History | |
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Name | U-357 |
Ordered | 26 October 1939 |
Builder | Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft,Flensburg |
Yard number | 476 |
Laid down | 19 May 1940 |
Launched | 31 March 1942 |
Commissioned | 18 June 1942 |
Fate | Sunk by British warships on 26 December 1942, northwest of Ireland[1] |
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 | 4.74 m (15 ft 7 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 | 4 officers, 40–56 enlisted |
Armament |
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Service record[2] | |
Part of: |
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Identification codes: | M 06 392 |
Commanders: |
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Operations: |
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Victories: | None |
German submarineU-357 was aType VIICU-boat ofNazi Germany'sKriegsmarine duringWorld War II and was sunk by British warships northwest of Ireland on 26 December 1942 on her first operational patrol.
German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorterType VIIB submarines.U-357 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 460/8-276double-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-357 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.[3]
The submarine waslaid down on 19 May 1940 at theFlensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft yard atFlensburg as yard number 476,launched on 31 March 1942 andcommissioned on 18 June under the command ofKapitänleutnant Adolf Kellner.
She served with the8th U-boat Flotilla from 18 June 1942 and the6th flotilla from 1 December.
U-357 was sunk bydepth charges dropped from the British destroyersHMS Hesperus andVanessa on 26 December 1942 northwest of Ireland.[1][4]
36 men died; six survived.[2]