German submarineUD-4

History
Netherlands
Name	HNLMSO 26
Ordered	24 June 1938
Builder	Rotterdamsche Droogdok Maatschappij,Rotterdam
Laid down	20 April 1939
Fate	Incomplete, captured by German on 14 May 1940
Nazi Germany
Name	UD-4
Launched	23 November 1940
Commissioned	28 January 1941
Decommissioned	19 March 1945
Fate	Scuttled on 3 May 1945
General characteristics
Class and type	O 21-classsubmarine
Displacement	990 tons surfaced 1205 tons submerged
Length	77.70 m (254 ft 11 in)
Beam	6.80 m (22 ft 4 in)
Draught	3.95 m (13 ft 0 in)
Propulsion	2 × 2,500 PS (2,466 bhp; 1,839 kW)diesel engines 2 × 500 PS (493 bhp; 368 kW)electric motors
Speed	19.5knots(36.1 km/h; 22.4 mph) surfaced 9 knots (17 km/h; 10 mph) submerged
Range	10,000nmi(19,000 km; 12,000 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) surfaced 28nmi(52 km; 32 mi) at 8.5 knots (15.7 km/h; 9.8 mph) submerged
Complement	39
Armament	4 × 21 in (533 mm) bowtorpedo tubes 2 × 21 in stern torpedo tubes 2 × 21 in (1×2) external-traversing TT amidships
Service record asUD-4
Part of:	1st U-boat Flotilla January – April 1941 3rd U-boat Flotilla May – July 1941 5th U-boat Flotilla August 1941 – December 1942 27th U-boat Flotilla January 1943 – November 1944 24th U-boat Flotilla November 1944 – January 1945 18th U-boat Flotilla January – March 1945
Identification codes:	M 30 414
Commanders:	K.Kapt.Helmut Brümmer-Patzig 28 January – 15 October 1941 K.Kapt.Rudolf von Singule 16 October 1941 – 29 April 1942 Kptlt.Hinrich-Oscar Bernbeck 30 April – May 1942 June – 8 December 1942 K.Kapt.Friedrich Schäfer 23 March 1943 – 22 November 1944 Oblt.z.S./ Kptlt.Fritz Bart 23 November 1944 – 19 March 1945
Operations:	None
Victories:	None

UD-4was anO 21-classsubmarine.The boat waslaid downas the Dutch submarineHNLMSK XXVIand renamedHNLMSO 26but was captured duringGerman invasionof the Netherlands inWorld War IIandcommissionedin theKriegsmarine.

Ship history

The submarine was ordered on 24 June 1938 andlaid downon 20 April 1939 asK XXVIat theRotterdamsche Droogdok Maatschappij,Rotterdam.During construction she was renamedO 26.Following theGerman invasionof 10 May 1940, the not yet launchedO 26was captured at the yard by the invading forces.

The Germans decided to complete her. The launch took place on 23 November 1940. She served in theKriegsmarineasUD-4and wascommissionedon 28 January 1941,withKorvettenkapitänHelmut Brümmer-Patzigin command.

UD-4among other types in the heavily damaged port of Kiel, April 1945.

From January to April 1941,UD-4served as school boat inKielwhen attached to the1st Flotilla.In May, she was transferred to the3rd Flotillaalso in Kiel where she was used as a trial boat. She remained there until July that year. In August 1941, the boat was transferred to the5th Flotillaalso in Kiel where she was used as a school boat until December 1942. In January 1943,UD-4was transferred toGotenhafenwhere she served as a school boat for24th Flotillaand27th Flotillauntil January 1945. From January to March 1945, she was based inHelaand transferred to the18th Flotillawhere she served as a school boat.

On 19 March 1945,UD-4was decommissioned. On 3 May 1945, she was scuttled in Kiel.

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.ISBN978-1-55750-186-8.
• Gröner, Erich; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991).German Warships 1815–1945, U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels.Vol. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press.ISBN978-0-85177-593-7.