German submarine U-34 (1936)

U-33, a typical Type VIIA boat
History
Nazi Germany
NameU-34
Ordered25 March 1935
BuilderGermaniawerft, Kiel
Cost4,189,000 Reichsmark
Yard number557
Laid down15 September 1935
Launched17 July 1936
Commissioned12 September 1936
FateSunk, 5 August 1943
General characteristics
Class and typeType VIIA submarine
Displacement
Length
  • 64.51 m (211 ft 8 in) o/a
  • 45.50 m (149 ft 3 in) pressure hull
Beam
  • 5.85 m (19 ft 2 in) o/a
  • 4.70 m (15 ft 5 in) pressure hull
Height9.50 m (31 ft 2 in)
Draught4.37 m (14 ft 4 in)
Installed power
  • 2,100–2,310 PS (1,540–1,700 kW; 2,070–2,280 bhp) (diesels)
  • 750 PS (550 kW; 740 shp) (electric)
Propulsion
Speed
  • 17 knots (31 km/h; 20 mph) surfaced
  • 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) submerged
Range
  • 6,200 nmi (11,500 km; 7,100 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced
  • 73–94 nmi (135–174 km; 84–108 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth
  • 220 m (720 ft)
  • Crush depth: 230–250 m (750–820 ft)
Complement4 officers, 40–56 enlisted
Sensors and
processing systems
Gruppenhorchgerät
Armament
Service record[1][2][3]
Part of:
Identification codes: M 15 983
Commanders:
  • Kptlt. Ernst Sobe
  • 12 September 1936 – 14 February 1938
  • Kptlt. Harald Grosse
  • 4 November – 22 December 1936
  • Kptlt. Hans Pauckstadt
  • 15 February – 17 August 1938
  • 5 September – 28 October 1938
  • Kptlt. Wilhelm Rollmann
  • 26 October 1938 – 28 September 1940
  • Oblt.z.S. Fritz Meyer
  • 29 September 1940 – 22 May 1941
  • Oblt.z.S. Karl-Otto Schultz
  • 23 May – 19 November 1941
  • Oblt.z.S. Gerhard Remus
  • 20 November 1941 – 15 June 1942
  • Oblt.z.S. Horst-Arno Fenski
  • 16 June 1942 – 1 February 1943
  • Oblt.z.S. Karl-Heinz Hagenau
  • 2 February – 11 June 1943
  • Lt.z.S. Eduard Aust
  • 12 June – 5 August 1943
Operations:
  • 1 operation + 7 patrols:
  • Operation Ursula: 20 November - 21 December 1936
  • 1st patrol: 19 August – 26 September 1939
  • 2nd patrol: 17 October – 12 November 1939
  • 3rd patrol: 1 January – 6 February 1940
  • 4th patrol: 11 – 30 March 1940
  • 5th patrol: 3 – 30 April 1940
  • 6th patrol: 22 June – 18 July 1940
  • 7th patrol: 23 July – 3 August 1940
Victories:
  • 19 merchant ships sunk
    (91,989 GRT)
  • 3 warships sunk
    (2,695 tons)
  • 1 warship total loss
    (595 tons)
  • 2 merchant ships taken as prize
    (4,957 GRT)

German submarine U-34 was a Type VIIA U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

She was laid down in September 1935, launched in July 1936 and commissioned in September.

U-34 and sister boat U-33 took part in Operation Ursula during the Spanish Civil War, with U-34 becoming the first German submarine to sink another vessel since the end of World War I in 1918. During World War II the boat carried out seven patrols, sinking 22 ships and capturing two more. She was sunk in a collision in the Baltic in August 1943.

  1. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIA boat U-34". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 19 December 2009.
  2. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "War Patrols by German U-boat U-34". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 19 December 2009.
  3. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Operation Ursula" and the sinking of the submarine C-3". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 3 March 2015.