German submarine U-752

History
Nazi Germany
Name	U-752
Ordered	9 October 1939
Builder	Kriegsmarinewerft Wilhelmshaven
Yard number	135
Laid down	5 January 1940
Launched	29 March 1941
Commissioned	24 May 1941
Fate	Scuttled on 23 May 1943 after air rocket attack in North Atlantic
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;
Height	9.60 m (31 ft 6 in)
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 x 2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 AA gun;
Service record
Part of:	3rd U-boat Flotilla; 24 May 1941 – 23 May 1943;
Identification codes:	M 44 442
Commanders:	Kptlt. / K.Kapt. Karl-Ernst Schroeter; 24 May 1941 – 23 May 1943;
Operations:	9 patrols:; 1st patrol:; a. 23 August – 17 September 1941; b. 19 – 23 September 1941; c. 18 – 22 October 1941; 2nd patrol:; 7 – 18 November 1941; 3rd patrol:; 22 November – 10 December 1941; 4th patrol: ; a. 4 – 5 February 1942; b. 7 – 10 February 1942; c. 12 February – 13 March 1942; 5th patrol:; 28 March – 21 May 1942; 6th patrol:; 2 July – 4 September 1942; 7th patrol: ; a. 19 – 21 October 1942; b. 22 October – 3 December 1942; 8th patrol:; 9 January – 15 February 1943; 9th patrol:; 22 April – 23 May 1943;
Victories:	7 merchant ships sunk ; (32,966 GRT); 2 auxiliary warships sunk ; (1,134 GRT); 1 merchant ship damaged ; (4,799 GRT);

German submarine U-752 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II.

Design

German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-752 had a displacement of 769 tonnes (757 long tons) when at the surface and 871 tonnes (857 long tons) while submerged.^[1] She had a total length of 67.10 m (220 ft 2 in), a pressure hull length of 50.50 m (165 ft 8 in), a beam of 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in), a height of 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in), and a draught of 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in). The submarine was powered by two Germaniawerft F46 four-stroke, six-cylinder supercharged diesel engines producing a total of 2,800 to 3,200 metric horsepower (2,060 to 2,350 kW; 2,760 to 3,160 shp) for use while surfaced, two Garbe, Lahmeyer & Co. RP 137/c double-acting electric motors producing a total of 750 metric horsepower (550 kW; 740 shp) for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 1.23 m (4 ft) propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to 230 metres (750 ft).^[1]

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 17.7 knots (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 7.6 knots (14.1 km/h; 8.7 mph).^[1] When submerged, the boat could operate for 80 nautical miles (150 km; 92 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 8,500 nautical miles (15,700 km; 9,800 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). U-752 was fitted with five 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and one at the stern), fourteen torpedoes, one 8.8 cm (3.46 in) SK C/35 naval gun, 220 rounds, and a 2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.^[1]

Service history

She served with 3rd U-boat Flotilla from 24 May 1941 until 23 May 1943 under the command of Korvettenkapitän Karl-Ernst Schroeter.^[2] U-752 completed nine^[3] wartime patrols and sank nine ships and damaged one.

Fate

Thirty-two days into her ninth patrol, on 23 May 1943, U-752 was attacked by Fairey Swordfish aircraft attached to the British escort carrier HMS Archer in the mid-Atlantic. A Rocket Spear, a new weapon with a solid cast iron head,^[4] entered and left the pressure hull leaving large holes, thus preventing the U-boat from diving. At the arrival of enemy surface craft, the surviving crew of 17 scuttled the boat and abandoned ship.^[5] This was the first success of the Rocket Spear. U-752 sank with 30 men. Heinz Krey was one of them.

Wolfpacks

U-752 took part in ten wolfpacks, namely:

Westwall (2 – 12 March 1942)
Hai (3 – 21 July 1942)
Schlagetot (9 – 21 November 1942)
Habicht (10 – 19 January 1943)
Haudegen (19 January – 9 February 1943)
Amsel 3 (4 – 6 May 1943)
Rhein (7 – 10 May 1943)
Elbe 1 (10 – 14 May 1943)
Oder (17 – 19 May 1943)
Mosel (19 – 23 May 1943)

Summary of raiding history

Date	Ship Name	Nationality	Tonnage (GRT)	Fate^[6]
25 August 1941	T-898 (No 44)	Soviet Navy	553	Sunk
27 August 1941	RT-8 Seld´	Soviet Union	608	Sunk
15 November 1941	T-889 (No 34)	Soviet Navy	581	Sunk
21 April 1942	West Imboden	United States	5,751	Sunk
23 April 1942	Reinholt	Norway	4,799	Damaged
1 May 1942	Bidevind	Norway	4,956	Sunk
23 July 1942	Garmula	United Kingdom	5,254	Sunk
27 July 1942	Leikanger	Norway	4,003	Sunk
9 August 1942	Menanau	Netherlands	6,047	Sunk
13 August 1942	Cripple Creek	United States	6,347	Sunk

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Gröner 1991, pp. 43–46.
^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-752". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net.
^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "War Patrols by German U-boat U-752". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
^ Gerald Pawle, The Wheezers & Dodgers, Seaforth Publishing 2009 ISBN 978-1-84832-026-0
^ Busch & Röll 1999b, p. 100-3.
^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-752". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 9 February 2014.

Bibliography

Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (1999a). German U-boat commanders of World War II : a biographical dictionary. Translated by Brooks, Geoffrey. London, Annapolis, Md: Greenhill Books, Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-186-6.
Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (1999b). Der U-Boot-Krieg, 1939-1945: Deutsche U-Boot-Verluste von September 1939 bis Mai 1945 [German U-boat losses from September 1939 to May 1945] (in German). Vol. IV. Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn: Mittler. ISBN 3-8132-0514-2.
Gröner, Eric; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). German Warships 1815-1945: U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. Vol. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4.