German submarine U-174

German submarine U-174 was a Type IXC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

U-505, a typical Type IXC boat
History
Nazi Germany
Name: U-174
Ordered: 23 December 1939
Builder: DeSchiMAG AG Weser, Bremen
Yard number: 1014
Laid down: 2 January 1941
Launched: 21 August 1941
Commissioned: 26 November 1941
Fate: Sunk, April 1943[1]
General characteristics
Class and type: Type IXC submarine
Displacement:
  • 1,120 t (1,100 long tons) surfaced
  • 1,232 t (1,213 long tons) submerged
Length:
Beam:
  • 6.76 m (22 ft 2 in) o/a
  • 4.40 m (14 ft 5 in) pressure hull
Height: 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in)
Draught: 4.70 m (15 ft 5 in)
Installed power:
  • 4,400 PS (3,200 kW; 4,300 bhp) (diesels)
  • 1,000 PS (740 kW; 990 shp) (electric)
Propulsion:
Range:
  • 13,450 nmi (24,910 km; 15,480 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced
  • 64 nmi (119 km; 74 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth: 230 m (750 ft)
Complement: 4 officers, 44 enlisted48 to 56
Armament:
Service record
Part of:
Commanders:
  • F.Kapt. Ulrich Thilo
    • 26 November 1941 – 8 March 1943
  • Oblt.z.S. Wolfgang Grandefeld
    • 9 March – 27 April 1943
Operations: Three
Victories: Five ships sunk, of (30,813 GRT)

She was laid down at the DeSchiMAG AG Weser yard in Bremen as yard number 1014 on 2 January 1941, launched on 21 August and commissioned on 26 November with Fregattenkapitän Ulrich Thilo in command.

U-174 began her service career with training as part of the 4th U-boat Flotilla. She was reassigned to the 10th flotilla for operations on 1 August 1942.

She was sunk by an American Lockheed Ventura in April 1943.

Design

German Type IXC submarines were slightly larger than the original Type IXBs. U-174 had a displacement of 1,120 tonnes (1,100 long tons) when at the surface and 1,232 tonnes (1,213 long tons) while submerged.[2] The U-boat had a total length of 76.76 m (251 ft 10 in), a pressure hull length of 58.75 m (192 ft 9 in), a beam of 6.76 m (22 ft 2 in), a height of 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in), and a draught of 4.70 m (15 ft 5 in). The submarine was powered by two MAN M 9 V 40/46 supercharged four-stroke, nine-cylinder diesel engines producing a total of 4,400 metric horsepower (3,240 kW; 4,340 shp) for use while surfaced, two Siemens-Schuckert 2 GU 345/34 double-acting electric motors producing a total of 1,000 metric horsepower (740 kW; 990 shp) for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 1.92 m (6 ft) propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to 230 metres (750 ft).[2]

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 18.3 knots (33.9 km/h; 21.1 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 7.3 knots (13.5 km/h; 8.4 mph).[2] When submerged, the boat could operate for 63 nautical miles (117 km; 72 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 13,450 nautical miles (24,910 km; 15,480 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). U-174 was fitted with six 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and two at the stern), 22 torpedoes, one 10.5 cm (4.13 in) SK C/32 naval gun, 180 rounds, and a 3.7 cm (1.5 in) SK C/30 as well as a 2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of forty-eight.[2]

Service history

1st patrol

The boat departed Kiel on 30 July 1942, moved through the North Sea and negotiated the 'gap' between Iceland and the Faroe Islands. She encountered, in mid-Atlantic Ocean, the corvette HNoMS Potentilla. The Norwegian ship attacked; at one point, she was so close that a depth charge projected towards the U-boat, fell on the far side of the German vessel. The submarine escaped; nevertheless, the damage inflicted was sufficient to cause U-174 to leave a tell-tale trail of oil, thus obliging Thilo to abort the patrol. She entered Lorient, on the French Atlantic coast, on 6 September.

2nd patrol

For her second sortie, she sailed to the waters off Brazil. There she sank four ships between 31 October and 2 November 1942. She sank a fifth vessel on 15 December but was twice unsuccessfully attacked by American Catalina aircraft on the same day. She returned to Lorient on 9 January 1943.

3rd patrol and loss

U-174 had departed her French base on 18 March 1943, bound for the eastern seaboard of North America. On 27 April, she was attacked and sunk by an American Lockheed Ventura aircraft of VB-125 southwest of Newfoundland. Fifty-three men died; there were no survivors.[1][3]

Wolfpacks

U-174 took part in one wolfpack, namely.

  • Lohs (11–26 August 1942)

Summary of raiding history
Date Name Nationality Tonnage
(GRT)		 Fate[4]
31 October 1942 Marlyn  United Kingdom 4,555 Sunk
1 November 1942 Elmdale  United Kingdom 4,872 Sunk
2 November 1942 Zaandam  Netherlands 10,909 Sunk
2 November 1942 Besholt  Norway 4,977 Sunk
15 December 1942 Alcoa Rambler  United States 5,500 Sunk

The U-174 is said to have been the submarine on which Xavier March served during World War II in Robert Harris's 1992 alternative history novel Fatherland.

See also

References
  1. Kemp 1999, p. 111.
  2. Gröner 1991, p. 68.
  3. Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type IXC boat U-174". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
  4. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-174". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 3 October 2014.

Bibliography
  • Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (1999). 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 (1999). Deutsche U-Boot-Verluste von September 1939 bis Mai 1945 [German U-boat losses from September 1939 to May 1945]. Der U-Boot-Krieg (in German). IV. Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn: Mittler. ISBN 3-8132-0514-2.
  • Gröner, Erich; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. German Warships 1815–1945. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4.
  • Kemp, Paul (1999). U-Boats Destroyed - German Submarine Losses in the World Wars. London: Arms & Armour. ISBN 1-85409-515-3.
  • Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-174". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
  • Hofmann, Markus. "U 174". Deutsche U-Boote 1935-1945 - u-boot-archiv.de (in German). Retrieved 30 January 2015.

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