German submarine U-45 (1938)

{{Infobox ship image

|Ship image=Bundesarchiv Bild 200-Ub0104, U-45 auf Meilenfahrt.jpg

|Ship image size=300px

|Ship caption=U-45 conducting speed trials in 1938. Note her number on the conning tower, it was removed at the beginning of the war

}}

{{Infobox ship career

|Ship country=Nazi Germany

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

|Ship name=U-45

|Ship ordered=21 November 1936

|Ship yard number=580

|Ship laid down=23 February 1937

|Ship builder=Germaniawerft, Kiel

|Ship launched=27 April 1938

|Ship commissioned=25 June 1938

|Ship fate=Sunk, 14 October 1939, southwest of Ireland. 38 dead, no survivors.

}}

{{Infobox ship characteristics

|Hide header=

|Header caption=

|Ship class=Type VIIB U-boat

|Ship displacement=

{{convert|753|t|LT|abbr=on|lk=on}} surfaced
{{convert|857|t|LT|abbr=on}} submerged

|Ship length=

{{convert|66.50|m|ftin|abbr=on}} o/a
{{convert|48.80|m|ftin|abbr=on}} pressure hull

|Ship beam=

{{convert|6.20|m|ftin|abbr=on}} o/a
{{convert|4.70|m|ftin|abbr=on}} pressure hull

|Ship draught={{convert|4.74|m|ftin|abbr=on}}

|Ship height={{convert|9.50|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=

2 shafts
2 × diesel engines
2 × electric motors

|Ship speed=

{{convert|17.9|kn}} surfaced
{{convert|8|kn}} submerged

|Ship range=

{{convert|8,700|nmi|0|abbr=on}} at {{convert|10|kn}}surfaced
{{convert|90|nmi|abbr=on}} at {{convert|4|kn}}

|Ship test depth=

{{convert|230|m|ft|abbr=on}}. Calculated crush depth: {{convert|250|–|295|m|ft|abbr=on}}

|Ship boats=

|Ship complement=4 officers, 40 to 56 enlisted

|Ship sensors=Gruppenhorchgerät

|Ship armament=

5 × {{convert|53.3|cm|in|0|abbr=on}} torpedo tubes (four bow, one stern)
14 torpedoes or 26 TMA mines or 39 TMB mines
1 × 8.8 cm SK C/35 naval gun (220 rounds)
1 × 2 cm FlaK 30 anti-aircraft gun

|Ship motto=

|Ship nickname=

|Ship notes=

}}{{Infobox service record

|is_ship=yes

|partof=*7th U-boat Flotilla

25 June 1938 – 14 October 1939

|codes=M 08 204

|commanders=*Kptlt. Alexander Gelhaar

25 June 1938 – 14 October 1939

|operations=*2 patrols:

1st patrol:
19 August – 15 September 1939
2nd patrol:
9 – 14 October 1939

|victories=*2 merchant ships sunk
({{GRT|19,313}})

}}

German submarine U-45 was a Type VIIB U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. She was ordered on 21 November 1936 and laid down on 23 February 1937 at Germaniawerft in Kiel as yard number 580. She was launched on 27 April 1938 and commissioned on 25 June 1938 under the command of Kapitänleutnant (Kptlt.) Alexander Gelhaar.

Design

German Type VIIB submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIA submarines. U-45 had a displacement of {{convert|753|t|LT}} when at the surface and {{convert|857|t|LT}} while submerged.{{sfn|Gröner|Jung|Maass|1991|pp=43–44}} She had a total length of {{convert|66.50|m|ftin|abbr=on}}, a pressure hull length of {{convert|48.80|m|ftin|abbr=on}}, a beam of {{convert|6.20|m|ftin|abbr=on}}, a height of {{convert|9.50|m|ftin|abbr=on}}, and a draught of {{convert|4.74|m|ftin|abbr=on}}. The submarine was powered by two Germaniawerft F46 four-stroke, six-cylinder supercharged diesel engines producing a total of {{convert|2800 to 3200|PS|kW shp|-1}} for use while surfaced, two BBC GG UB 720/8 double-acting electric motors producing a total of {{convert|750|PS|kW shp}} 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|Jung|Maass|1991|pp=43–44}}

