German submarine U-638

History
Nazi Germany
Name	U-638
Ordered	20 January 1941
Builder	Blohm & Voss, Hamburg
Yard number	614
Laid down	16 October 1941
Launched	8 July 1942
Commissioned	3 September 1942
Fate	Sunk on 5 May 1943 in the North Atlantic in position 54°12′N 44°05′W / 54.200°N 44.083°W / 54.200; -44.083, by depth charges from HMS Sunflower.
General characteristics
Class and type	Type VIIC submarine
Displacement	769 tonnes (757 long tons) surfaced 871 t (857 long tons) submerged
Length	67.10 m (220 ft 2 in) o/a 50.50 m (165 ft 8 in) pressure hull
Beam	6.20 m (20 ft 4 in) o/a 4.70 m (15 ft 5 in) pressure hull
Draught	4.74 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	2 shafts 2 × diesel engines 2 × electric motors
Speed	17.7 knots (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph) surfaced 7.6 knots (14.1 km/h; 8.7 mph) submerged
Range	8,500 nmi (15,700 km; 9,800 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced 80 nmi (150 km; 92 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth	230 m (750 ft) Crush depth: 250–295 m (820–968 ft)
Complement	4 officers, 40–56 enlisted
Armament	5 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four bow, one stern) 14 × torpedoes or 26 TMA mines 1 × 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun (220 rounds) 1 × twin 2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft gun
Service record[1]
Part of:	5th U-boat Flotilla 3 September 1942 – 31 January 1943 9th U-boat Flotilla 1 February – 5 May 1943
Identification codes:	M 51 249
Commanders:	Oblt.z.S. Oskar Staudinger 3 September – 8 December 1942 Kptlt. Hinrich-Oscar Bernbeck 9 December 1942 – 31 March 1943 Kptlt. Oskar Staudinger 1 April – 5 May 1943
Operations:	2 patrols: 1st patrol: 4 February – 31 March 1943 2nd patrol: 20 April – 5 May 1943
Victories:	1 merchant ship sunk (5,507 GRT) 1 merchant ship damaged (6,537 GRT)

German submarine U-638 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II. She was laid down on 16 October 1941 by Blohm & Voss, Hamburg as yard number 614, launched on 8 July 1942 and commissioned on 3 September 1942 under Kapitänleutnant Oskar Staudinger.