History | |
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Name | U-648 |
Ordered | 10 April 1941 |
Builder | Blohm & Voss,Hamburg |
Yard number | 624 |
Laid down | 24 December 1941 |
Launched | 16 September 1942 |
Commissioned | 12 November 1942 |
Fate | Missing since 22 November 1943 |
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 |
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Test depth |
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Complement | 4 officers, 40–56 enlisted |
Armament |
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Service record | |
Part of: |
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Identification codes: | M 50 698 |
Commanders: |
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Operations: |
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Victories: | None |
German submarineU-648 was aType VIICU-boat ofNazi Germany'sKriegsmarine duringWorld War II. The submarine waslaid down on 24 December 1941 at theBlohm & Voss yard atHamburg,launched on 16 September 1942, andcommissioned on 12 November 1942 under the command ofLeutnant zur See d.R. Peter-Arthur Stahl.
Attached to5th U-boat Flotilla based atKiel,U-648 completed her training period on 30 April 1943 and was assigned to front-line service.
German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorterType VIIB submarines.U-648 had a displacement of 769 tonnes (757 long tons) when at the surface and 871 tonnes (857 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-648 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 one twin2 cm (0.79 in) C/30anti-aircraft gun. The boat had acomplement of between forty-four and sixty.[1]
U-648 was last heard from on 22 November 1943 during her third war patrol and has been missing ever since.[2]
U-648 was originally thought to have been sunk on November 23, 1943, at position42°24′N20°44′W / 42.40°N 20.73°W /42.40; -20.73 byHMS Bazely,HMS Blackwood andHMS Drury. These attacks were actually againstU-424,U-714 andU-843, inflicting no damage.