German submarine U-102 (1940)


German submarine U-102 was a Type VIIB submarine of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.
The U-boat was laid down on 22 May 1939 at the Friedrich Krupp Germaniawerft shipyard at Kiel as yard number 596, launched on 21 March 1940 and commissioned on 27 April under the command of Kapitänleutnant Harro von Klot-Heydenfeldt to serve with the 7th U-boat Flotilla from 27 April 1940 to 1 June for crew training and operationally until she was sunk on 1 July. She sank two Allied ships, claiming.

Design

were preceded by the shorter Type VIIA submarines. U-102 had a displacement of when at the surface and while submerged. She had a total length of, a pressure hull length of, a beam of, a height of, and a draught of. The submarine was powered by two Germaniawerft F46 four-stroke, six-cylinder supercharged diesel engines producing a total of for use while surfaced, two AEG GU 460/8-276 double-acting electric motors producing a total of for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to.
The submarine had a maximum surface speed of and a maximum submerged speed of. When submerged, the boat could operate for at ; when surfaced, she could travel at. U-102 was fitted with five torpedo tubes, fourteen torpedoes, one SK C/35 naval gun, 220 rounds, and one 2 cm Flak 30| anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.

Service history

U-102s first and only patrol began on 22 June 1940. Having sunk the Castleton near the Orkney Islands on the 28th and the Clearton about west of Ushant on 1 July, she was herself sunk on the same day as the latter ship by depth charges from a British destroyer,.
43 men died with the submarine; there were no survivors.
After the U-boat's sinking, Vansittart rescued the 26 survivors from Clearton.

Previously Recorded Fate

U-102 was originally believed to have been sunk in the Bay of Biscay due to unknown causes on or after 30 June 1940.

Summary of raiding history