German submarine U-97 (1940)

History
Nazi Germany
Name	U-97
Ordered	30 May 1938
Builder	Germaniawerft, Kiel
Yard number	602
Laid down	27 September 1939
Launched	15 August 1940
Commissioned	28 September 1940
Fate	Sunk on 16 June 1943, by an Australian light bomber
General characteristics
Class & type	Type VIIC submarine
Displacement	769 tonnes (757 long tons) surfaced; 871 t (857 long tons) submerged;
Length	67.10 m (220 ft 2 in) o/a; 50.50 m (165 ft 8 in) pressure hull;
Beam	6.20 m (20 ft 4 in) o/a; 4.70 m (15 ft 5 in) pressure hull;
Height	9.60 m (31 ft 6 in)
Draught	4.74 m (15 ft 7 in)
Installed power	2,800–3,200 PS (2,100–2,400 kW; 2,800–3,200 bhp) (diesels); 750 PS (550 kW; 740 shp) (electric);
Propulsion	2 shafts; 2 × diesel engines; 2 × electric motors;
Speed	17.7 kn (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph) surfaced; 7.6 knots (14.1 km/h; 8.7 mph) submerged;
Range	8,500 nmi (15,700 km; 9,800 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced; 80 nmi (150 km; 92 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged;
Test depth	230 m (750 ft); Crush depth: 250–295 m (820–968 ft);
Complement	4 officers, 40–56 enlisted
Armament	5 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four bow, one stern); 14 × torpedoes or 26 TMA mines; 1 × 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun (220 rounds); 1 x 2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 AA gun;
Service record
Part of:	7th U-boat Flotilla; 28 September 1940 – 31 October 1941; 23rd U-boat Flotilla; 1 November 1941 – 30 April 1942; 29th U-boat Flotilla; 1 May 1942 – 16 June 1943;
Identification codes:	M 19 988
Commanders:	Oblt.z.S. / Kptlt. Udo Heilmann; 28 September 1940 – May 1942; Oblt.z.S. Friedrich Bürgel; May – 15 October 1942; Oblt.z.S. / Kptlt. Hans-Georg Trox; 2 February 1943 – 16 June 1943;
Operations:	13 patrols:; 1st patrol:; 17 February – 7 March 1941; 2nd patrol:; 20 March – 10 April 1941; 3rd patrol:; 1 – 30 May 1941; 4th patrol:; 2 July – 8 August 1941; 5th patrol:; 20 September – 27 October 1941; 6th patrol:; 23 December – 9 January 1942; 7th patrol:; a. 12 – 31 January 1942; b. 3 – 8 February 1942; 8th patrol:; 14 – 30 March 1942; 9th patrol:; 5 April – 12 May 1942; 10th patrol:; 15 June – 4 July 1942; 11th patrol:; a. 22 July 1942 – 4 August 1942; b. 20 – 29 August 1942; 12th patrol:; 10 April – 3 May 1943; 13th patrol:; 5 – 16 June 1943;
Victories:	15 merchant ships sunk ; (64,404 GRT); 1 auxiliary warship sunk ; (6,833 GRT); 1 merchant ship damaged ; (9,718 GRT);

German submarine U-97 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during the Second World War. She carried out thirteen patrols during her career, sinking sixteen ships and damaging a seventeenth. She was a member of two wolfpacks.

U-97 was sunk on 16 June 1943 while operating in the Mediterranean Sea, west of Haifa. She was depth charged by an Australian light bomber.

History

Nazi Germany
Name	U-97
Ordered	30 May 1938
Builder	Germaniawerft, Kiel
Yard number	602
Laid down	27 September 1939
Launched	15 August 1940
Commissioned	28 September 1940
Fate	Sunk on 16 June 1943, by an Australian light bomber
General characteristics
Class & type	Type VIIC submarine
Displacement	769 tonnes (757 long tons) surfaced 871 t (857 long tons) submerged
Length	67.10 m (220 ft 2 in) o/a 50.50 m (165 ft 8 in) pressure hull
Beam	6.20 m (20 ft 4 in) o/a 4.70 m (15 ft 5 in) pressure hull
Height	9.60 m (31 ft 6 in)
Draught	4.74 m (15 ft 7 in)
Installed power	2,800–3,200 PS (2,100–2,400 kW; 2,800–3,200 bhp) (diesels) 750 PS (550 kW; 740 shp) (electric)
Propulsion	2 shafts 2 × diesel engines 2 × electric motors
Speed	17.7 kn (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph) surfaced 7.6 knots (14.1 km/h; 8.7 mph) submerged
Range	8,500 nmi (15,700 km; 9,800 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced 80 nmi (150 km; 92 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth	230 m (750 ft) Crush depth: 250–295 m (820–968 ft)
Complement	4 officers, 40–56 enlisted
Armament	5 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four bow, one stern) 14 × torpedoes or 26 TMA mines 1 × 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun (220 rounds) 1 x 2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 AA gun
Service record
Part of:	7th U-boat Flotilla 28 September 1940 – 31 October 1941 23rd U-boat Flotilla 1 November 1941 – 30 April 1942 29th U-boat Flotilla 1 May 1942 – 16 June 1943
Identification codes:	M 19 988
Commanders:	Oblt.z.S. / Kptlt. Udo Heilmann 28 September 1940 – May 1942 Oblt.z.S. Friedrich Bürgel May – 15 October 1942 Oblt.z.S. / Kptlt. Hans-Georg Trox 2 February 1943 – 16 June 1943
Operations:	13 patrols: 1st patrol: 17 February – 7 March 1941 2nd patrol: 20 March – 10 April 1941 3rd patrol: 1 – 30 May 1941 4th patrol: 2 July – 8 August 1941 5th patrol: 20 September – 27 October 1941 6th patrol: 23 December – 9 January 1942 7th patrol: a. 12 – 31 January 1942 b. 3 – 8 February 1942 8th patrol: 14 – 30 March 1942 9th patrol: 5 April – 12 May 1942 10th patrol: 15 June – 4 July 1942 11th patrol: a. 22 July 1942 – 4 August 1942 b. 20 – 29 August 1942 12th patrol: 10 April – 3 May 1943 13th patrol: 5 – 16 June 1943
Victories:	15 merchant ships sunk (64,404 GRT) 1 auxiliary warship sunk (6,833 GRT) 1 merchant ship damaged (9,718 GRT)