German submarine U-1 (1935)

Prewar picture of U-1
History
Nazi Germany
NameU-1
Ordered2 February 1935[1]
BuilderDeutsche Werke, Kiel[2]
Cost1,500,000 Reichsmark
Yard number236[2]
Laid down11 February 1935[2]
Launched15 June 1935[2]
Commissioned29 June 1935[2]
FateSunk 6 April 1940 north of Terschelling by a British mine[3]
General characteristics
Class and typeType IIA coastal submarine
Displacement
  • 254 t (250 long tons) surfaced
  • 303 t (298 long tons) submerged
  • 381 t (375 long tons) total
Length
Beam
  • 4.08 m (13 ft 5 in) (o/a)
  • 4.00 m (13 ft 1 in) (pressure hull)
Height8.60 m (28 ft 3 in)
Draught3.83 m (12 ft 7 in)
Installed power
  • 700 PS (510 kW; 690 shp) (diesels)
  • 360 PS (260 kW; 360 shp) (electric)
Propulsion
Speed
  • 13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph) surfaced
  • 6.9 knots (12.8 km/h; 7.9 mph) submerged
Range
  • 1,050 nmi (1,940 km; 1,210 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) surfaced
  • 35 nmi (65 km; 40 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth80 m (260 ft)
Complement3 officers, 22 men
Armament
Service record
Part of:
Identification codes: M 27 893
Commanders:
  • Oblt.z.S. / Kptlt. Klaus Ewerth
  • 29 June 1935 – 30 September 1936
  • Kptlt. Alexander Gelhaar
  • 1 October 1936 – 2 February 1938
  • Unknown
  • 3 February – 28 October 1938
  • Kptlt. / K.Kapt. Jürgen Deecke
  • 29 October 1938 – 6 April 1940[4]
Operations:
  • 2 patrols:
  • 1st patrol:
  • 15 – 29 March 1940
  • 2nd patrol:
  • 4 – 6 April 1940
Victories: None

German submarine U-1 was the first U-boat (or submarine) built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine following Adolf Hitler's abrogation of the terms of the Treaty of Versailles in 1935, which banned Germany possessing a submarine force.

A Type IIA U-boat, she was built at the Deutsche Werke shipyards in Kiel, yard number 236, her keel being laid on 11 February 1935 amid celebration. She was commissioned on 29 June 1935 after a very rapid construction, and was manned by crews trained in the Netherlands.

  1. ^ Busch & Röll 1999a, p. 15.
  2. ^ a b c d e Rössler 1979, p. 99.
  3. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type IIA U-boat U-1". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  4. ^ Busch & Röll 1999b, p. 283.