German submarine U-794 explained
German submarine U-794 was a Type XVIIA U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during the Second World War. She was one of a small number of U-boats fitted with Hellmuth Walter's high test peroxide propulsion system, which offered a combination of air-independent propulsion and high submerged speeds. She spent the war as a trials vessel and was scuttled on 5 May 1945 in Gelting Bay.
U-794 was built by Friedrich Krupp Germaniawerft, Kiel. The keel was laid down on 1 February 1943, the boat was launched on 7 October. She was commissioned on 14 November. The Feldpost Number was M 52 496.
U-794 did not undertake any combat patrols and was instead assigned as a trials boat at first to the 5th U-boat Flotilla, followed by the 8th U-boat Flotilla, before returning to the 5th flotilla for the rest of the war. In late March 1944, Admiral Karl Dönitz and four other admirals took part in a trial of U-794. Although they were enthusiastic, the boat, designed for high underwater speed (over 20 m.p.h.) was difficult to manoeuvre, and the keel to beam ratio was too high.
Bibliography
- Book: Busch . Rainer . Röll . Hans-Joachim . Brooks . Geoffrey . German U-boat commanders of World War II : a biographical dictionary . Greenhill Books, Naval Institute Press . London, Annapolis, Md . 1999 . 1-55750-186-6 .
- Book: Busch . Rainer . Röll . Hans-Joachim . Der U-Boot-Krieg, 1939-1945: Deutsche U-Boot-Verluste von September 1939 bis Mai 1945. German U-boat losses from September 1939 to May 1945 . 1999. IV . Mittler. Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn . 3-8132-0514-2 . de.
- Book: Gröner . Eric . Jung . Dieter . Maass . Martin . Thomas. Keith. Magowan. Rachel . German Warships 1815-1945: U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels . 1991 . Conway Maritime Press . London . 2 . 0-85177-593-4 . CITEREFGröner1991.
- "U-Boat Operations of the Second World War: Vol. 2: Career histories, U511-UIT25" by Kenneth Wynn, Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, 1998.
External links
- Web site: Type XVIIA Walter boats . Helgason . Guðmundur . German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net . 10 April 2010.
- Web site: Details on the German U-Boat Type III, Type IV, Type V, Type VI, Type VIII, Type XI, Type XII, Type XIII, XV, XVI, VB60, V80, U-179, XVII. . www.sharkhunters.com . 20 April 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100224042841/http://www.sharkhunters.com/typeadditional.htm . 24 February 2010 . dead .
- Web site: The Type XVIIA boat U-794 . Helgason . Guðmundur . German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net . 20 April 2010.
54.8°N 58°W