German submarine U-143 (1940)

History

Nazi Germany
Name:	U-143
Ordered:	25 September 1939
Builder:	Deutsche Werke, Kiel
Yard number:	272
Laid down:	3 January 1940
Launched:	16 August 1940
Commissioned:	18 September 1940
Fate:	Surrendered on 2 May 1945 at Heligoland; sunk on 22 December 1945 as part of Operation Deadlight
General characteristics
Class and type:	IID
Type:	Coastal submarine
Displacement:	314 t (309 long tons) surfaced 364 t (358 long tons) submerged
Length:	43.97 m (144 ft 3 in) o/a 29.80 m (97 ft 9 in) pressure hull
Beam:	4.92 m (16 ft 2 in) o/a 4.00 m (13 ft 1 in) pressure hull
Height:	8.40 m (27 ft 7 in)
Draught:	3.93 m (12 ft 11 in)
Installed power:	700 PS (510 kW; 690 bhp) (diesels) 410 PS (300 kW; 400 shp) (electric)
Propulsion:	2 shafts 2 × diesel engines 2 × electric motors
Range:	3,450 nmi (6,390 km; 3,970 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) surfaced 56 nmi (104 km; 64 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth:	80 m (260 ft)
Complement:	3 officers, 22 men
Armament:	3 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes 5 × torpedoes or up to 12 TMA or 18 TMB 1 × 2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft gun
Service record^[1]^[2]
Part of:	1st U-boat Flotilla 18 September - 2 November 1940 24th U-boat Flotilla 3 November - 31 December 1940 22nd U-boat Flotilla 1 January - 1 April 1941 3rd U-boat Flotilla 1 April - 12 September 1941 22nd U-boat Flotilla 13 September 1941 - 8 May 1945
Commanders:	Kptlt. Ernst Mengerson 18 September - 2 November 1940 Oblt.z.S. Helmut Möhlmann 9 December 1940 -19 March 1941 Oblt.z.S. Jürgen von Rosenstiel 20–30 March 1941 Oblt.z.S. Harald Gelhaus 31 March - 19 November 1941 Kptlt. Helmut Manseck 19 November 1941 - 7 April 1942 Oblt.z.S. Gerhard Groth 8 April - 14 December 1942 Oblt.z.S. Erwin Schwager 15 December 1942 - 8 February 1943 Oblt.z.S. Hans Vogel 9 February 1943 - 29 May 1944 Oblt.z.S. Walter Kasparek 30 May 1944 - 8 May 1945
Operations:	1st patrol: 29 April - 11 May 1941 2nd patrol: 31 May - 26 June 1941 3rd patrol: 14 July - 1 August 1941 4th patrol: 18 August - 18 September 1941
Victories:	One ship sunk

German submarine U-143 was a Type IID U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. Her keel was laid down on 3 January 1940 by Deutsche Werke in Kiel as yard number 272. She was launched on 10 August 1940 and commissioned on 18 September under Kapitänleutnant Ernst Mengerson.

U-143 began her service life with the 1st U-boat Flotilla. She was then assigned to the 24th flotilla and subsequently to the 22nd flotilla where she conducted four patrols, sinking one ship of 1,409 gross register tons (GRT). She spent the rest of the war as a training vessel.

Design

German Type IID submarines were enlarged versions of the original Type IIs. U-143 had a displacement of 314 tonnes (309 long tons) when at the surface and 364 tonnes (358 long tons) while submerged. Officially, the standard tonnage was 250 long tons (250 t), however.^[3] The U-boat had a total length of 43.97 m (144 ft 3 in), a pressure hull length of 29.80 m (97 ft 9 in), a beam of 4.92 m (16 ft 2 in), a height of 8.40 m (27 ft 7 in), and a draught of 3.93 m (12 ft 11 in). The submarine was powered by two MWM RS 127 S four-stroke, six-cylinder diesel engines of 700 metric horsepower (510 kW; 690 shp) for cruising, two Siemens-Schuckert PG VV 322/36 double-acting electric motors producing a total of 410 metric horsepower (300 kW; 400 shp) for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 0.85 m (3 ft) propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to 80–150 metres (260–490 ft).^[3]

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 12.7 knots (23.5 km/h; 14.6 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 7.4 knots (13.7 km/h; 8.5 mph).^[3] When submerged, the boat could operate for 35–42 nautical miles (65–78 km; 40–48 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 3,800 nautical miles (7,000 km; 4,400 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph). U-143 was fitted with three 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes at the bow, five torpedoes or up to twelve Type A torpedo mines, and a 2 cm (0.79 in) anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of 25.^[3]

Operational career

1st patrol

U-143's first patrol took her along the Norwegian coast, before crossing the North Sea and passing through the gap between the Faroe and Shetland Islands towards Iceland.

