| History | |
|---|---|
 Nazi Germany | |
| Name | U-396 |
| Ordered | 20 January 1941 |
| Builder | Howaldtswerke,Kiel |
| Yard number | 28 |
| Laid down | 6 June 1942 |
| Launched | 27 August 1943 |
| Commissioned | 16 October 1943 |
| Fate | Missing since 11 April 1945[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 |
|
| Service record[1] | |
| Part of: |
|
| Identification codes: | M 52 277 |
| Commanders: |
|
| Operations: |
|
| Victories: | None |
German submarineU-396 was aType VIICU-boat ofNazi Germany'sKriegsmarine duringWorld War II.
She carried out five patrols. She did not sink or damage any ships.
She was posted missing since 11 April 1945.[1]
German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorterType VIIB submarines.U-396 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, twoGarbe, Lahmeyer & Co. RP 137/cdouble-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-396 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), one3.7 cm (1.5 in) Flak M42 and two twin2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft guns. The boat had acomplement of between forty-four and sixty.[2]
The submarine waslaid down on 6 June 1942 at theHowaldtswerke (yard) atFlensburg as yard number 28,launched on 27 August 1943 andcommissioned on 16 October under the command ofKapitänleutnant Ernst-Günther Unterhorst.
She served with the5th U-boat Flotilla from 16 October 1943 and the1st flotilla from 1 June 1944. She was reassigned to the11h flotilla on 1 October.
The boat departedKiel on 20 June 1944. On 28 June she was attacked by a BritishCatalina flying boat ofNo. 210 Squadron RAF. The only damage was acarbon monoxide leak which was serious enough to cause the submarine to abort her patrol. She arrived atBergen on 3 July.
These two sorties were relatively uneventful.
U-396 departedTrondheim on 1 October 1944. She entered the north Atlantic Ocean via thegap betweenIceland and theFaroe Islands and sailed southeast ofCape Farewell (Greenland). She returned to Trondheim on 19 December. At 60 days, it was her longest patrol.
The boat departed Trondheim for Atlantic weather reporting duties on 13 March 1945. It is known that she sailed between the Faroe andShetland Islands. She was posted missing since 11 April 1945. No conclusive explanation for her loss exists.
45 men were aboard the U-boat; there were no survivors.
U-396 was thought to have been sunk on 23 April 1945 southwest of the Shetland Islands bydepth charges dropped by a BritishB-24 Liberator ofNo. 86 Squadron RAF.[3] This attack was probably against a 'nonsub' target.
