German submarine U-25 (1936)

German submarine U-25 was one of two Type IA ocean-going submarines produced by Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine. Constructed by DeSchiMAG AG Weser in Bremen as yard number 903, U-25 was commissioned on 6 April 1936. It experienced a short, but successful combat career, sinking eight ships and damaging one.

For other ships with the same name, see German submarine U-25.
U-25 in about 1936; the number on the conning tower was removed at the beginning of the war
History
Nazi Germany
NameU-25
Ordered17 December 1934
BuilderDeSchiMAG AG Weser Bremen
Yard number903
Laid down28 June 1935
Launched14 February 1936
Commissioned6 April 1936
FateSunk by a British mine around 2 August 1940, in the North Sea north of Terschelling[1]
General characteristics [2]
TypeType IA ocean-going submarine
Displacement
Length72.39 m (237 ft 6 in) o/a
Beam6.21 m (20 ft 4 in) o/a
Draught4.30 m (14 ft 1 in)
Propulsion
Speed
  • 18.6 knots (34.4 km/h; 21.4 mph) surfaced
  • 8.3 knots (15.4 km/h; 9.6 mph) submerged
Range
  • 7,900 nmi (14,600 km; 9,100 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced
  • 78 nmi (144 km; 90 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth200 m (660 ft)
Complement4 officers, 39 enlisted
Armament
Service record
Part of:
Identification codes: M 10 950
Commanders:
  • KrvKpt. Eberhard Godt
  • 6 April 1936 – 3 January 1938
  • Kptlt. Werner von Schmidt
  • 3 January – 12 December 1938
  • Kptlt. Otto Schuhart
  • 10 December 1938 – 3 April 1939
  • Oblt. Georg-Heinz Michel
  • 4 April – 4 September 1939
  • Kptlt. / KrvKpt. Viktor Schütze
  • 5 September 1939 – 19 May 1940
  • Kptlt. / KrvKpt. Heinz Beduhn
  • 20 May – 2 August 1940
Operations:
  • 5 patrols:
  • 1st patrol:
  • 18 October – 19 November 1939
  • 2nd patrol:
  • 13 January – 19 February 1940
  • 3rd patrol:
  • 3 April – 6 May 1940
  • 4th patrol:
  • 8 – 29 June 1940
  • 5th patrol:
  • 1 – 2 August 1940
Victories:
  • 7 merchant ships sunk
    (33,209 GRT)
  • 1 auxiliary warship sunk
    (17,046 GRT)
  • 1 merchant ship damaged
    (7,638 GRT)

Service history

Until 1940, U-25 was primarily used as a training vessel. During its trials it was found that the Type IA submarine was difficult to handle due to its poor stability and slow dive rate. In early 1940, the boat was called into combat duty due to the shortage of available submarines. U-25 participated in five war patrols, sinking eight ships and badly damaging one.

On 17 January 1940, 10 miles north of Shetland, U-25 torpedoed SS Polzella. Enid (Captain Wibe), of then-neutral Norway en route to Dublin, went to assist Polzella. U-25 then shelled and sank Enid. Her crew escaped in their lifeboats. None of Polzella's crew survived.

U-25 sank eight vessels for a total of 50,255 gross register tons (GRT) and damaged one for 7,638 GRT:

Fate

Around 2 August 1940, while on a mine-laying mission near Norway, U-25 passed through British minefield Field No. 7, striking a mine. The boat sank, taking all 49 hands with it.[1]

Wolfpacks

U-25 took part in one wolfpack, namely:

  • Prien (12 – 17 June 1940)

Summary of raiding history
DateName of ShipNationalityTonnage[Note 1]Fate[3]
31 October 1939 Baoulé  France 5,874 Sunk
17 January 1940 Enid  Norway 1,140 Sunk
17 January 1940 Polzella  United Kingdom 4,751 Sunk
18 January 1940 Pajala  Sweden 6,873 Sunk
22 January 1940 Songa  Norway 2,589 Sunk
3 February 1940 Armanistan  United Kingdom 6,805 Sunk
13 February 1940 Chastine Mærsk  Denmark 5,177 Sunk
13 June 1940 HMS Scotstoun  Royal Navy 17,046 Sunk
19 June 1940 Brumaire  France 7,638 Damaged

References

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

Citations
  1. Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type IA boat U-25". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
  2. Gröner 1991, p. 39.
  3. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-25". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net.

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.
  • Williamson, Gordon (2005). Wolf Pack: The Story of the U-Boat in World War II. Osprey. ISBN 9781841768724.
  • Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type IA boat U25". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
  • Hofmann, Markus. "U 25". Deutsche U-Boote 1935-1945 - u-boot-archiv.de (in German). Retrieved 6 December 2014.

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