Recognition Guide Warships of the Second World War
Kriegsmarine — Submarine

German submarine U-520

Type IXC submarine

German submarine U-520
Jeremy Atherton — Self-photographed — CC BY-SA 2.5 — Wikimedia Commons Plate U-505 at the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago, IL. October 2005.

Service

  1. Kriegsmarine as U-52019 May 1942 — 30 October 1942162 days of the war
Type IXC submarine Particulars
Name
U-520
Builder
Deutsche Werft, Hamburg
Ordered
14 February 1940
Laid down
1 July 1941
Launched
2 March 1942
Commissioned
19 May 1942
Fate
Sunk on 30 October 1942 (1942)
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-520 was a Type IXC submarine, operated by the Kriegsmarine. Deutsche Werft, Hamburg laid her keel on 1 July 1941. Launched on 2 March 1942, she entered service on 19 May 1942.

Her class ran to 142 ships. 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 was in commission for 162 days of the Second World War.

She was sunk on 30 October 1942, at 47°47′N 49°50′W. 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