Recognition Guide Warships of the Second World War
Imperial Japanese Navy — Submarine

German submarine U-511

Type IXC submarine

German submarine U-511
Unknown author — 写真日本の軍艦第12巻p240 — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons Plate Japanese Submarine RO-500(ex-U.511), at Pengnan.

Service

  1. Kriegsmarine as U-5118 December 1941 — 16 September 1943647 days of the war
  2. Imperial Japanese Navy as Ro-50016 September 1943 — August 1945712 days of the war
Type IXC submarine Particulars
Name
U-511
Builder
Deutsche Werft, Hamburg
Ordered
20 October 1939
Laid down
21 February 1941
Launched
22 September 1941
Commissioned
8 December 1941
Fate
Surrendered in August 1945
Scuttled on 30 April 1946 (1945)
Status
Wreck

Specifications

Displacement, surfaced
1,102 long tons (1,120 t)
Displacement, submerged
1,213 long tons (1,232 t)
Length
76.76 m (251.8 ft) OA
Beam
6.76 m (22.2 ft)
Draught
4.7 m (15.4 ft)
Speed
18.3 knots (33.9 km/h, 21.1 mph)
Range
13,450 nmi (24,909 km)
Complement
48
Main gun
105 mm (4.1 in)

U-511 was a Type IXC submarine, operated by the Kriegsmarine. Deutsche Werft, Hamburg laid her keel on 21 February 1941. Launched on 22 September 1941, she entered service on 8 December 1941.

142 ships of the class were built. The class followed the Type I and was succeeded by the Type XXI.

The boat displaced 1,102 long tons surfaced and 1,213 long tons submerged. She measured 76.8 m (252 ft) long with a beam of 6.8 m (22 ft). Her designed speed was 18.3 knots, and she carried a complement of 48.

Her main battery was one 105 mm (4.1 in) guns.

She served with the Kriegsmarine as U-511 until 16 September 1943. She then passed to the Imperial Japanese Navy, serving as Ro-500 from 16 September 1943. She was in commission for 1,359 days of the Second World War.

She was scuttled in August 1945. The wreck survives.

Written from the harvested record. Every figure above is sourced; the wording is this site's own.

Armament and machinery

Armament and machinery
Propulsion
  • 2 shafts
  • 2 × diesel engines
  • 2 × electric motors
Power
  • 4400 PS (diesels)
  • 1000 PS (electric)
Armament
  • 6 × torpedo tubes (4 bow, 2 stern)
  • 22 × 53.3 cm torpedoes
  • 1 × 10.5 cm SK C/32 deck gun (180 rounds)
  • 1 × 3.7 cm SK C/30 AA gun
  • 1 × twin 2 cm FlaK 30 AA guns

Sister ships

117 more in the class

Sources

  • Facts harvested from German submarine U-511 on Wikipedia. Figures only — no wording is taken from it.
  • Photograph: Unknown author — 写真日本の軍艦第12巻p240 — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons