German submarine U-652

History
Nazi Germany
NameU-652
Ordered9 October 1939
BuilderHowaldtswerke, Hamburg
Yard number801
Laid down5 February 1940
Launched7 February 1941
Commissioned3 April 1941
FateScuttled on 2 June 1942
General characteristics
Class and typeType VIIC submarine
Displacement
Length
Beam
  • 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in) o/a
  • 4.70 m (15 ft 5 in) pressure hull
Height9.60 m (31 ft 6 in)
Draught4.74 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
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)
Complement4 officers, 40–56 enlisted
Armament
Service record[1][2]
Part of:
Identification codes: M 42 644
Commanders:
  • Oblt.z.S. Georg-Werner Fraatz
  • 3 April 1941 – 2 June 1942
Operations:
  • 9 patrols:
  • 1st patrol:
  • a. 23 July – 7 August 1941
  • b. 9 – 13 August 1941
  • 2nd patrol:
  • 23 August – 18 September 1941
  • 3rd patrol:
  • 1 November – 12 December 1941
  • 4th patrol:
  • 14 December 1941 – 1 January 1942
  • 5th patrol:
  • 5 – 16 February 1942
  • 6th patrol:
  • 21 February – 1 March 1942
  • 7th patrol:
  • 12 – 14 March 1942
  • 8th patrol:
  • 18 – 31 March 1942
  • 9th patrol:
  • 25 May – 2 June 1942
Victories:
  • 3 merchant ships sunk
    (10,775 GRT)
  • 2 warships sunk
    (2,740 tons)
  • 1 auxiliary warship sunk
    (558 GRT)
  • 2 merchant ships damaged
    (9,918 GRT)
  • 1 auxiliary warship damaged
    (10,917 GRT)

German submarine U-652 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 5 February 1940 at the Howaldtswerke yard at Hamburg, launched on 7 February 1941, and commissioned on 3 April 1941 under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Georg-Werner Fraatz.

Attached to 3rd U-boat Flotilla based at Kiel, U-652 completed her training period on 30 June 1941 and was assigned to front-line service. In September 1941 she was involved in the "Greer Incident", attacking and being counter-attacked by the supposedly neutral American destroyer Greer (DD-145), an incident that brought the United States closer to war with Germany. As a direct result of the Greer incident the US President Franklin D. Roosevelt gave a speech on 11 September 1941 in which he confirmed that all US ships had been ordered to shoot on sight at all Axis ships and submarines in the Battle of the Atlantic.[3] U-652 was transferred to 29th U-boat Flotilla based at La Spezia, Italy on 1 January 1942. She was scuttled on 2 June 1942.

  1. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-652". German U-boats of WWII – uboat.net. Retrieved 16 February 2010.
  2. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "War Patrols by German U-boat U-652". German U-boats of WWII – uboat.net. Retrieved 16 February 2010.
  3. ^ "TWE Remembers: FDR's "Shoot-on-Sight" Fireside Chat". Council on Foreign Relations.