| History | |
|---|---|
 Nazi Germany | |
| Name | U-373 |
| Ordered | 23 September 1939 |
| Builder | Howaldtswerke,Kiel |
| Yard number | 4 |
| Laid down | 8 December 1939 |
| Launched | 5 April 1941 |
| Commissioned | 22 May 1941 |
| Fate | Sunk on 8 June 1944[1] |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Type VIICsubmarine |
| Displacement | |
| Length |
|
| Beam |
|
| Height | 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in) |
| Draught | 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in) |
| Installed power |
|
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed |
|
| Range | |
| Test depth |
|
| Complement | 4 officers, 40–56 enlisted |
| Armament |
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| Service record[2][3] | |
| Part of: |
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| Identification codes: | M 43 458 |
| Commanders: | |
| Operations: |
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| Victories: | 3 merchants ships sunk (10,263 GRT) |
German submarineU-373 was aType VIICU-boat ofNazi Germany'sKriegsmarine duringWorld War II.
She carried out thirteen patrols before being sunk by a British aircraft on 8 June 1944 in theBay of Biscay.[4]
She sank three ships for a total of 10,263 gross register tons (GRT).
German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorterType VIIB submarines.U-373 had a displacement of 769 tonnes (757 long tons) when at the surface and 871 tonnes (857 long tons) while submerged.[5] 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, twoAEG GU 460/8–27double-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).[5]
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).[5] 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-373 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.[5]
The submarine waslaid down on 8 December 1939 at theHowaldtswerke atKiel as yard number 3,launched on 5 April 1941 andcommissioned on 22 May under the command ofKapitänleutnant Paul-Karl Loeser.
The boat's first patrol was preceded by short trips betweenKiel in Germany andHorten Naval Base andTrondheim in Norway in July and August 1941. Her first patrol proper commenced with her departure from Trondheim on 4 September. Negotiation of thegap separatingIceland and theFaroe Islands was followed by sweeps southeast ofGreenland. The submarine then docked atBrest in occupied France on 2 October.
U-373's initial patrols were fairly routine. All that changed on the second part of her fourth sortie when she sank theMount Lycabettus off the eastern United States/Canadian coast on 17 March 1942. She was chartered by Switzerland and was sailing with neutrality mark: Switzerland cross painting with "Switzerland" written on the hull.[6] On the 22nd, she sank theThursobank east ofChesapeake Bay. The surviving Chinese crewmen from this ship were arrested for mutiny immediately after landing. It was alleged that they had denied the British officers a share of the food and warm clothing.
She then sank theJohn R. Williams on 26 June 1942 with amine laid on the 11th offCape May.
U-373 was unsuccessfully attacked byHNoMS Acanthus in mid-Atlantic on 25 August 1942. The Norwegian corvette dropped fivedepth charges, but the U-boat was not damaged.
The boat's seventh foray was uneventful, but on her eighth she was bombed by aB-24 Liberator of theUSAAF on 2 March 1943. Damage was moderate; after repairs,U-373 continued with her patrol.
On 24 July 1943, the submarine was attacked west ofMadeira byGrumman Avenger andWildcat aircraft from the escort carrierUSS Santee. Two men were killed, another seven were wounded. The boat was damaged by aFIDO homing torpedo, but was able to carry-on with her patrol.
During the third part of a three-part patrol on 10 November 1943, a lookout broke his arm while the submarine fought bad weather.
U-373 had a lucky escape when she was attacked by a BritishVickers Wellington ofNo. 612 Squadron RAF on 3 January 1944 in the Bay of Biscay. A second aircraft, a Liberator of224 Squadron joined in. On tying up in Brest, two unexploded depth charges were discovered lodged in theconning tower. The boat was compelled to put to sea once more to jettison her unwanted extra 'cargo' in another hazardous operation.
The boat left Brest for the last time on 7 June 1944. The following day, she was sunk by a RAFLiberator bomber of224 Squadron in the Bay of Biscay. The Liberator than strafed several dinghies with floating survivors, killing Bootsmannsmaat Nielsen. Author Norman Franks writes “it was not unheard of for survivors to be shot-up in the water, although thankfully it was rare, or at least very few reported doing so - officially. In most cases it was no more than excited enthusiasm, the adrenalin pumping hard.”[7] The same aircraft sankU-441 20 minutes later.
Four men died inU-373; there were 47 survivors.
U-373 took part in 16wolfpacks, namely:
| Date | Ship Name | Nationality | Tonnage (GRT) | Fate[8] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 March 1942 | Mount Lycabettus |  Greece | 4,292 | Sunk |
| 22 March 1942 | Thursobank |  United Kingdom | 5,575 | Sunk |
| 24 June 1942 | John R. Williams |  United States | 396 | Sunk (Mine) |
