Recognition Guide Warships of the Second World War
Kriegsmarine — Submarine

German submarine U-361

Type VIIC submarine

German submarine U-361
No. 210 Squadron RAF. — This photograph C 4950 comes from the collections of the Imperial War Museums — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons Plate Oblique photograph taken from Consolidated Catalina Mark IVA, JV928 'Y', of No. 210 Squadron RAF during an attack on German type VIIC submarine U-361 (not U-347) west of the Lofoten Islands. After an initial attack in which the Catalina's depth charges failed to release, the captain, Flying Officer J.A. Cruickshank, made a second run from astern, through intense fire from the U-boat which killed t

Service

  1. Kriegsmarine as U-36118 December 1942 — 17 July 1944577 days of the war
Type VIIC submarine Particulars
Name
U-361
Builder
Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft, Flensburg
Ordered
7 December 1940
Laid down
12 September 1941
Launched
9 September 1942
Commissioned
18 December 1942
Fate
Sunk on 17 July 1944 (1944)
Status
Wreck

Specifications

Displacement, surfaced
757 long tons (769 t)
Displacement, submerged
857 long tons (871 t)
Length
67.1 m (220.1 ft) OA
Beam
6.2 m (20.3 ft)
Draught
4.74 m (15.6 ft)
Speed
17.7 knots (32.8 km/h, 20.4 mph)
Range
8,500 nmi (15,742 km)
Main gun
88 mm (3.5 in)

U-361 was a Type VIIC submarine built for the Kriegsmarine. Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft, Flensburg laid her keel on 12 September 1941. Launched on 9 September 1942, she entered service on 18 December 1942.

She was one of 612 ships of her class. The class followed the Type UB III, Vetehinen class and was succeeded by the Type XXI (Late-war replacement).

The boat displaced 757 long tons surfaced and 857 long tons submerged. She measured 67.1 m (220 ft) long with a beam of 6.2 m (20 ft). Her designed speed was 17.7 knots.

Her main battery was one 88 mm (3.5 in) guns.

She was in commission for 577 days of the Second World War.

She was sunk on 17 July 1944. 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
  • 2800 - 3200 PS (diesels)
  • 750 PS (electric)
Armament
  • 5 × 53.3 cm torpedo tubes (four bow, one stern)
  • 14 × torpedoes or 26 TMA mines
  • 1 × 8.8 cm deck gun (220 rounds)
  • 2 × twin 2 cm C/30 anti-aircraft guns

Sister ships

587 more in the class

Sources

  • Facts harvested from German submarine U-361 on Wikipedia. Figures only — no wording is taken from it.
  • Photograph: No. 210 Squadron RAF. — This photograph C 4950 comes from the collections of the Imperial War Museums — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons