German submarine U-118 (1941)

For other ships with the same name, see German submarine U-118.

U-118 under attack by aircraft from USS Bogue
History
Nazi Germany
NameU-118
Ordered31 January 1939
BuilderGermaniawerft, Kiel
Yard number617
Laid down1 March 1940
Launched
  • 3 May 1941[1]
  • 23 September 1941[2]
Commissioned
  • 23 September 1941[3]
  • 6 December 1941[2]
FateSunk on 12 June 1943[3] by US aircraft
General characteristics [4]
Class and typeType X submarine minelayer
Displacement
  • 1,763 tonnes (1,735 long tons) surfaced
  • 2,177 tonnes (2,143 long tons) submerged
Length
Beam
  • 9.20 m (30 ft 2 in) o/a
  • 4.75 m (15 ft 7 in) pressure hull
Height10.20 m (33 ft 6 in)
Draught4.71 m (15 ft 5 in)
Propulsion
Speed
  • 16.4–17 knots (30.4–31.5 km/h; 18.9–19.6 mph) surfaced
  • 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph) submerged
Range
  • 18,450 nautical miles (34,170 km; 21,230 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced
  • 93 nmi (172 km; 107 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depthCalculated crush depth: 220 m (720 ft)
Complement5 officers, 47 enlisted
Armament
Service record[2] [5]
Part of:
Identification codes: M 41 181
Commanders:
  • K.Kapt. Werner Czygan
  • 6 December 1941 – 12 June 1943
Operations:
  • 4 patrols:
  • 1st patrol:
  • 19 September - 16 October 1942
  • 2nd patrol:
  • a. 12 November - 13 December 1942
  • b. 7–8 January 1943
  • 3rd patrol:
  • 25 January - 26 February 1943
  • 4th patrol:
  • 25 May - 12 June 1943
Victories:
  • 3 merchant ships sunk
    (14,064 GRT)
  • 1 warship sunk
    (925 tons)
  • 2 merchant ships damaged
    (11,945 GRT)

German submarine U-118 was a Type XB minelaying U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

She was ordered on 31 January 1939 and laid down on 1 March 1940 at the Friedrich Krupp Germaniawerft in Kiel, as yard number 617. She was launched on 23 September 1941 and commissioned on 6 December under the command of Korvettenkapitän Werner Czygan.

After a period of training as part of the 4th U-boat Flotilla, U-118 was assigned to the front-line as part of the 10th U-boat Flotilla on 1 October 1942. She was reassigned to the 12th flotilla a month later on 1 November. She was a member of three wolfpacks.

  1. ^ Kemp 1999, pp. 124–125.
  2. ^ a b c Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type XB boat U-118". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  3. ^ a b Kemp, pp. 124-125.
  4. ^ Gröner 1985, p. 116.
  5. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "War Patrols by German U-boat U-118". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 28 December 2012.