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German submarine U-216

{{Short description|German World War II submarine}}

{{Redirect|U-216|the isotope of uranium (U-216 or 216U)|Uranium-216}}

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{{Infobox ship career

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|Ship country=Nazi Germany

|Ship flag={{shipboxflag|Nazi Germany|naval}}

|Ship name=U-216

|Ship ordered=16 February 1940

|Ship builder=Germaniawerft, Kiel

|Ship yard number=648

|Ship laid down =1 January 1941

|Ship launched=23 October 1941

|Ship commissioned=15 December 1941

|Ship homeport=

|Ship motto=

|Ship nickname=

|Ship fate=Sunk, 20 October 1942,{{sfn|Kemp|1999|p=93}} by a British aircraft

|Ship notes=

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{{Infobox ship characteristics

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|Header caption=

|Ship class=Type VIID submarine

|Ship displacement=

  • {{convert|965|t|LT|lk=on}} surfaced
  • {{convert|1080|t|LT|abbr=on}} submerged

|Ship length=

  • {{convert|76.90|m|ftin|abbr=on}} o/a
  • {{convert|59.80|m|ftin|abbr=on}} pressure hull

|Ship beam=

  • {{convert|6.38|m|ftin|abbr=on}} o/a
  • {{convert|4.70|m|ftin|abbr=on}} pressure hull

|Ship height={{convert|9.70|m|ftin|abbr=on}}

|Ship draught={{convert|5.01|m|ftin|abbr=on}}

|Ship power=

  • {{convert|2800|–|3200|PS|kW bhp|abbr=on}} (diesels)
  • {{convert|750|PS|kW shp|abbr=on}} (electric)

|Ship propulsion=

|Ship speed=

  • {{convert|16
16.7|kn|lk=in}} surfaced
  • {{convert|7.9|kn}} submerged

    • |Ship range=

    • {{convert|11,200|nmi|abbr=on|lk=on}} at {{convert|10|kn}} surfaced
    • {{convert|69|nmi|abbr=on}} at {{convert|4|kn}} submerged

    |Ship test depth=

    • {{convert|200|m|ft|abbr=on}}
    • Crush depth: {{convert|220|–|240|m|ft|abbr=on}}

    |Ship crew=4 officers, 40 enlisted

    |Ship armament=

    |Ship notes=

    }}

    {{infobox service record

    |is_ship=yes

    |label=Service record{{cite web

    |url=http://uboat.net/boats/u216.html

    |title=The Type VIID boat U-216

    |last=Helgason

    |first=Guðmundur

    |website=German U-boats of WWII – uboat.net

    |access-date=2010-07-13

    }}{{cite web

    |url=http://uboat.net/boats/patrols/u216.html

    |title=War Patrols by German U-boat U-216

    |last=Helgason

    |first=Guðmundur

    |website=German U-boats of WWII – uboat.net

    |access-date=2010-07-13

    }}

    |partof=

    |codes=M 47 679

    |commanders=

    • Oblt.z.S. Karl-Otto Schultz
    • 15 December 1941 – 20 October 1942

    |operations=*1 patrol:

    • 29 August – 20 October 1942

    |victories=*1 merchant ship sunk
    ({{GRT|4,989}})

    |awards=

    }}

    German submarine U-216 was a Type VIID mine-laying U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. Her keel was laid down 1 January 1941 by Germaniawerft in Kiel as yard number 648. She was launched on 23 October 1941 and commissioned on 15 December 1941 with Oberleutnant zur See Karl-Otto Schultz in command.

    Design

    As one of the six German Type VIID submarines, U-216 had a displacement of {{convert|965|t|LT}} when at the surface and {{convert|1080|t|LT}} while submerged.{{sfn|Gröner|1991|pp=66–67}} She had a total length of {{convert|76.90|m|ftin|abbr=on}}, a pressure hull length of {{convert|59.80|m|ftin|abbr=on}}, a beam of {{convert|6.38|m|ftin|abbr=on}}, a height of {{convert|9.70|m|ftin|abbr=on}}, and a draught of {{convert|5.01|m|ftin|abbr=on}}. The submarine was powered by two Germaniawerft F46 supercharged four-stroke, six-cylinder diesel engines producing a total of {{convert|2800 to 3200|PS|kW shp|-1}} for use while surfaced, two AEG GU 460/8-276 double-acting electric motors producing a total of {{convert|750|shp|PS kW}} for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two {{convert|1.23|m|ft|abbr=on|0}} propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to {{convert|230|m}}.{{sfn|Gröner|1991|pp=66–67}}

