German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-348 had a displacement of 769 tonnes (757 long tons) when at the surface and 871 tonnes (857 long tons) while submerged.^[3] She had a total length of 67.10 m (220 ft 2 in), a pressure hull length of 50.50 m (165 ft 8 in), a beam of 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in), a height of 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in), and a draught of 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in). The submarine was powered by two Germaniawerft F46 four-stroke, six-cylinder supercharged diesel engines producing 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, two AEG GU 460/8–27 double-acting electric motors producing 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).^[3]

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).^[3] 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-348 was fitted with five 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and one at the stern), fourteen torpedoes, one 8.8 cm (3.46 in) SK C/35 naval gun, 220 rounds, and two twin 2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft guns. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.^[3]

The submarine was laid down on 17 November 1942 at the Nordseewerke yard at Emden as yard number 220, launched on 25 June 1943 and commissioned on 10 August under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Hans-Norbert Schunck.^{[Note 1]}

U-348 served with the 8th U-boat Flotilla, for training and then with the 9th flotilla for operations from 1 April 1944. She came back under the command of the 8th flotilla on 12 July and was reassigned to the 5th flotilla on 16 February 1945; she stayed with that organization until her destruction on 30 March.

U-348 made short trips from Kiel in Germany to Stavanger, Kristiansand and Bergen in Norway in April 1944.

First, second, and third patrols edit

Her first patrol began with her departure from Bergen on 23 April 1944. The detonation of a landmine near Stavanger on 6 May killed one man and wounded another. She returned to Bergen on the 15th.

The submarine's second foray was uneventful.

U-348's third patrol was preceded by more short trips, this time between Trondheim, Kiel and Reval, (now Tallinn, Estonia).

Fourth, fifth and sixth patrols edit

The boat's fourth sortie was divided into three parts in July and August 1944, but kept to the Ostsee (Baltic).

Patrol number five was sub-divided into four. It included departures from Helsinki in Finland and Reval and arrivals at Mösholm and Libau (now Liepāja, Latvia).

Her sixth patrol from Danzig (now Gdańsk, Poland) terminated in Swinemünde (now Świnoujście, Poland).

Fate edit

She moved from Swinemünde to Hamburg in February 1945. On 30 March she was destroyed by US bombs during an air-raid.

Notes edit

Citations edit

• Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-348". German U-boats of WWII – uboat.net. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
• Hofmann, Markus. "U 348". Deutsche U-Boote 1935–1945 – u-boot-archiv.de (in German). Retrieved 26 December 2014.