German submarine U-101 (1940)

U-52, a typical Type VIIB boat
History
Nazi Germany
Name:	U-101
Ordered:	15 December 1937
Builder:	Germaniawerft, Kiel
Yard number:	595
Laid down:	31 March 1939
Launched:	13 January 1940
Commissioned:	11 March 1940
Decommissioned:	21 October 1943
Fate:	Scuttled on 3 May 1945; wreck later scrapped
Badge:
General characteristics
Class and type:	Type VIIB U-boat
Displacement:	753 t (741 long tons) surfaced 857 t (843 long tons) submerged
Length:	66.50 m (218 ft 2 in) o/a 48.80 m (160 ft 1 in) pressure hull
Beam:	6.20 m (20 ft 4 in) o/a 4.70 m (15 ft 5 in) pressure hull
Draught:	4.74 m (15 ft 7 in)
Installed power:	2,800–3,200 PS (2,100–2,400 kW; 2,800–3,200 bhp) (diesels) 750 PS (550 kW; 740 shp) (electric)
Propulsion:	2 shafts 2 × diesel engines 2 × electric motors
Range:	8,700 nmi (16,100 km; 10,000 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced 90 nmi (170 km; 100 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth:	230 m (750 ft) Calculated crush depth: 250–295 m (820–968 ft)
Boats & landing craft carried:	1 inflatable rubber boat
Complement:	4 officers, 40—56 enlisted
Sensors and processing systems:	Gruppenhorchgerät
Armament:	5 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes: four bow, one stern 14 × torpedoes or 26 TMA mines 1 × 8.8 cm (3.5 in) deck gun with 220 rounds 1 × 2 cm (0.79 in) anti-aircraft gun
Service record
Part of:	Kriegsmarine: 7th U-boat Flotilla
Commanders:	Kptlt. Fritz Frauenheim Kptlt. Ernst Mengersen Oblt.z.S. Karl-Heinz Marbach Oblt.z.S. Friedrich Bothe Oblt.z.S. Ernst von Witzendorff Oblt.z.S. Helmut Münster
Operations:	Ten 1st patrol: 29 April – 3 May 1940 2nd patrol: 21 May – 25 July 1940 3rd patrol: 9 August – 16 September 1940 4th patrol: 5–24 October 1940 5th patrol: 24 November – 7 December 1940 6th patrol: 23 January – 19 February 1941 7th patrol: 24 March – 2 May 1941 8th patrol: 28 May – 4 July 1941 9th patrol: 7 August – 4 September 1941 10th patrol: 11 October – 16 November 1941
Victories:	35 ships sunk (totaling 198,218 GRT) three auxiliary warships sunk - 46,440 GRT five ships damaged - 37,965 GRT one ship taken as a prize - 2,136 GRT

German submarine U-101 was a Type VIIB U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. She had a highly successful career.

German Type VIIB submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIA submarines. U-101 had a displacement of 753 tonnes (741 long tons) when at the surface and 857 tonnes (843 long tons) while submerged. She had a total length of 66.50 m (218 ft 2 in), a pressure hull length of 48.80 m (160 ft 1 in), a beam of 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in), a height of 9.50 m (31 ft 2 in), and a draught of 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in). The submarine was powered by two MAN M 6 V 40/46 four-stroke, six-cylinder supercharged diesel engines producing a total of 2,800 to 3,200 metric horsepower (2,060 to 2,350 kW; 2,760 to 3,160 shp) for use while surfaced, two AEG GU 460/8-276 double-acting electric motors producing a total of 750 metric horsepower (550 kW; 740 shp) for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 1.23 m (4 ft) propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to 230 metres (750 ft).

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 17.9 knots (33.2 km/h; 20.6 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph). When submerged, the boat could operate for 90 nautical miles (170 km; 100 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 8,700 nautical miles (16,100 km; 10,000 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). U-101 was fitted with five 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and one at the stern), fourteen torpedoes, one 8.8 cm (3.46 in) SK C/35 naval gun, 220 rounds, and one 2 cm (0.79 in) anti-aircraft gun The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.