Recognition Guide Warships of the Second World War
Kriegsmarine — Submarine

German submarine U-420

Type VIIC submarine

German submarine U-420
Darkone — CC BY-SA 2.0 — Wikimedia Commons Plate U 995 , Naval Museum in Laboe near Kiel, Germany

Service

  1. Kriegsmarine as U-42016 December 1942 — 20 October 1943308 days of the war
Type VIIC submarine Particulars
Name
U-420
Builder
Danziger Werft AG, Danzig
Ordered
20 January 1941
Laid down
3 December 1941
Launched
18 August 1942
Commissioned
16 December 1942
Fate
Missing in the North Atlantic since 20 October 1943 (1943)
Status
Unknown

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-420 was a Type VIIC submarine in service with the Kriegsmarine. Danziger Werft AG, Danzig laid her keel on 3 December 1941. Launched on 18 August 1942, she entered service on 16 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 308 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 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
  • 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