Recognition Guide Warships of the Second World War
Kriegsmarine — Submarine 1941

German submarine U-116 (1941)

Type X submarine minelayer

Displacement
1,735 long tons (1,763 t)
Length
89.8 m (294.6 ft)
Beam
9.2 m (30.2 ft)
Speed
17 knots (31.5 km/h, 19.6 mph)
Complement
52
Main gun
105 mm (4.1 in)

Service

  1. Kriegsmarine as U-11626 July 1941 — 6 October 1942437 days of the war
Type X submarine minelayer Particulars
Name
U-116
Pennant / hull number
1941
Builder
Germaniawerft, Kiel
Ordered
31 January 1939
Laid down
1 July 1939
Launched
3 May 1941
Commissioned
26 July 1941
Fate
Missing since 6 October 1942 in the North Atlantic (1942)
Status
Unknown

Specifications

Displacement, surfaced
1,735 long tons (1,763 t)
Displacement, submerged
2,143 long tons (2,177 t)
Length
89.8 m (294.6 ft) OA
Beam
9.2 m (30.2 ft)
Draught
4.71 m (15.5 ft)
Speed
17 knots (31.5 km/h, 19.6 mph)
Range
18,450 nmi (34,169 km)
Complement
52
Main gun
105 mm (4.1 in)

U-116 was a submarine of the Type X submarine minelayer built for the Kriegsmarine. She carried the pennant number 1941. Her keel was laid at Germaniawerft, Kiel on 1 July 1939. Launched on 3 May 1941, she entered service on 26 July 1941.

Her class ran to nine ships.

The boat displaced 1,735 long tons surfaced and 2,143 long tons submerged. She measured 89.8 m (295 ft) long with a beam of 9.2 m (30 ft). Her designed speed was 17 knots, and she carried a complement of 52.

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

She was in commission for 437 days of the Second World War.

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 × supercharged GW F 46 a 9 pu 9 cylinder, four-stroke diesel engines, 4800 PS
  • 2 × AEG GU 720/8-287 electric motors, 1100 PS
Armament
  • 2 × 53.3 cm stern torpedo tubes
  • 15 × torpedoes
  • 66 × SMA mines
  • 1 × 10.5 cm deck gun (200 rounds)
  • various AA guns

Sister ships

Sources