 U-37, (an identical U-boat toU-40) atLorient in 1940 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 Nazi Germany | |
| Name | U-40 |
| Ordered | 29 July 1936 |
| Builder | DeSchiMAGAG Weser,Bremen |
| Yard number | 945 |
| Laid down | 1 July 1937 |
| Launched | 9 November 1938 |
| Commissioned | 11 February 1939 |
| Fate | Sunk on 13 October 1939 in theEnglish Channel by a mine. 45 men died, three survived[1][2] |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Type IXAsubmarine |
| Displacement | |
| Length |
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| Beam |
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| Height | 9.40 m (30 ft 10 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 enlisted |
| Armament |
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| Service record | |
| Part of: |
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| Identification codes: | M 19 297 |
| Commanders: |
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| Operations: |
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| Victories: | No ships sunk or damaged |
German submarineU-40 was aType IXA[3]U-boat ofNazi Germany'sKriegsmarine that operated duringWorld War II.[1]
U-40 was built inBremen byDeSchiMAGAG Weser as yard number 945. She waslaunched in November 1938 andcommissioned in February 1939.[1]
U-40 conducted two war patrols during her career. Both of which were part of the6th U-boat Flotilla. During her short time in the war, she sank no ships.
U-40 was sunk on 13 October 1939 by a mine in theEnglish Channel.[1]
U-40 was ordered by theKriegsmarine on 29 July 1936 (as part ofPlan Z and in violation of theTreaty of Versailles). Her kneel waslaid down on 1 July 1937.U-40 waslaunched on 9 November 1938 andcommissioned on 11 February 1939 under the command ofKapitänleutnant Werner von Schmidt.[1]
As one of the eight originalType IX submarines, later designated IXA,U-40 had a displacement of 1,032 tonnes (1,016 long tons) when at the surface and 1,153 tonnes (1,135 long tons) while submerged.[4] The U-boat had a total length of 76.50 m (251 ft), apressure hull length of 58.75 m (192 ft 9 in), abeam of 6.51 m (21 ft 4 in), a height of 9.40 m (30 ft 10 in), and adraught of 4.70 m (15 ft 5 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 metric horsepower (740 kW; 990 shp) 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).[4]
The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 18.2 knots (33.7 km/h; 20.9 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 7.7 knots (14.3 km/h; 8.9 mph).[4] When submerged, the boat could operate for 65–78 nautical miles (120–144 km; 75–90 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 10,500 nautical miles (19,400 km; 12,100 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph).U-40 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.[4]
After being commissioned and deployed,U-40 was stationed in the German port city ofWilhelmshaven,[3] which to be her home for the rest of her fairly short service life.[1]
U-40 left Wilhelmshaven on 19 August 1939, before World War II began, for her first patrol. For nearly four weeks she operated off the coast ofGibraltar, before returning home on 18 September that same year.[5]U-40 would once again leave Wilhelmshaven, this time under the command ofKapitänleutnant Wolfgang Barten, on 10 October 1939. During this patrol, she was to conductjoint operations off the coasts of Portugal and Spain.[6]
On 13 October 1939,U-40 was sunk by a Britishmine at50°41′6″N00°15′1″E / 50.68500°N 0.25028°E /50.68500; 0.25028.[7] She was to operate as part of the first pack of U-boats in World War II; however, because she left port late, Barten decided to take a shortcut to the U-boat's designated meeting point, southwest of Ireland. This shortcut was through theEnglish Channel, which was festooned with many British navalmines. Choosing to make the voyage nearly three and a half hours after high tide, the mines were not at their lowest point. The boat struck one of these devices and sank immediately to the sea floor. Nevertheless, nine crew members were able to exit through the aft escape hatch. Using escape equipment, they were able to reach the surface; one of the nine died on his journey. Once there, five more died from exposure to the harsh elements of theEnglish Channel. Nearly ten hours after the sinking, the remaining three men were rescued and takenprisoner byHMS Boreas.[1][6][2]
Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in October 1939 | |
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| Shipwrecks |
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| Other incidents |
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