| History | |
|---|---|
 Nazi Germany | |
| Name | U-193 |
| Ordered | 4 November 1940 |
| Builder | AG Weser,Bremen |
| Yard number | 1039 |
| Laid down | 22 December 1941 |
| Launched | 24 August 1942 |
| Commissioned | 10 December 1942 |
| Fate | Missing since 24 April 1944 |
| 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 | 4.70 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 enlisted48 to 56 |
| Armament |
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| Service record | |
| Part of: |
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| Identification codes: | M 50 201 |
| Commanders: | |
| Operations: |
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| Victories: | 1 merchant ship sunk (10,172 GRT) |
German submarineU-193 was aType IXC/40U-boat ofNazi Germany'sKriegsmarine built duringWorld War II for service in the Atlantic Ocean. The submarine waslaid down on 22 December 1941 at theAG Weser yard inBremen as yard number 1039. She waslaunched on 24 August 1942 andcommissioned on 10 December under the command ofKorvettenkapitän Hans Paukstadt.
She was a member of twowolfpacks and carried out four war patrols in which she sank one ship, before being lost herself in theBay of Biscay in April 1944.
German Type IXC/40 submarines were slightly larger than the originalType IXCs.U-193 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.[1] 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).[1]
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).[1] 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-193 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.[1]
The boat's first patrol was preceded by a short trip fromKiel in Germany toBergen in Norway in May 1943. She then left the Nordic port on 22 May, heading west. She negotiated thegap betweenIceland and theFaroe Islands and entered the Atlantic Ocean.
She did not encounter any Allied shipping, and failed to find her first victory. An unidentified aircraft attackedU-193 south of theCanary Islands on 6 July, wounding two men and destroying theMetox radar detection equipment.
The submarine enteredBordeaux in occupied France, on 23 July.
U-193's second foray began with her departure fromLa Pallice, (she had moved there in September), on 12 October 1943. Moving to theGulf of Mexico, she sank the independently sailing 10,172 GRT American oil tankerTouchet west ofFlorida[2] with the loss of ten of her crew. The remainder of the patrol was a failure, however, as a combination of dud torpedoes, well-organized convoys and effectivecounter-measures combined to prevent the boat gaining a single hit.
As the second patrol came to an end in February 1944 after five frustrating months at sea,U-193 caused an international incident following an attack by Allied aircraft and convoy escorts off the Spanish coast. In her desperate attempts to escape, she dived straight into the seabed, causing serious damage to the boat. Knowing a journey to a German-held port was now impossible, her captain, Hans Pauckstadt, decided to intern his boat inFerrol, Spain. Under international law, ifU-193 remained in the neutral harbour for more than 24 hours, then the Spanish authorities were obliged to detain the submarine for the remainder of hostilities. This did not occur,U-193 stayed in Ferrol for ten days whilst Spanish workmen performed superficial repairs to the U-boat.
U-193 then left the port despite Allied protests and returned to La Pallice in France, where more extensive repairs were completed and Paukstadt was replaced byKptlt. Dr.Ulrich Abel. Abel had served as Watch Officer onU-154 under the command ofOskar Kusch. Abel denounced Kusch, which led to Kusch'scourt martial and execution fordefeatism. This six-day passage is often listed asU-193's 'third' patrol, although there was no intention of operating against Allied shipping.
Following repairs,U-193 departed on her fourth and final patrol and was never heard from again. Her loss remains a mystery. A post-war assessment states that on 28 April 1944, she was seen and attacked by a BritishRoyal Air ForceVickers Wellington bomber ofNo. 612 Squadron RAF,[3] whose depth charges sank the boat with all 59 hands not far fromNantes. This attack was actually againstU-802, inflicting no damage.[4] The reason forU-193's loss is unknown; however as the Bay of Biscay was routinely mined by the RAF, it could have been an operational loss.
| Date | Ship | Nationality | Tonnage (GRT) | Fate[5] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 December 1943 | Touchet |  United States | 10,172 | Sunk |
45°38′N9°43′W / 45.633°N 9.717°W /45.633; -9.717
Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in April 1944 | |
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| Shipwrecks |
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| Other incidents |
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