2nd and 3rd patrols

Following a transit voyage from Bergen in Norway, she left Kiel on 9 June 1941, travelling to much the same area as on her first sortie.

Her third foray was equally uneventful.

4th patrol and Fate

On her fourth patrol, the boat sank the Inger on 23 August 1941 about 30 nmi (56 km; 35 mi) northwest of the Butt of Lewis (in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland).

She surrendered on 2 May 1945 in Heligoland, was transferred to Wilhelmshaven and then to Loch Ryan for Operation Deadlight. She was sunk on 22 December at 55°58′N 9°35′W / 55.967°N 9.583°W / 55.967; -9.583Coordinates: 55°58′N 9°35′W / 55.967°N 9.583°W / 55.967; -9.583.

Summary of raiding history

Date	Ship	Nationality	Tonnage	Fate
23 August 1941	Inger	Norway	1,409	Sunk

References

↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type IID boat U-143". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 14 July 2012.
↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "War Patrols by German U-boat U-143". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 14 July 2012.
1 2 3 4 Gröner 1991, pp. 39–40.

Bibliography

Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (1999). German U-boat commanders of World War II : a biographical dictionary. Translated by Brooks, Geoffrey. London, Annapolis, Md: Greenhill Books, Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-186-6.
Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (1999). Deutsche U-Boot-Verluste von September 1939 bis Mai 1945 [German U-boat losses from September 1939 to May 1945]. Der U-Boot-Krieg (in German). IV. Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn: Mittler. ISBN 3-8132-0514-2.
Blair, Clay (1996). Hitler's U-Boat War: The Hunters 1939–1942. New York: Random House. ISBN 0-394-58839-8.
Gröner, Erich; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. German Warships 1815–1945. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4.

External links

Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type IID boat U-143". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
Hofmann, Markus. "U 143". Deutsche U-Boote 1935-1945 - u-boot-archiv.de (in German). Retrieved 30 January 2015.

German Type II submarines

Type IIA	U-1 U-2 U-3 U-4 U-5 U-6

Type IIB	U-7 U-8 U-9 U-10 U-11 U-12 U-13 U-14 U-15 U-16 U-17 U-18 U-19 U-20 U-21 U-22 U-23 U-24 U-120 U-121

Type IIC	U-56 U-57 U-58 U-59 U-60 U-61 U-62 U-63

Type IID	U-137 U-138 U-139 U-140 U-141 U-142 U-143 U-144 U-145 U-146 U-147 U-148 U-149 U-150 U-151 U-152

Preceded by: Type I Followed by: Type VII List of U-boats of Germany

Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in December 1945

Shipwrecks	1 Dec: USS Bellona, U-826, U-1004, U-1061, U-1104 3 Dec: U-994 4 Dec: U-218, U-299, U-539, U-777 5 Dec: U-1005 7 Dec: U-245, U-907, U-1019 8 Dec: U-485, U-773, U-775, U-1203, U-1271, U-1272 9 Dec: U-532, U-1052, U-1307 11 Dec: U-716, U-978, U-991, U-1163 13 Dec: Empire Tigaven, HMS N 86, U-255, U-293, U-295, U-760, U-997, U-1002 16 Dec: U-483, U-739, U-928, U-992, U-1009, U-1301 17 Dec: U-368, U-779, U-956, U-1198, U-1230 20 Dec: U-291 21 Dec: U-149, U-150, U-155, U-318, U-427, U-637, U-720, U-806, U-1102, U-1110 22 Dec: U-143, U-145, U-1194, U-2354 27 Dec: Empire Tigawa, U-313 28 Dec: U-680 29 Dec: USS Minivet, U-390, U-1022, U-1233 30 Dec: Lambridge, U-1103, U-1165 31 Dec: U-294, U-363, U-668, U-802, U-861, U-874, U-875, U-883, U-2341 Unknown date: USS Industry

1944 1945 1946 November 1945

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