German submarineU-238

German submarineU-238was aType VIICU-boatofNazi Germany'sKriegsmarinebuilt for service in theSecond World War.She waslaid downon 21 April 1942, byGermaniawerftofKielas yard number 668,launchedon 7 January 1943 andcommissionedon 20 February, withOberleutnant zur SeeHorst Hepp in command. Hepp commanded her for her entire career, receiving promotion toKapitänleutnantin the process.

History
Nazi Germany
Name	U-238
Ordered	20 January 1941
Builder	Germaniawerft,Kiel
Yard number	668
Laid down	21 April 1942
Launched	7 January 1943
Commissioned	20 February 1943
Fate	Sunk by surface craft, 9 February 1944
General characteristics
Class and type	Type VIICsubmarine
Displacement	769tonnes(757long 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 knots (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph) surfaced 7.6 knots (14.1 km/h; 8.7 mph) submerged
Range	8,500nmi(15,700km;9,800mi) 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 ×torpedoesor26 TMAmines 1 ×8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun(220 rounds) 2 × twin2 cm (0.79 in) C/30anti-aircraft guns
Service record
Part of:	5th U-boat Flotilla 20 February – 31 July 1943 1st U-boat Flotilla 1 August 1943 – 9 February 1944
Identification codes:	M 50 141
Commanders:	Kptlt.Horst Hepp 20 February 1943 – 9 February 1944
Operations:	3 patrols: 1st patrol: 5 September – 8 October 1943 2nd patrol: 11 November – 12 December 1943 3rd patrol: 27 January – 9 February 1944
Victories:	4 merchant ships sunk (23,048GRT) 1 merchant ship damaged (7,176GRT)

Design

German Type VIIC submarineswere preceded by the shorterType VIIB submarines.U-238had a displacement of 769 tonnes (757 long tons) when at the surface and 871 tonnes (857 long tons) while submerged.She had a total length of 67.10 m (220 ft 2 in), apressure hulllength of 50.50 m (165 ft 8 in), abeamof 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in), a height of 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in), and adraughtof 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in). The submarine was powered by twoGermaniawerftF46 four-stroke, six-cylindersuperchargeddiesel enginesproducing a total of 2,800 to 3,200 metric horsepower (2,060 to 2,350 kW; 2,760 to 3,160 shp) for use while surfaced, twoAEGGU 460/8–27double-acting electric motorsproducing a total of 750 metric horsepower (550 kW; 740 shp) for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 1.23 m (4 ft)propellers.The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to 230 metres (750 ft).

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 17.7 knots (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 7.6 knots (14.1 km/h; 8.7 mph).When submerged, the boat could operate for 80 nautical miles (150 km; 92 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 8,500 nautical miles (15,700 km; 9,800 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph).U-238was fitted with five 53.3 cm (21 in)torpedo tubes(four fitted at the bow and one at the stern), fourteentorpedoes,one8.8 cm (3.46 in) SK C/35 naval gun,220 rounds, and two twin2 cm (0.79 in) C/30anti-aircraft guns.The boat had acomplementof between forty-four and sixty.

Service history

U-238was a member of fourwolfpacks;she was a successful, if short lived boat, sinking four freighters and damaging another during her operations against Allied convoys in theBattle of the Atlantic.She had the misfortune, however, of serving at the turning point of the war, when Allied countermeasures were taking a heavy toll on the U-boat force. She conducted three war patrols, beginning in September 1943, following her warm-up trials in theBaltic Sea.

War Patrols

U-238's first patrol was conducted fromTrondheimin Norway as part of the1st U-boat Flotilla,and entailed the submarine exiting theNorth Seavia theDenmark Straitand operating against Allied shipping in the so-called "air cover gap" in the Central Atlantic, where Allied aircraft had insufficient range, on account of fuel limitations, to effectively operate against German U-boats. This first patrol was by far the most successful, as on 20 September 1943, the boat attacked alarge convoy,sinking one 7,176 GRT cargo ship and damaging another. This was followed by three more victims on 23 September, when two Norwegian ships and a British freighter were sunk from the same convoy.

U-238's second patrol was less successful. Two weeks after leavingBrest,on the French Atlantic coast, she was attacked by aGrumman TBF Avengertorpedo bomberfrom theescort carrierUSSBogue(CVE-9),whose rockets killed two crew members and wounded five more, prompting the submarine to return to Brest with severe damage, which put her out of service for a month. It was during this patrol that the submarine captured two BritishRoyal Air Forcepersonnel whoseVickers Wellingtonbomber had been shot down byU-764.

U-238's third and last patrol began in January 1944, and lasted a fruitless month, until on 9 February, she was caught by convoy escorts of SL-147andMKS-38270 nautical miles (500 km) offCape Clear.She counter-attacked, unsuccessfully, and was sunk by thesloopsHMSKite,MagpieandStarling.There were no survivors.

Wolfpacks

U-238took part in fourwolfpacks,namely:

• Leuthen(15 – 24 September 1943)
• Schill 2(17 – 22 November 1943)
• Weddigen(22 November – 1 December 1943)
• Igel 2 (4 – 9 February 1944)

Summary of raiding history

Date	Ship Name	Nationality	Tonnage (GRT)	Fate
20 September 1943	Frederick Douglass	United States	7,176	Damaged
20 September 1943	Theodore Dwight Weld	United States	7,176	Sunk
23 September 1943	Fort Jemseg	United Kingdom	7,134	Sunk
23 September 1943	Oregon Express	Norway	3,642	Sunk
23 September 1943	Skjelbred	Norway	5,096	Sunk

Bibliography

• Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (1999a).German U-boat commanders of World War II: a biographical dictionary.Translated by Brooks, Geoffrey. London, Annapolis, Md: Greenhill Books, Naval Institute Press.ISBN1-55750-186-6.
• Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (1999b).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.ISBN3-8132-0514-2.
• Edwards (1996).Dönitz and the Wolf Packs: The U-boats at War.Cassell Military Classics. pp. 217, 221.ISBN0-304-35203-9.
• 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.ISBN0-85177-593-4.
• Kemp, Paul (1999).U-Boats Destroyed: German Submarine Losses in the World Wars.London: Arms & Armour.ISBN1-85409-515-3.
• Sharpe, Peter (1998).U-Boat Fact File.Great Britain: Midland Publishing.ISBN1-85780-072-9.

External links

• Helgason, Guðmundur."The Type VIIC boat U-238".German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net.Retrieved26 December2014.
• Hofmann, Markus."U 238"(in German). Deutsche U-Boote 1935–1945 - u-boot-archiv.de.Retrieved26 December2014.