German submarine U-144 (1940)

History

Nazi Germany
Name	U-144
Ordered	25 September 1939
Builder	Deutsche Werke, Kiel
Yard number	273
Laid down	10 January 1940
Launched	24 August 1940
Commissioned	2 October 1940
Fate	Sunk in the Gulf of Finland north of Hiiumaa, 10 August 1941
General characteristics
Class and type	Type IID coastal submarine
Displacement	314 t (309 long tons) surfaced 364 t (358 long tons) submerged
Length	43.97 m (144 ft 3 in) o/a 29.80 m (97 ft 9 in) pressure hull
Beam	4.92 m (16 ft 2 in) (o/a) 4.00 m (13 ft 1 in) (pressure hull)
Height	8.40 m (27 ft 7 in)
Draught	3.93 m (12 ft 11 in)
Installed power	700 PS (510 kW; 690 bhp) (diesels) 410 PS (300 kW; 400 shp) (electric)
Propulsion	2 shafts 2 × diesel engines 2 × electric motors
Speed	12.7 knots (23.5 km/h; 14.6 mph) surfaced 7.4 knots (13.7 km/h; 8.5 mph) submerged
Range	3,450 nmi (6,390 km; 3,970 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) surfaced 56 nmi (104 km; 64 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth	80 m (260 ft)
Complement	3 officers, 22 men
Armament	3 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes 5 × torpedoes or up to 12 TMA or 18 TMB mines 1 × 2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft gun
Service record
Part of:	1st U-boat Flotilla 2 October – 19 December 1940 22nd U-boat Flotilla 20 December 1940 – 10 August 1941
Identification codes:	M 37 886
Commanders:	Oblt.z.S. Friedrich von Hippel 2 October – 16 November 1940 Kptlt. Gert von Mittelstaedt 17 November 1940 – 10 August 1941
Operations:	3 patrols: 1st patrol: 18 – 30 June 1941 2nd patrol: 7 – 19 July 1941 3rd patrol: 28 July – 10 August 1941
Victories:	1 warships sunk (206 tons)

German submarine U-144 was a Type IID U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. She was laid down on 10 January 1940 by Deutsche Werke of Kiel and commissioned on 2 October 1940.^[1]

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Transcription

Design

German Type IID submarines were enlarged versions of the original Type IIs. U-144 had a displacement of 314 tonnes (309 long tons) when at the surface and 364 tonnes (358 long tons) while submerged. Officially, the standard tonnage was 250 long tons (250 t), however.^[2] The U-boat had a total length of 43.97 m (144 ft 3 in), a pressure hull length of 29.80 m (97 ft 9 in), a beam of 4.92 m (16 ft 2 in), a height of 8.40 m (27 ft 7 in), and a draught of 3.93 m (12 ft 11 in). The submarine was powered by two MWM RS 127 S four-stroke, six-cylinder diesel engines of 700 metric horsepower (510 kW; 690 shp) for cruising, two Siemens-Schuckert PG VV 322/36 double-acting electric motors producing a total of 410 metric horsepower (300 kW; 400 shp) for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 0.85 m (3 ft) propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to 80–150 metres (260–490 ft).^[2]

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 12.7 knots (23.5 km/h; 14.6 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 7.4 knots (13.7 km/h; 8.5 mph).^[2] When submerged, the boat could operate for 35–42 nautical miles (65–78 km; 40–48 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 3,800 nautical miles (7,000 km; 4,400 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph). U-144 was fitted with three 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes at the bow, five torpedoes or up to twelve Type A torpedo mines, and a 2 cm (0.79 in) anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of 25.^[2]

Service history

In three patrols, U-144 sank one submarine for a total of 206 tons. The Soviet submarine <i>M-78</i> was torpedoed and sunk, west of Windawa/Windau (Ventspils) in position 57°28′N 21°17′E / 57.467°N 21.283°E / 57.467; 21.283 on 23 June 1941.

Fate

U-144 was sunk on 10 August 1941 in the Gulf of Finland north of Hiiumaa, in approximate position 59°N 23°E / 59°N 23°E / 59; 23, by torpedoes from the Soviet submarine Shch-307. All 28 men inside were killed.

Summary of raiding history

Date	Ship	Nationality	Tonnage^[Note 1]	Fate^[3]
23 June 1941	M-78	Soviet Navy	206	Sunk

References

Notes

^ Merchant ship tonnages are in gross register tons. Military vessels are listed by tons displacement.

Citations

^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type IID boat U-144". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Gröner 1991, pp. 39–40.
^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-144". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 9 December 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). Vol. 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. Vol. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4.

External links

Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type IID boat U-144". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
Hofmann, Markus. "U 144". Deutsche U-Boote 1935-1945 - u-boot-archiv.de (in German). Retrieved 7 December 2014.

v t e German Type II submarines
Type IIA	U-1 U-2 U-3 U-4 U-5 U-6
Type IIB	U-7 U-8 U-9 U-10 U-11 U-12 U-13 U-14 U-15 U-16 U-17 U-18 U-19 U-20 U-21 U-22 U-23 U-24 U-120 U-121
Type IIC	U-56 U-57 U-58 U-59 U-60 U-61 U-62 U-63
Type IID	U-137 U-138 U-139 U-140 U-141 U-142 U-143 U-144 U-145 U-146 U-147 U-148 U-149 U-150 U-151 U-152
Preceded by: Type I Followed by: Type VII List of U-boats of Germany