Recognition Guide Warships of the Second World War
Kriegsmarine — Submarine

German submarine U-4703

Type XXIII submarine

German submarine U-4703
Unknown author — This image was provided to Wikimedia Commons by the German Federal Archive (Deutsches Bundesarchiv) as part of a cooperation project . The German Federal Archive guarantees an authentic representation only using the originals (negative and/or positive), resp. the digitalization of the originals as provided by the Digital Image Archive — CC BY-SA 3.0 de — Wikimedia Commons Plate

Service

  1. Kriegsmarine as U-470321 January 1945 — 5 May 1945104 days of the war
Type XXIII submarine Particulars
Name
U-4703
Builder
Friedrich Krupp Germaniawerft AG, Kiel
Ordered
7 July 1944
Laid down
1 November 1944
Launched
3 January 1945
Commissioned
21 January 1945
Fate
Scuttled on 5 May 1945 (1945)
Status
Wreck

Specifications

Displacement, surfaced
230 long tons (234 t)
Displacement, submerged
254 long tons (258 t)
Length
34.68 m (113.8 ft) OA
Beam
3.02 m (9.9 ft)
Draught
3.66 m (12 ft)
Speed
9.7 knots (18 km/h, 11.2 mph)
Range
2,600 nmi (4,815 km)
Complement
14

U-4703 was a Type XXIII submarine in service with the Kriegsmarine. Friedrich Krupp Germaniawerft AG, Kiel laid her keel on 1 November 1944. She entered service on 21 January 1945, having been launched on 3 January 1945.

She was one of 62 ships of her class. The class followed the Type II submarine (Conventional coastal submarine) and was succeeded by the Type 201 coastal submarine.

The boat displaced 230 long tons surfaced and 254 long tons submerged. She measured 34.7 m (114 ft) long with a beam of 3.0 m (10 ft). Her designed speed was 9.7 knots, and she carried a complement of 14.

Her main battery was two 533 mm (21.0 in) guns.

She was in commission for 104 days of the Second World War.

She was scuttled on 5 May 1945. 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
  • 1 × MWM RS134S 6-cylinder diesel engine
  • 1 × AEG GU4463-8 double-acting electric motor
  • 1 × BBC CCR188 electric creeping motor
Power
  • 575 - 630 PS (diesel drive)
  • 580 PS (standard electric drive)
  • 35 PS (silent electric drive)
Armament
  • 2 × 53.3 cm bow torpedo tubes
  • 2 × torpedoes

Sister ships

37 more in the class

Sources

  • Facts harvested from German submarine U-4703 on Wikipedia. Figures only — no wording is taken from it.
  • Photograph: Unknown author — This image was provided to Wikimedia Commons by the German Federal Archive (Deutsches Bundesarchiv) as part of a cooperation project . The German Federal Archive guarantees an authentic representation only using the originals (negative and/or positive), resp. the digitalization of the originals as provided by the Digital Image Archive — CC BY-SA 3.0 de — Wikimedia Commons