    The submarine had a maximum surface speed of {{convert|16|-|16.7|kn}} and a maximum submerged speed of {{convert|7.3|kn}}.{{sfn|Gröner|1991|pp=66–67}} When submerged, the boat could operate for {{convert|69|nmi}} at {{convert|4|kn}}; when surfaced, she could travel {{convert|11200|nmi}} at {{convert|10|kn}}. U-216 was fitted with five {{convert|53.3|cm|in|0|abbr=on}} torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and one at the stern), twelve torpedoes, one 8.8 cm SK C/35 naval gun, 220 rounds, and an anti-aircraft gun, in addition to five mine tubes with fifteen SMA mines. The boat had a complement of between forty-four.{{sfn|Gröner|1991|pp=66–67}}

    Service history

    U-216 conducted only one patrol, sailing from Kiel on 29 August 1942. On 25 September, U-216 fired four torpedoes at the British Coast Lines Limited ship, Boston. After three hits, the survivors from the ship were picked up by {{HMS|Veteran|D72|6}} which was sunk the next day by {{GS|U-404||2}}. On 20 October 1942, the U-boat was depth charged by a British Liberator aircraft and sunk south-west of Ireland in position {{coord|48|21|N|19|25|W}} with all hands lost.{{sfn|Kemp|1999|p=93}}

    =Wolfpacks=

    U-216 took part in six wolfpacks, namely:

    • Lohs (13 – 15 September 1942)
    • Pfeil (15 – 22 September 1942)
    • Blitz (22 – 26 September 1942)
    • Luchs (27 – 29 September 1942)
    • Letzte Ritter (29 September - 1 October 1942)
    • Wotan (5 – 17 October 1942)

    Summary of raiding history

    class="wikitable sortable"
    width="140px"|Date

    ! width="80px" |Ship Name

    ! width="150px"|Nationality

    ! width="25px" |Tonnage (GRT)

    ! width="30px" |Fate{{cite web

    |url=http://uboat.net/boats/successes/u216.html

    |title=Ships hit by U-216

    |last=Helgason

    |first=Guðmundur

    |website=German U-boats of WWII – uboat.net

    |access-date=29 December 2014

    }}

    align="right"|25 September 1942

    |align="left" |Boston

    |align="left" |{{flag|United Kingdom|civil}}

    |align="right"|4,989

    |align="left" |Sunk

    References

    {{Reflist}}

    Bibliography

    {{Refbegin}}

    • {{cite book | last1 = Busch | first1 = Rainer | last2 = Röll | first2 = Hans-Joachim | translator-last = Brooks | translator-first = Geoffrey | title = German U-boat commanders of World War II : a biographical dictionary | publisher = Greenhill Books, Naval Institute Press | location = London, Annapolis, Md | year = 1999 | isbn = 1-55750-186-6 }}
    • {{cite book

    |last=Edwards

    |title=Dönitz and the Wolf Packs – The U-boats at War

    |year=1996

    |isbn=0-304-35203-9

    |pages=112

    |publisher=Cassell Military Classics

    |ref={{sfnRef|Edwards}}

    }}

    • {{cite book

    |last1=Gröner

    |first1=Erich

    |last2=Jung

    |first2=Dieter

    |last3=Maass

    |first3=Martin

    |translator-last1=Thomas

    |translator-first1=Keith

    |translator-last2=Magowan

    |translator-first2=Rachel

    |year=1991

    |title=U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels

    |volume=2

    |series=German Warships 1815–1945

    |location=London

    |publisher=Conway Maritime Press

    |isbn=0-85177-593-4

    |ref=CITEREFGröner1991

    }}

    • {{cite book

    |last=Kemp

    |first=Paul

    |title=U-Boats Destroyed – German Submarine Losses in the World Wars

    |location=London

    |year=1999

    |publisher=Arms & Armour

    |isbn=1-85409-515-3

    }}

    {{Refend}}

    External links

    • {{Cite web

    |url=http://uboat.net/boats/u216.htm

    |title=The Type VIID boat U-216

    |last=Helgason

    |first=Guðmundur

    |website=German U-boats of WWII – uboat.net

    |access-date=8 December 2014

    }}

    • {{cite web

    |url=http://www.u-boot-archiv.de/dieboote/u0216.html

    |title=U 216

    |last=Hofmann

    |first=Markus

    |website=Deutsche U-Boote 1935-1945 – u-boot-archiv.de

    |language=de

    |access-date=30 January 2015

    }}

    {{German Type VII submarines}}

    {{October 1942 shipwrecks}}

    {{coord|48|21|N|19|25|W|source:kolossus-frwiki|display=title}}

    {{use dmy dates|date=December 2014}}

    {{DEFAULTSORT:U0216}}

    Category:German Type VIID submarines

    Category:U-boats commissioned in 1941

    Category:U-boats sunk in 1942

    Category:World War II submarines of Germany

    Category:World War II shipwrecks in the Atlantic Ocean

    Category:1941 ships

    Category:U-boats sunk by depth charges

    Category:Ships built in Kiel

    Category:Submarines lost with all hands

    Category:U-boats sunk by British aircraft

    Category:Maritime incidents in October 1942