| History | |
|---|---|
 Nazi Germany | |
| Name | U-241 |
| Ordered | 10 April 1941 |
| Builder | Germaniawerft,Kiel |
| Yard number | 675 |
| Laid down | 4 September 1942 |
| Launched | 25 June 1943 |
| Commissioned | 24 July 1943 |
| Fate | Sunk 18 May 1944 north-east of the Faeroes, by a British aircraft. 51 died (all hands lost). |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Type VIICsubmarine |
| Displacement | |
| Length |
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| Beam |
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| Height | 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in) |
| Draught | 4.72 m (15 ft 6 in) |
| Installed power |
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| Propulsion |
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| Speed |
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| Range | |
| Test depth |
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| Complement | 44–52 officers and ratings |
| Armament |
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| Service record[1][2] | |
| Part of: |
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| Identification codes: | M 11 631 |
| Commanders: |
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| Operations: |
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| Victories: | None |
TheGerman submarineU-241 was aType VIICU-boat ofNazi Germany'sKriegsmarine duringWorld War II. Four days into her first patrol, she shot down an attackingflying boat but was sunk with all hands the next day.
German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorterType VIIB submarines.U-241 had a displacement of 769 tonnes (757 long tons) when at the surface and 871 tonnes (857 long tons) while submerged.[3] 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).[3]
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).[3] 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-241 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.[3]
An order was placed forU-241 on 10 April 1941 and construction began on 4 September 1942 atGermaniawerft,Kiel, as yard number 675. She waslaunched the following year on 25 June 1943 andcommissioned under the command ofOberleutnant zur See Arno Werr a month later on 24 July.[1]
U-241 began training with the5th U-boat Flotilla on 24 July 1943, the day that the U-boat wascommissioned .U-241 remained with the 5th U-boat Flotilla until 31 March 1944, when her training was complete.[1]
U-241 began the first and only patrol of her career on 1 April 1944.[1] She was assigned as a front (operational) boat to the3rd U-boat Flotilla and left her original home port ofKiel on 23 April of that year. She arrived inKristiansand inoccupied Norway the next day, on 24 April. On 30 April,U-241 left Kristiansand for her new homeport of Bergen, which she arrived at on 4 May 1944. On 13 May,U-241 left Norway for theNorth Sea.[2]
On 17 May, just four days after leaving port, the boat came under attack from a NorwegianCatalina flying boat fromNo. 333 Squadron RAF. The incident occurred at 22:21 about 125 miles west ofÅlesund, Norway. Anti-aircraft fire from the submarine hit the aircraft during its attack run and caused the Catalina's depth charges to miss their intended target. One of the AA gunners also managed to shoot a large hole in the hull of the aircraft. Although the plane was able to return to Britain the pilot was forced to make an emergency landing in theRiver Tay in Scotland before he could reach his base atWoodhaven, Fife. During the landing the plane suffered damage beyond all possible repair and the pilot was forced to beach it.
AlthoughU-241 defended herself on that occasion, she was attacked with depth charges by another Catalina, this time from210 Squadron, the following day. This resulted in the sinking of the submarine with the loss of all 51 crew members.[1][4]
According to a bookSteuermann durch Krieg und Frieden ('Helmsman through War and Peace') by Hans Schmid, the author and two other men survived the sinking, were rescued and taken prisoner. All sources for 'uboat.net' state that there were no survivors.[1]