German submarine U-111 (1940)

German submarine ''U-111'' was a Type IXB U-boat of Nazi Germany's '' Kriegsmarine'' during World War II.

She had a short career, sinking four enemy vessels and damaging one other. These victories took place over a period of two war patrols. During her first sortie, the boat sank two enemy vessels and damaged a further one. On her second patrol, ''U-111'' sank two more enemy ships before she herself was sunk on 4 October 1941 southwest of Tenerife, by depth charges from a British warship. Out of a crew of 52 officers and men, eight died in the attack; 44 survived.

Construction and design

Construction

''U-111'' was ordered to be built by the ''Kriegsmarine'' on 8 August 1939 (as part of Plan Z and in violation of the Treaty of Versailles). Her keel was laid down on 20 February 1940 by DeSchiMAG AG Weser in Bremen as yard number 976. Following about seven months of construction, she was launched on 15 September and commissioned on 19 December under the command of ''Kapitänleutnant'' Wilhelm Kleinschmidt.

Design

German Type IXB submarines were slightly larger than the original German Type IX submarines, later designated IXA. ''U-111'' had a displacement of when at the surface and while submerged. The U-boat 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 MAN M 9 V 40/46 supercharged four-stroke, nine-cylinder diesel engines producing a total of for use while surfaced, two Siemens-Schuckert 2 GU 345/34 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-111'' was fitted with six torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and two at the stern), 22 torpedoes, one SK C/32 naval gun, 180 rounds, and a SK C/30 as well as a C/30 anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of forty-eight.

Service history

First patrol

''U-111'' went to sea on a war patrol for the first time on 5 May 1941. For a period of 64 days, she roamed the North Sea and eventually the North Atlantic as far west as Nova Scotia in search of any Allied convoys heading to Great Britain. During that time she encountered three enemy vessels. The first confrontation took place on the 13th, just eight days after leaving port, when she came across the British merchant vessel and sank her just south of Iceland. On 20 May, whilst searching for the convoy HX-126, the submarine came across the tanker ''San Felix'' and fired a torpedo at her, causing damage to her hull but failing to sink her. Two days later, ''U-111'' sank the second and last enemy vessel of her patrol, the ''Barnby'', south of Greenland. After these victories, the boat stayed in the area to broadcast decoy signals. On 25 May, ''U-111'' replenished from the supply ship ''Belchen'' and took fuel and food but no torpedoes. She entered the port of Lorient in occupied France on 7 July.

Second patrol and loss

''U-111'' left Lorient on 14 August 1941 and travelled south off the west coast of Africa and into the South Atlantic. She then turned west towards the eastern coast of Brazil. It was in these waters that the boat sank her last two enemy merchant ships. The first was the Dutch Motor merchant vessel ''Marken''. She was torpedoed on 10 September just north of Ceará in Brazil.''The Times Atlas of the World'' - Third edition, revised 1995, , p. 73 All of her crew survived the attack and boarded life boats. They were questioned by the crew of the U-boat, given food and released. ''Marken''s crew were later safely picked up by a Spanish merchant vessel. Ten days later, ''U-111'' sank her fourth and last enemy vessel, the British motor merchant ship ''Cingalese Prince'' also off Brazil. On 28 September she was involved in an action in Tarrafal Bay, in the Cape Verde islands; having been ordered to rendezvous there with two other U-boats, and . She was struck by the British submarine which had accidentally dived onto her after unsuccessfully attacking ''U–67''. ''U-111'' was so badly damaged she was left unable to dive, and was obliged to head for home.Obituary, Capt. Hedley Kett, RN. ''Daily Telegraph'' 25 July 2014.

On 4 October 1941, she was hunted down and sunk by depth charges from the British anti-submarine trawler southwest of Tenerife. Of a crew of 52 men, eight died and 44 survived. They were subsequently interrogated; it was the first time prisoners of war were captured from a U-boat operating in the South Atlantic.
According to the lengthy interrogation report, the crew of ''U-111'' put up a poor fight and surrendered speedily to their much less powerful adversary after their Captain was killed. The crew consisted of four officers, three chief petty officers, fourteen petty officers, and thirty ratings, plus an officer under instruction as a prospective U-boat Captain. ''U-111''s commander, Wilhelm Kleinschmidt, was killed in the action with ''Lady Shirley'', along with her First Lieutenant, a junior officer, and five ratings. The captured POWs said that the normal complement was 43, including officers.

Wolfpacks

''U-111'' took part in one wolfpack, namely:
* West (13 May - 5 June 1941)

Summary of raiding history

References

Bibliography

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External links

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U-111 versus HMS Lady Shirley
(Spanish)

{{DEFAULTSORT:U0111
German Type IX submarines
U-boats commissioned in 1940
U-boats sunk in 1941
World War II submarines of Germany
1940 ships
World War II shipwrecks in the Atlantic Ocean
Ships built in Bremen (state)
U-boats sunk by British warships
U-boats sunk by depth charges
Maritime incidents in October 1941