German submarine U-101 (1940)

U-52, a typical Type VIIB boat
History
Nazi Germany
NameU-101
Ordered15 December 1937
BuilderGermaniawerft, Kiel
Yard number595
Laid down31 March 1939
Launched13 January 1940
Commissioned11 March 1940
Decommissioned22 October 1943
FateScuttled on 3 May 1945; wreck later scrapped
Badge
General characteristics
Class and typeType VIIB U-boat
Displacement
  • 753 t (741 long tons) surfaced
  • 857 t (843 long tons) submerged
Length
  • 66.50 m (218 ftin) o/a
  • 48.80 m (160 ft 1 in) pressure hull
Beam
  • 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in) o/a
  • 4.70 m (15 ft 5 in) pressure hull
Draught4.74 m (15 ft 7 in)
Installed power
  • 2,800–3,200 PS (2,100–2,400 kW; 2,800–3,200 bhp) (diesels)
  • 750 PS (550 kW; 740 shp) (electric)
Propulsion
Speed
  • 17.9 knots (33.2 km/h; 20.6 mph) surfaced
  • 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph)
Range
  • 8,700 nmi (16,100 km; 10,000 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced
  • 90 nmi (170 km; 100 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth
  • 230 m (750 ft)
  • Calculated crush depth: 250–295 m (820–968 ft)
Boats & landing
craft carried
1 inflatable rubber boat
Complement4 officers, 40–56 enlisted
Sensors and
processing systems
Gruppenhorchgerät
Armament
Service record
Part of:
Identification codes: M 15 344
Commanders:
  • Kptlt. Fritz Frauenheim
  • 11 March – 18 November 1940
  • Kptlt. Ernst Mengersen
  • 18 November 1940 – 31 December 1941
  • Oblt.z.S. Karl-Heinz Marbach
  • 1 January – 3 February 1942
  • Oblt.z.S. Friedrich Bothe
  • 4 February – 31 March 1942
  • Oblt.z.S. Ernst von Witzendorff
  • May – 25 October 1942
  • Oblt.z.S. Helmut Münster
  • 15 September 1942 – 22 October 1943
Operations:
  • 10 patrols:
  • 1st patrol:
  • a. 29 April – 3 May 1940
  • b. 5 – 10 May 1940
  • 2nd patrol:
  • 21 May – 25 June 1940
  • 3rd patrol:
  • 9 August – 16 September 1940
  • 4th patrol:
  • 5 – 24 October 1940
  • 5th patrol:
  • 24 November – 7 December 1940
  • 6th patrol:
  • 23 January – 19 February 1941
  • 7th patrol:
  • 24 March – 2 May 1941
  • 8th patrol:
  • 28 May – 4 July 1941
  • 9th patrol:
  • a. 7 August – 4 September 1941
  • b. 4 – 6 October 1941
  • 10th patrol:
  • 11 October – 16 November 1941
Victories:
  • 22 merchant ships sunk
    (111,673 GRT)
  • 1 warship sunk
    (1,190 tons)
  • 2 merchant ships damaged
    (9,113 GRT)

German submarine U-101 was a Type VIIB U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. She had a highly successful career.