German submarine U-520

History
U-505, a typical Type IXC boat
Nazi Germany
Name:	U-520
Ordered:	14 February 1940
Builder:	Deutsche Werft, Hamburg
Yard number:	335
Laid down:	1 July 1941
Launched:	2 March 1942
Commissioned:	19 May 1942
Fate:	Sunk, 30 October 1942^[1]
General characteristics
Class and type:	Type IXC submarine
Displacement:	1,120 t (1,100 long tons) surfaced 1,232 t (1,213 long tons) submerged
Length:	76.76 m (251 ft 10 in) o/a 58.75 m (192 ft 9 in) pressure hull
Beam:	6.76 m (22 ft 2 in) o/a 4.40 m (14 ft 5 in) pressure hull
Height:	9.60 m (31 ft 6 in)
Draught:	4.70 m (15 ft 5 in)
Installed power:	4,400 PS (3,200 kW; 4,300 bhp) (diesels) 1,000 PS (740 kW; 990 shp) (electric)
Propulsion:	2 shafts 2 × diesel engines 2 × electric motors
Speed:	18.3 knots (33.9 km/h; 21.1 mph) surfaced 7.3 knots (13.5 km/h; 8.4 mph) submerged
Range:	13,450 nmi (24,910 km; 15,480 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced 64 nmi (119 km; 74 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth:	230 m (750 ft)
Complement:	4 officers, 44 enlisted
Armament:	6 × torpedo tubes (4 bow, 2 stern) 22 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedoes 1 × 10.5 cm (4.1 in) deck gun (180 rounds) 1 × 3.7 cm (1.5 in) AA gun 1 × twin 2 cm FlaK 30 AA guns
Service record^[2]^[3]
Part of:	4th U-boat Flotilla 19 May – 30 September 1942 2nd U-boat Flotilla 1–30 October 1942
Commanders:	Kptlt. Volkmar Schwartzkopff 19 May 1942 – 30 October 1942
Operations:	1st patrol: 3–30 October 1942
Victories:	None

German submarine U-520 was a Type IXC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. The U-boat was laid down on 1 July 1941 at the Deutsche Werft yard in Hamburg as yard number 335, launched on 2 March 1942 and commissioned on 19 May 1942 under the command of Kapitänleutnant Volkmar Schwartzkopff. After training with the 4th U-boat Flotilla, she was transferred to the 2nd flotilla for front-line service on 1 October 1942.

Design

German Type IXC submarines were slightly larger than the original Type IXBs. U-520 had a displacement of 1,120 tonnes (1,100 long tons) when at the surface and 1,232 tonnes (1,213 long tons) while submerged.^[4] The U-boat had a total length of 76.76 m (251 ft 10 in), a pressure hull length of 58.75 m (192 ft 9 in), a beam of 6.76 m (22 ft 2 in), a height of 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in), and a draught of 4.70 m (15 ft 5 in). The submarine was powered by two MAN M 9 V 40/46 supercharged four-stroke, nine-cylinder diesel engines producing a total of 4,400 metric horsepower (3,240 kW; 4,340 shp) for use while surfaced, two Siemens-Schuckert 2 GU 345/34 double-acting electric motors producing a total of 1,000 shaft horsepower (1,010 PS; 750 kW) for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 1.92 m (6 ft) propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to 230 metres (750 ft).^[4]

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 18.3 knots (33.9 km/h; 21.1 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 7.3 knots (13.5 km/h; 8.4 mph).^[4] When submerged, the boat could operate for 63 nautical miles (117 km; 72 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 13,450 nautical miles (24,910 km; 15,480 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). U-520 was fitted with six 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and two at the stern), 22 torpedoes, one 10.5 cm (4.13 in) SK C/32 naval gun, 180 rounds, and a 3.7 cm (1.5 in) as well as a 2 cm (0.79 in) anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of forty-eight.^[4]

Service history

U-520 sailed from Kiel on 3 October 1942, she negotiated the gap between the Faeroe and Shetland Islands and then turned west toward Cape Farewell, (the southern tip of Greenland). After a brief journey in the direction of Iceland, she headed southwest, then south, before being sunk east of Newfoundland in position 47°47′N 49°50′W / 47.783°N 49.833°W / 47.783; -49.833Coordinates: 47°47′N 49°50′W / 47.783°N 49.833°W / 47.783; -49.833 by depth charges from a Canadian Douglas Digby light bomber of No. 10 Squadron RCAF. None of her 53 crew members survived the sinking.^[2]^[5]

In January 2006 an article in the Edmonton Journal reported that a team of divers planned to search for U-520 and another U-boat, U-190.

References

↑ Kemp 1999, p. 94.
1 2 Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type IXC boat U-520". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 5 February 2010.
↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "War Patrols by German U-boat U-520". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 5 February 2010.
1 2 3 4 Gröner 1991, p. 68.
↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Patrol of U-boat U-520 from 3 Oct 1942 to 30 Oct 1942". U-boat patrols - uboat.net. Retrieved 5 February 2010.

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). 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. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4.
Kemp, Paul (1999). U-Boats Destroyed - German Submarine Losses in the World Wars. London: Arms & Armour. ISBN 1-85409-515-3.

External links

Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type IXC boat U-520". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
"Alberta diver to search for WWII U-boats off East Coast". canada.com. Retrieved 5 February 2010.

German Type IXC submarine

U-66 U-67 U-68 U-125 U-126 U-127 U-128 U-129 U-130 U-131 U-153 U-154 U-155 U-156 U-157 U-158 U-159 U-160 U-161 U-162 U-163 U-164 U-165 U-166 U-171 U-172 U-173 U-174 U-175 U-176 U-501 U-502 U-503 U-504 U-505 U-506 U-507 U-508 U-509 U-510 U-511 U-512 U-513 U-514 U-515 U-516 U-517 U-518 U-519 U-520 U-521 U-522 U-523 U-524

Preceded by: Type IXB Followed by: Type IXC/40

List of U-boats of Germany

Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in October 1942

Shipwrecks	2 Oct: HMS Curacoa, Lisbon Maru, U-512 5 Oct: U-582, U-619 6 Oct: I-22 8 Oct: U-179 9 Oct: U-171 10 Oct: Komintern, HMT Orcades 11 Oct: Fubuki, Furutaka, L-16 12 Oct: USS Duncan, Murakumo, Natsugumo, U-597 13 Oct: I-30, SS Loreto 14 Oct: Caribou, Komet, Shch-213 15 Oct: Drazki, USS Meredith, U-661 16 Oct: Primrose Hill, U-353 17 Oct: Empire Chaucer, Oboro 20 Oct: U-216 21 Oct: Palatia 22 Oct: U-412, Winnipeg II 23 Oct: City of Johannesburg, Empire Star 24 Oct: U-599 25 Oct: USS Seminole, Yura 26 Oct: USS Porter, President Coolidge 27 Oct: USS Hornet, U-627 29 Oct: Abosso 30 Oct: U-520, U-559, U-658 Unknown date: U-116, HMS Unique

Other incidents	2 Oct: Queen Mary 12 Oct: HMS Loyal 23 Oct: HMS Phoebe

1941 1942 1943 September 1942 November 1942

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