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 when at the surface and while submerged. She had a total length of , a pressure hull length of , a beam of , a height of , and a draught of . The submarine was powered by two Germaniawerft F46 four-stroke, six-cylinder supercharged diesel engines producing a total of for use while surfaced, two Garbe, Lahmeyer & Co. RP 137/c double-acting electric motors producing a total of for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to .

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of and a maximum submerged speed of . When submerged, the boat could operate for at ; when surfaced, she could travel at . U-752 was fitted with five torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and one at the stern), fourteen torpedoes, one 8.8cmin2on SK C/35 naval gun, 220 rounds, and a 2cminuson C/30 anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.

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. U-752 completed nine 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 in the mid-Atlantic. A Rocket Spear, a new weapon with a solid cast iron head, 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. 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 wolfpackss, 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

References

Bibliography

External links