German submarineU-293

History
Nazi Germany
Name	U-293
Ordered	14 October 1941
Builder	Bremer VulkanWerft,Bremen-Vegesack
Yard number	58
Laid down	17 November 1942
Launched	30 July 1943
Commissioned	8 September 1943
Fate	Surrendered on 11 May 1945; sunk as part of OperationDeadlighton 13 December 1945
General characteristics
Class and type	Type VIIC/41submarine
Displacement	759tonnes(747long tons) surfaced 860 t (846 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	250 m (820 ft) Crush depth:275–325 m (902–1,066 ft)
Complement	4 officers, 40–56 enlisted
Armament	5 × 53.3 cm (21 in)torpedo tubes(four bow, one stern) 14 ×torpedoes 1 ×8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun(220 rounds) 1 ×3.7 cm (1.5 in) Flak M42AA gun 2 ×2 cm (0.79 in) C/30AA guns
Service record
Part of:	8th U-boat Flotilla 8 September 1943 – 1 April 1944 9th U-boat Flotilla 1 April – 31 July 1944 11th U-boat Flotilla 1 August – 4 September 1944 13th U-boat Flotilla 5 September 1944 – 8 May 1945
Identification codes:	M 54 412
Commanders:	Kptlt.Leonhard Klingspor 8 September 1943 – 11 May 1945 Oblt.z.S.Erich Steinbrink December 1944 – March 1945
Operations:	6 patrols: 1st patrol: 16 – 22 September 1944 2nd patrol: 25 September – 4 October 1944 3rd patrol: 14 October – 6 November 1944 4th patrol: 21 November – 19 December 1944 5th patrol: 1 January – 15 February 1945 6th patrol: 1 April – 11 May 1945
Victories:	1 warship damaged (1,658 tons)

German submarineU-293was aType VIIC/41U-boatofNazi Germany'sKriegsmarineduringWorld War II.She waslaid downon 17 November 1942 by theBremer VulkanWerft(yard) atBremen-Vegesackas yard number 58,launchedon 30 July 1943, andcommissionedon 8 September withKapitänleutnantLeonhard Klingspor in command. In six patrols, she damaged one warship. She surrendered atLoch Eribollin Scotland on 11 May 1945 and was sunk as part of OperationDeadlighton 13 December 1945.

Design

A cross-section of a Type VIIC submarine

German Type VIIC/41 submarineswere preceded by the shorterType VIIB submarines.U-293had a displacement of 759 tonnes (747 long tons) when at the surface and 860 tonnes (850 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-293was 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), one3.7 cm (1.5 in) Flak M42and two2 cm (0.79 in) C/30anti-aircraft guns. The boat had acomplementof between forty-four and sixty.

Service history

U-293 was ordered byKriegsmarineon 14 October 1941. She waslaid downjust over one year later atBremer Vulkan,Bremen-Vegesackon 17 November 1942.U-293 waslaunchedfrom Bremen-Vegesack on 30 July 1943. She was formally commissioned later that year on 8 September 1943. Like all Type VIIC/41 U-boats,U-293 carried five 533 mm (21 in)torpedo tubes(4 located in the bow, 1 in the stern) and had one C35 88mm/L45deck gunwith 220 rounds of ammunition. She could also carry 14G7e torpedoesor 26 TMAminesand could hold a crew of 44-52 men.

First Patrol

After her training with the8th U-boat flotilla,U-293traveled through German controlled waters for several months, eventually being stationed inTrondheim,after stops at bases such asArendal,Bergen,andStavanger.After over a year since being formally commissioned intoKriegsmarine,U-293began her first wartime patrol under the command of Oblt. Leonhard Klingspor on 16 September 1944. For seven days,U-293traveled through theNorwegian Seauntil arriving at the port ofNarvikon 22 September 1944. During this time,U-293sighted no enemy vessels.

Second, Third, and Fourth Patrols

Again under the command of Klingspor,U-293departed from Narvik on 25 September 1944 and ventured out into theArctic Ocean.During this 10-day patrol,U-293again failed to encounter any enemy vessels of any type. On 4 October 1944,U-293ended her second war patrol by arriving at the port city ofHammerfest,one of the most extreme northernGerman U-boat bases in Norway.

U-293's third patrol proved to be the longest one that the U-boat had undertaken up to that point. On 14 October 1944, after spending four days in port, the U-boat left Hammerfest and traveled into theBarents Seaoff the north coast of Russia. During the 24-day period, the U-boat once again failed to make contact with any enemy vessels and once again returned to Narvik on 6 November 1944.

U-293's fourth patrol was much like her third. During 29 days at sea, the U-boat traveled to the northern coast of Russia, failed encounter any ships, and once again returned to Narvik on 19 December 1944, having left on 21 November 1944. After this patrol, the U-boat was put under the command of Oblt. Erich Steinbrink.

Fifth Patrol

With Steinbrink in command,U-293departed Narvik on 1 January 1945. In what was to be the longest patrol conducted inU-293's history, the U-boat once again traveled into the Arctic off of the northern coast of Russia.It was here on 20 January 1945 thatU-293scored her first and only hit of the war. At 10:55 AM local time, the Soviet DestroyerRazyaryonnywas escorting the convoy "KP-1" and was attempting to hunt down the U-boat along with another ship,Razumny,when she was hit by a torpedo launched fromU-293.Razyaryonnywas traveling at 16 knots when she was hit in the afterpart. Part ofRazyaryonny's stern was lost in the explosion. Despite the attack, her crew managed to save the ship and was later towed by the Soviet minesweeperT-117to the port ofLiinahamarion 21 January 1945.After this attack,U-293returned to Narvik on 15 February 1945, after spending 46 days at sea.

Summary of raiding history

Date	Ship Name	Nationality	Tonnage	Fate
20 January 1945	Razyaryonny	Soviet Navy	1,658	Damaged

See also

• Battle of the Atlantic (1939-1945)

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.ISBN1-55750-186-6.
• 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.ISBN3-8132-0514-2.
• 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.ISBN0-85177-593-4.

External links

• Helgason, Guðmundur."The Type VII/C41 boat U-293".German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net.Retrieved6 December2014.
• Hofmann, Markus."U 293".Deutsche U-Boote 1935-1945 - u-boot-archiv.de(in German).Retrieved6 December2014.