German submarine U-352 facts for kids
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The German submarine U-352 was a special type of submarine called a Type VIIC U-boat. It was built for Nazi Germany's navy, the Kriegsmarine, during World War II. The submarine was started on March 11, 1940, at the Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft shipyard in Flensburg. It was launched on May 7, 1941, and officially joined the navy on August 28, 1941. Its commander was Kapitänleutnant Hellmut Rathke. U-352 was part of the 3rd U-boat Flotilla and was ready for battle by January 1, 1942.
Contents
| History | |
|---|---|
 Nazi Germany |
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| Name | U-352 |
| Ordered | 9 October 1939 |
| Builder | Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft, Flensburg |
| Yard number | 471 |
| Laid down | 11 March 1940 |
| Launched | 7 May 1941 |
| Commissioned | 28 August 1941 |
| Fate | Sunk, 9 May 1942 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Type VIIC submarine |
| Displacement |
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| Length |
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| Beam |
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| Height | 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in) |
| Draught | 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in) |
| Installed power |
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| Propulsion |
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| Speed |
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| Range | |
| Test depth |
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| Complement | 4 officers, 40–56 enlisted |
| Armament | |
| Service record | |
| Part of: |
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| Commanders: |
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| Operations: |
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| Victories: | None |
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| Nearest city | Beaufort, North Carolina |
| MPS | World War II Shipwrecks along the East Coast and Gulf of Mexico MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 15000804 |
| Added to NRHP | 12 November 2015 |
About the U-352 Design
German Type VIIC submarines were an improved version of earlier Type VIIB submarines. The U-352 weighed about 769 tonnes (about 847 tons) when it was on the surface. When it was underwater, it weighed 871 tonnes (about 960 tons).
Size and Shape
The submarine was 67.10 meters (about 220 feet) long overall. Its strong inner hull, called the pressure hull, was 50.50 meters (about 166 feet) long. The submarine was 6.20 meters (about 20 feet) wide and 9.60 meters (about 31 feet) tall. It sat 4.74 meters (about 15 feet) deep in the water.
Engines and Speed
U-352 had two diesel engines for moving on the surface. These engines could produce a lot of power, between 2,800 and 3,200 horsepower. When submerged, it used two electric motors that produced 750 horsepower. These motors turned two propellers, each 1.23 meters (about 4 feet) wide. The submarine could go as deep as 230 meters (about 755 feet).
The U-352 could travel at 17.7 knots (about 20 miles per hour) on the surface. Underwater, its top speed was 7.6 knots (about 9 miles per hour). When surfaced, it could travel 8,500 nautical miles (about 9,780 miles) at 10 knots. When submerged, it could go 80 nautical miles (about 92 miles) at 4 knots.
Weapons and Crew
The submarine was armed with five torpedo tubes, which are tubes that launch torpedoes. Four of these were at the front (bow) and one was at the back (stern). It carried 14 torpedoes or 26 mines. For fighting on the surface, it had an 8.8 cm deck gun with 220 rounds. It also had a 2 cm anti-aircraft gun to shoot at planes. The U-352 had a crew of 44 to 60 people.
Service History of U-352
The U-352 went on two patrols during its time in service.
First Patrol
U-352 started its first patrol from Kiel, Germany, on January 15, 1942. It arrived in Bergen, Norway, on January 19. The next day, it left Norway and patrolled south of Iceland. It did not find any enemy ships during this patrol. Afterward, it sailed to its new home port in Saint-Nazaire, France, arriving on February 26.
Second Patrol and Sinking
U-352 left St. Nazaire on April 7, 1942. It sailed across the Atlantic Ocean to the coast of the United States. On May 9, 1942, the submarine was sunk by depth charges from the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Icarus. This happened south of Morehead City, North Carolina.
When U-352 surfaced, the Icarus used machine guns to stop the German crew from using their deck guns. One survivor later said that the Icarus left and then came back 45 minutes later to rescue the survivors. Fifteen of the crew members were lost, but 33 survived. These survivors became prisoners for the rest of the war.
Wolfpacks
U-352 was part of one "wolfpack" during its service. A wolfpack was a group of U-boats that hunted enemy ships together.
- Hecht (January 27 – February 4, 1942)
The U-352 Dive Site
The sunken remains of U-352 were found in 1975 by George Purifoy. It lies about 26 miles south of Morehead City. The wreck is in about 115 feet of water and rests tilted to its right side. The area where parts of the wreck are scattered is about 100 meters (about 328 feet) wide on a sandy seabed.
This wreck has become an artificial reef, which means it's a man-made structure that helps sea life grow. It is now home to many fish, especially a type of fish called Hemanthias vivanus. The site was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2015. It is a popular spot for experienced scuba divers. A model of the wreck can be seen at the North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores.
Story from a Survivor
Heinz Karl Richter was a crew member on U-352. He was a Maschinengefreiter, which is like a Fireman 3rd Class in the U.S. Navy. He survived the sinking and later moved to Canada. He was interviewed for a TV show about U-352.
Richter shared that Captain Rathke really wanted to earn a special medal called the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. To get this medal, he needed to sink 100,000 tonnes of enemy ships. Richter believed that the captain's strong desire for this medal made him take too many risks. This recklessness, he said, eventually led to the submarine being sunk. Richter also mentioned that he was the last person to leave the U-boat before it went down. He said that anyone still inside was either already dead or died as the submarine sank.
Survivors of the Sinking
After the U-352 sank, 33 crew members survived and were taken as prisoners. These survivors included the captain, Hellmut Rathke, and other officers and enlisted men. They spent the rest of the war as prisoners.
