U-995 Type VIIC/41 at theLaboe Naval Memorial | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | U-995 |
| Ordered | 14 October 1941 |
| Builder | Blohm & Voss,Hamburg |
| Yard number | 195 |
| Laid down | 25 November 1942 |
| Launched | 22 July 1943 |
| Commissioned | 16 September 1943 |
| Fate | Surrendered on 9 May 1945 |
| Name | Kaura |
| Acquired | October 1948 |
| Commissioned | 1 December 1952 |
| Decommissioned | 1965 |
| Status | Museum ship atLaboe Naval Memorial since October 1971 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Type VIIC/41submarine |
| Displacement | |
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| Beam |
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| Draught | 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in) |
| Installed power |
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| Propulsion |
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| Complement | 4 officers, 40–56 enlisted |
| Armament |
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| Service record (Kriegsmarine) | |
| Part of: |
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| Identification codes: | M 55 055 |
| Commanders: |
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German submarineU-995 is aType VIIC/41U-boat ofGermany'sKriegsmarine. She waslaid down on 25 November 1942 byBlohm & Voss inHamburg, Germany, andcommissioned on 16 September 1943 withOberleutnant zur See Walter Köhntopp in command. She is preserved atLaboe Naval Memorial near Kiel, Germany.
German Type VIIC/41 submarines were preceded by the heavierType VIIC submarines.U-995 had a displacement of 759 tonnes (747 long tons) when at the surface and 860 tonnes (850 long tons) while submerged.[1] 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, twoBrown, Boveri & Cie GG UB 720/8double-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).[1]
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).[1] 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-995 was fitted with five 53.3 cm (21 in)torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and one at the stern), fourteentorpedoes, and three anti-aircraft guns. The boat had acomplement of between forty-four and sixty.[1]
U-995 was mounted with a single3.7 cm Flak M42 gun on the LM 42U mount. The LM 42U mount was the most common mount used with the 3.7 cm Flak M42U. The 3.7 cm Flak M42U was the marine version of the 3.7 cm Flak and was also used by theKriegsmarine on otherType VII andType IX U-boats.
Additionally, the boat was armed with a pair of twinFlak 38 20mm "Flakzwilling" mounts immediately adjacent to the 37mm gun mount.
U-995 was fitted with a Royal Norwegian Navy designBalkongerät sometime during the 1960s and then removed sometime between 4 November 1971 and 13 March 1972.[2]
The boat's career began with training at5th Flotilla on 16 September 1943, followed by active service on 1 June 1944 as part of the13th Flotilla. She later transferred to14th Flotilla on 1 March 1945.
U-995 took part in fivewolfpacks, namely:
At the end of the war, on 8 May 1945,U-995 was stricken atTrondheim, Norway. She was surrendered to the British on 9 December[4] and then transferred to Norwegian ownership in October 1948. On 1 December 1952U-995 became the Norwegian submarineKaura (Norwegian K class) and in 1965 she was stricken from service by theRoyal Norwegian Navy. She then was offered to the West German government for the ceremonial price of oneDeutsche Mark. The offer was refused; however, the boat was saved by the German Navy League, DMB.U-995 became amuseum ship atLaboe Naval Memorial in October 1971.
| Date | Ship Name | Nationality | Tonnage[Note 1] | Fate[5] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 December 1944 | Proletarij | 1,123 | Sunk | |
| 21 December 1944 | Reshitel'nyj | 20 | Sunk | |
| 26 December 1944 | RT-52 Som | 417 | Sunk | |
| 29 December 1944 | T-883 (No 37) | 633 | Sunk | |
| 2 March 1945 | BO-224 | 105 | Sunk | |
| 20 March 1945 | Horace Bushnell | 7,176 | Total loss |
54°24′45″N10°13′44″E / 54.41250°N 10.22889°E /54.41250; 10.22889