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of {{convert|17.9|kn}} and a maximum submerged speed of {{convert|8|kn}}.{{sfn|Gröner|Jung|Maass|1991|pp=43–44}} When submerged, the boat could operate for {{convert|90|nmi}} at {{convert|4|kn}}; when surfaced, she could travel {{convert|8700|nmi}} at {{convert|10|kn}}. U-45 was fitted with four {{convert|53.3|cm|in|0|abbr=on}} torpedo tubes at the bow and one at the stern with fourteen torpedoes, one 8.8 cm SK C/35 naval gun with 220 rounds, and an anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.{{sfn|Gröner|Jung|Maass|1991|pp=43–44}}

Service history

During her Kriegsmarine service, U-45 conducted only two war patrols and sank two vessels for a loss of {{GRT|19,313|disp=long}}.

While operating with others in an attack on an Allied convoy, U-45 was sunk by depth charges from the British destroyers {{HMS|Inglefield|D02|6}}, {{HMS|Ivanhoe|D16|2}} and {{HMS|Intrepid|D10|2}} on 14 October 1939 southwest of Ireland.{{cite web

|url=http://uboat.net/boats/u45.htm

|title=The Type VIIB boat U-45

|last=Helgason

|first=Guðmundur

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

|access-date=2010-01-08

}}{{sfn|Kemp|1999|p=61}}

=First war patrol=

File:Bundesarchiv Bild 200-Ub0114, Kiel, Indienststellung U-45.jpg

Her training exercises completed, U-45 left Kiel on her first war patrol on 19 August 1939 (prior to the outbreak of World War II) under the command of Kptlt. Alexander Gelhaar. During 28 days at sea no enemy vessels were attacked and the submarine returned to her base at Kiel on 15 September 1939.

=Second war patrol=

Sailing again on 9 October 1939 under the command of Kptlt. Alexander Gelhaar, U-45 began her second and final war patrol. On 14 October, the U-boat sighted and attacked convoy KJF-3 about {{convert|230|nmi}} southwest of Ireland. This attack yielded the only two successes by U-45, the 9,205 ton British freighter Lochavon and the 10,108 French merchant ship Bretagne. U-45 also attacked but failed to damage the 10,350 ton British steam merchantman Karamea; the single torpedo fired at this ship detonated prematurely (a common problem early in the war). Survivors of this attack were picked up by {{HMS|Ilex|D61|6}} and landed at Plymouth.

=Fate=

U-45 was depth-charged and sunk on 14 October 1939 by {{HMS|Inglefield|D02|6}}, {{HMS|Ivanhoe|D16|6}} and {{HMS|Intrepid|D10|6}} at position {{coord|50|58|N|12|57|W}}. All 38 crew members went down with the submarine.

Summary of raiding history

class="wikitable sortable" style="margin: 1em auto 1em auto;"

!Date

Name of ship

Nationality

Tonnage (GRT)

Fate{{cite web

|url=http://uboat.net/boats/successes/u45.html

|title=Ships hit by U-45

|first=Guðmundur

|last=Helgason

|website=German U-boats of World War II - uboat.net

}}

align="right"|14 October 1939

|align="left" |Lochavon

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

|align="right"|9,205

|align="left" |Sunk

align="right"|14 October 1939

|align="left" |Bretagne

|align="left" |{{flagcountry|France}}

|align="right"|10,108

|align="left" |Sunk

Gallery

File:U-Boot U 45 (Kiel 50.493).jpg|Outfitting in the Kiel shipyard

File:German U-boot U-45 in 1938.jpg|Sea trials before commissioning

File:Bundesarchiv Bild 200-Ub0093, U-45 auf Probefahrt.jpg|Crew on the deck during a sea trial

File:Bundesarchiv Bild 200-Ub0115, Kiel, Indienststellung U-45.jpg|Day of the ship's commissioning

File:Bundesarchiv Bild 200-Ub0111, Kiel, Indienststellung U-45.jpg|Crew aboard during Commissioning celebrations

References

Bibliography

{{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

|last1=Busch

|first1=Rainer

|last2=Röll

|first2=Hans-Joachim

|title=Deutsche U-Boot-Verluste von September 1939 bis Mai 1945

|trans-title=German U-boat losses from September 1939 to May 1945

|series=Der U-Boot-Krieg

|volume=IV

|publisher=Mittler

|location=Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn

|year=1999

|isbn=3-8132-0514-2