German submarine U-511

U-511 as Ro-500 in 1943
History
Nazi Germany
NameU-511
Ordered20 October 1939
BuilderDeutsche Werft, Hamburg
Yard number307
Laid down21 February 1941
Launched22 September 1941
Commissioned8 December 1941
FateSold to Japan on 16 September 1943
Empire of Japan
NameRo-500
Acquired16 September 1943
Fate
  • Surrendered in August 1945
  • Scuttled on 30 April 1946
General characteristics
Class and typeType IXC submarine
Displacement
  • 1,120 t (1,100 long tons) surfaced
  • 1,232 t (1,213 long tons) submerged
Length
Beam
  • 6.76 m (22 ft 2 in) o/a
  • 4.40 m (14 ft 5 in) pressure hull
Height9.60 m (31 ft 6 in)
Draught4.70 m (15 ft 5 in)
Installed power
  • 4,400 PS (3,200 kW; 4,300 bhp) (diesels)
  • 1,000 PS (740 kW; 990 shp) (electric)
Propulsion
Speed
  • 18.3 knots (33.9 km/h; 21.1 mph) surfaced
  • 7.7 knots (14.3 km/h; 8.9 mph) submerged
Range
  • 13,450 nmi (24,910 km; 15,480 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced
  • 64 nmi (119 km; 74 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth230 m (750 ft)
Complement4 officers, 44 enlisted
Armament
Service record (Kriegsmarine)[1][2]
Part of:
Identification codes: M 42 792
Commanders:
  • Kptlt. Friedrich Steinhoff
  • 8 December 1941 – 17 December 1942
  • Kptlt. Fritz Schneewind
  • 18 December 1942 – 20 November 1943
Operations:
  • 4 patrols:
  • 1st patrol:
  • 16 July – 29 September 1942
  • 2nd patrol:
  • 24 October – 28 November 1942
  • 3rd patrol:
  • 31 December 1942 – 8 March 1943
  • 4th patrol:
  • 10 May – 7 August 1943
Victories:
  • 5 merchant ships sunk
    (41,373 GRT)
  • 1 merchant ship damaged
    (8,773 GRT)
Service record (IJN)[3]
Part of:
Commanders:
  • Kaigun-shōsa Kiyoshi Taoka
  • 16 September – 3 December 1943
  • Kaigun-tai-i Sadao Uesugi
  • 3 December 1943 – 31 January 1944
  • Kaigun-tai-i Toshio Yamazaki
  • 31 January – 30 April 1944
  • Kaigun-tai-i Mitsuo Shiizuka
  • 30 April – 5 July 1944
  • Kaigun-tai-i Norio Yamamoto
  • 5 July – 15 September 1944
  • Kaigun-tai-i Yasuhisa Yamamoto
  • 15 September 1944 – August 1945
Operations: None
Victories: None

German submarine U-511 was a Type IXC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 21 February 1941 at the Deutsche Werft yard in Hamburg as yard number 307, launched on 22 September 1941 and commissioned on 8 December 1941 under the command of Kapitänleutnant Friedrich Steinhoff.[1]

After training with the 4th U-boat Flotilla, from May 1942, U-511 was used for testing the possibility of launching Wurfkörper 42 30 cm (12 in) artillery rockets from U-boats. In cooperation with the commanding officer's brother Ernst Steinhoff of the Peenemünde Army Research Center, a rack of six rockets were mounted on deck, and were successfully launched while on the surface and while submerged up to a depth of 12 metres (39 ft). However, the rockets were not particularly accurate and the racks on the deck had a negative effect on the U-boat's underwater handling and performance, so the project was abandoned.[1]

The U-boat was attached to the 10th U-boat Flotilla for front-line service on 1 August 1942. In that role she carried out four war patrols, two commanded by Kptlt. Steinhoff, and two by Kptlt. Fritz Schneewind, sinking five ships totalling 41,373 gross register tons (GRT) and damaging one of 8,773 GRT.[1]

The U-boat was transferred to Japan on 16 September 1943 and served in the Imperial Japanese Navy as submarine Ro-500 (呂500), spending its career as a training ship in Japanese home waters, until August 1945 when she surrendered to the Allies.[1][4]

  1. ^ a b c d e Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type IXC boat U-511". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 1 February 2010.
  2. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "War Patrols by German U-boat U-511". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 1 February 2010.
  3. ^ "Ro-500". IJN Submarine Service – Ijnsubsite.info. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference ro500 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).