1943. On 12 May she was sunk northwest of theAzores bydepth charges dropped by the British destroyerHMS Hesperus. Fifty three men died. There were no survivors.
U-186 took part in ninewolfpacks, namely:
| Date | Ship | Nationality | Tonnage (GRT) | Fate[4] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 January 1943 | Ocean Vagabond |  United Kingdom | 7,174 | Sunk |
| 23 February 1943 | Eulima | United Kingdom | 6,207 | Sunk |
| 23 February 1943 | Hastings |  United States | 5,401 | Sunk |
Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in May 1943 | |
|---|---|
| Shipwrecks |
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| Other incidents |
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