Recognition Guide Warships of the Second World War
Kriegsmarine — Submarine

German submarine U-518

Type IXC submarine

German submarine U-518
Jeremy Atherton — Self-photographed — CC BY-SA 2.5 — Wikimedia Commons Plate U-505 at the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago, IL. October 2005.

Service

  1. Kriegsmarine as U-51825 April 1942 — April 19451,099 days of the war
Type IXC submarine Particulars
Name
U-518
Builder
Deutsche Werft, Hamburg
Ordered
14 February 1940
Laid down
12 June 1941
Launched
11 February 1942
Commissioned
25 April 1942
Fate
Sunk on 22nd of April 1945 (1945)
Status
Wreck

Specifications

Displacement, surfaced
1,102 long tons (1,120 t)
Displacement, submerged
1,213 long tons (1,232 t)
Length
76.76 m (251.8 ft) OA
Beam
6.76 m (22.2 ft)
Draught
4.7 m (15.4 ft)
Speed
18.3 knots (33.9 km/h, 21.1 mph)
Range
13,450 nmi (24,909 km)
Complement
48
Main gun
105 mm (4.1 in)

U-518 was a Type IXC submarine, operated by the Kriegsmarine. Deutsche Werft, Hamburg laid her keel on 12 June 1941. Launched on 11 February 1942, she entered service on 25 April 1942.

She was one of 142 ships of her class. The class followed the Type I and was succeeded by the Type XXI.

The boat displaced 1,102 long tons surfaced and 1,213 long tons submerged. She measured 76.8 m (252 ft) long with a beam of 6.8 m (22 ft). Her designed speed was 18.3 knots, and she carried a complement of 48.

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

She was in commission for 1,099 days of the Second World War.

She was sunk in April 1945, at 43°26′N 38°23′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 shafts
  • 2 × diesel engines
  • 2 × electric motors
Power
  • 4400 PS (diesels)
  • 1000 PS (electric)
Armament
  • 6 × torpedo tubes (4 bow, 2 stern)
  • 22 × 53.3 cm torpedoes
  • 1 × 10.5 cm SK C/32 deck gun (180 rounds)
  • 1 × 3.7 cm SK C/30 AA gun
  • 1 × twin 2 cm FlaK 30 AA guns

Sister ships

117 more in the class

Sources