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

German submarine U-118 (1941)

Type X submarine minelayer

German submarine U-118 (1941)
ARM2c O. L. Scholl — http://www.history.navy.mil — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons Plate — 1941 U-118 under attack by aircraft from USS Bogue (CVE-9)

Service

  1. Kriegsmarine as U-11823 September 1941 — 12 June 1943627 days of the war
Type X submarine minelayer Particulars
Name
U-118
Pennant / hull number
1941
Builder
Germaniawerft, Kiel
Ordered
31 January 1939
Laid down
1 March 1940
Launched
3 May 1941
Commissioned
23 September 1941
Fate
Sunk on 12 June 1943 by US aircraft
By aircraft (1943)
Status
Wreck

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-118 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 March 1940. She entered service on 23 September 1941, having been launched on 3 May 1941.

She was one of nine ships of her class.

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 627 days of the Second World War.

She was sunk on 12 June 1943 by aircraft, at 30°49′N 33°49′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 × 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)

Sister ships

Sources